JP2008099922A - Lift device for ball counter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lift device 11 for a ball counter capable of easily charging balls in a ball box 15 into a ball counter 13 from either the ball box 15 carried by a carrier 14 or the ball box 15 carried without using the carrier 14. <P>SOLUTION: A lift member 39 is placed on a front side of a mounting platform main body 12 for mounting the ball counter 13 and a driving mechanism 51 for moving the lift member 39 up and down in the mounting platform main body 12 is disposed. The carrier 14 for carrying the ball box 15 is mounted on the lift member 39 and lifted, and charging balls inside the ball box 15 to the ball counter 13 is made easy. The lift member 39 is positioned at an above position in advance, the ball box 15 carried without using the carrier is temporarily mounted on the lift member 39, and charging the balls inside the ball box 15 to the ball counter 3 is made easy. The driving mechanism 51 is disposed inside the mounting platform main body 12, only the lift member 39 is mounted on the front side of the mounting platform main body 12, and charging the balls inside the ball box 15 to the ball counter 13 is made easy. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a ball counter lift device that allows a ball box to be raised close to a mounted ball counter so that balls in the ball box can be put into the ball counter.

  In a pachinko parlor, if there are many balls that a player acquires, balls are put into a plurality of ball boxes, and these ball boxes are transported to the place where the ball counter is installed, and the balls in the ball box are used as ball counters. It is hard labor to make them count.

  Therefore, as a ball counting machine, the bottom of the ball box is automatically opened in order from the lower ball box by loading the ball counter with balls loaded with balls stacked in multiple stages into the ball counter as it is. There is a ball counter that discharges balls from a cart to a ball counter and counts them. In the operation of this ball counter, a dedicated ball box having an opening / closing mechanism on the bottom surface and a dedicated cart for guiding balls discharged from the bottom surface of the ball box to the ball counter are used (for example, see Patent Document 1). .

In addition, a lift device is arranged in front of the ball counter, and a cart loaded with a plurality of ball boxes stacked with balls is loaded into the lift device as it is, and the lift button is pressed to move the ball together with the cart. The box is lifted so that the balls in the uppermost ball box can be easily opened in the ball counter. After opening the ball from within the uppermost ball box, the lift button is pushed again to raise the ball box by one lift so that the ball can be opened from the next ball box. This lift device includes a lift device body having a substantially U-shaped cross-section having a storage space, and a lift plate that allows the carriage to be loaded in the storage space of the lift device body and that moves up and down with the carriage mounted thereon ( For example, see Patent Document 2).
JP-A-11-70267 (page 9-11, FIG. 1-4) JP-A-9-38334 (page 3-4, FIG. 5, FIG. 8-12)

  However, in the ball counter of Patent Document 1, it is possible to automatically discharge the balls in the ball box to the ball counter and perform counting simply by loading a dolly in which the ball boxes are stacked and mounted in a plurality of stages. However, a dedicated ball counter, a dedicated cart and a dedicated ball box having a complicated structure are required, leading to an increase in cost. Furthermore, the dedicated ball box having the opening / closing mechanism on the bottom surface is bulky when stacked, and an extra storage space is required. In addition, when the pachinko ball counter of Patent Document 1 is used, it is necessary to reload the dedicated ball box to the dedicated cart, so that the sufficient problem has not been solved.

  In the case of the lift device of Patent Document 2, a U-shaped lift device main body is disposed in front of the ball counter, so that a large installation space is required in front of the ball counter. When a ball counter is installed at the island edge where a plurality of pachinko machines are installed, the area around the island edge is a passage, so the installation space is limited and the lift device becomes an obstacle.

  Usually, a cart is required when transporting three or more ball boxes, and if it is one or two ball boxes, it is often carried manually. When the ball box is manually carried to the ball counter, the U-shaped device body installed in front of the ball counter is in the way of putting the balls in the ball counter into the ball counter. Further, when a plurality of ball boxes are carried, it is necessary to provide a space for temporarily placing the ball boxes around the ball counter. Recently, in the standby state, the inlet of the ball counter is closed, and it is common to perform counting processing by opening it by a staff operation. Therefore, a player who brings only one ball box cannot immediately put balls into the ball counter, and a space for temporarily placing the ball box is required.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and does not require a dedicated ball counter, a cart, and a ball box, and has been carried without using a ball box and a cart that have been transported using the cart. It is an object of the present invention to provide a ball counter lift device that can easily put balls in a ball box into a ball counter from any of the ball boxes.

  The lift device for a ball counter according to claim 1 is disposed on a mounting table main body on which the ball counter is mounted, and on the front side of the mounting table main body. A lift member that can move between a lower position and an upper position near the ball counter, and a drive mechanism that is disposed in the mounting table main body and moves the lift member.

  A ball counter lift device according to a second aspect of the present invention is the ball counter lift device according to the first aspect, wherein the standby position of the lift member is the upper position.

  The ball counter lift device according to claim 3 is the ball counter lift device according to claim 1, wherein the standby position of the lift member is selected and set to one of an upper position and a lower position. It is equipped with.

  The ball counter lift device according to claim 4 is the ball counter lift device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a ball box detection means for detecting that the ball box is placed on the lift member. The drive mechanism does not lower the lift member if the ball box detecting means detects that the ball box is placed on the lift member.

  A ball counter lift device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the ball counter lift device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, further comprising clerk operation limiting means for allowing the operation of the drive mechanism only by the clerk operation. Is.

  The ball counter lift device according to claim 6 is the ball counter lift device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the drive mechanism is a motor, and the driving force is transmitted to the lift member. A path and clutch means provided in the driving force transmission path are provided.

  The ball counter lift device according to claim 7 is the ball counter lift device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the ball counter lift device is arranged to swing in the vertical direction near the ball counter on the front side of the mounting table body. A chute that is swung into a throwing posture that descends toward the ball counter by engaging with the ball box due to the lift of the lift member, and that throws the balls in the ball box discharged from the ball box into the ball counter A member, a chute member detecting means for detecting that the chute member has been swung to the throwing posture, and a control unit for stopping the lift of the lift member by the detection of the chute member detecting means.

  The ball counter lift device according to claim 8 is the ball counter lift device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the ball box is lifted and moved onto the ball counter from above the lift member. It is provided with a discharge mechanism that causes the ball counter to discharge the balls in the ball box by inclining.

  The lift device for a ball counter according to claim 9 is the lift device for a ball counter according to claim 8, wherein the discharge mechanism has a ball box engaging portion that engages with a ball box on the lift member. A link, a second link for rotatably connecting one end of the first link and the mounting table main body, and a third link for rotatably connecting the other end of the first link and the mounting table main body. And moving the ball box on the ball counter while lifting the ball box from the lift member via the first link by swinging the second and third links and tilting the ball box.

  The ball counter lift device according to claim 10 is the ball counter lift device according to claim 8, wherein the discharge mechanism includes an arm, a lift member and an arm swingable in a vertical direction at a side of the ball counter. A slide part that supports a ball box engaging part that engages with a ball box on a member and that can slide between the lift member and the ball counter along the arm, and this slide part on the ball counter It has a tilting action part that tilts the ball box via the ball box engaging part when it moves, and moves the ball box on the ball counter by moving the slide part while lifting the ball box from above the lift member by swinging the arm. The ball box is tilted by the tilting operation unit.

  According to the lift device for a ball counter according to claim 1, the drive mechanism is arranged such that the lift member is arranged on the front side of the mounting table main body on which the ball counter is mounted, and the lift member is moved in the vertical direction in the mounting table main body. Therefore, it is possible to mount and lift the ball box transported using the cart on the lift member without using a dedicated ball counter, a cart and a ball box. When placed in the position, the ball box carried without using the carriage can be placed once on the lift member, the balls in the ball box can be easily put into the ball counter, and the drive mechanism is mounted on the stand. There is no obstacle other than the lift member on the front side of the mounting table body, and the operation of putting the balls in the ball box into the ball counter can be facilitated.

  According to the lift device for a ball counter according to claim 2, in addition to the effect of the lift device for a ball counter according to claim 1, the carriage is not used by setting the standby position of the lift member to the upper position. The ball box that has been carried can be temporarily placed on the lift member, and the operation of throwing the ball in the ball box into the ball counter can be facilitated.

  According to the ball counter lift device of the third aspect, in addition to the effect of the ball counter lift device of the first aspect, the standby position of the lift member is set between the upper position and the lower position by the standby position setting means. Since it can be selected and set to either one, for example, the standby position is positioned downward to give priority to the cart, or the standby position is set to the upper position and priority is given to placing the ball box carried without using the cart It can be set arbitrarily according to the usage status at the installation location.

  According to the ball counter lift device of claim 4, in addition to the effect of the ball counter lift device of any one of claims 1 to 3, the ball box is placed on the lift member by the ball box detection means. If it is detected that the ball is not lifted, the lift member is not lowered, so that it is possible to prevent the ball box containing the balls not yet counted from being lowered by mistake.

  According to the ball counter lift device of the fifth aspect, in addition to the effect of the ball counter lift device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the operation of the drive mechanism is allowed only by the clerk operation. It is possible to prevent the inexperienced person other than the user from operating and turning the ball box upside down.

  According to the ball counter lift device of the sixth aspect, in addition to the effect of the ball counter lift device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the clutch means is provided in the driving force transmission path. If a one-way clutch that transmits the drive only in the lifting direction of the lift member is used as the clutch means, the lift member can be disposed at a position where it abuts against the floor surface when the lift member is lowered, and the ease of getting on and off the carriage with respect to the lift member For example, if an electromagnetic clutch is used as the clutch means, when stopping the lift member at a predetermined position when the lift member is lifted, transmission of the driving force is cut off, and variation in the stop position of the lift member due to inertia is reduced. Can be reduced.

  According to the ball counter lift device according to claim 7, in addition to the effect of the ball counter lift device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the chute member is engaged with the ball box due to the lift of the lift member. Swings into a throwing posture that descends toward the ball counter, and the chute member detecting means detects that the chute member has swung into the throwing posture to stop the lift of the lift member. While the ball in the ball box discharged from the box can be put into the ball counter, the chute member can also be used for detection for stopping the ball box at a predetermined position, and the configuration can be simplified.

  According to the ball counter lift device of the eighth aspect, in addition to the effect of the ball counter lift device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the ball box is mounted on the lift member using the discharge mechanism. The ball counter can be lifted and moved on the ball counter and the ball box can be tilted so that the balls in the ball box can be discharged to the ball counter. .

  According to the ball counter lift device of the ninth aspect, in addition to the effect of the ball counter lift device according to the eighth aspect, the first and the second links are swung as the discharge mechanism by the swing of the second and third links. By adopting a link system that lifts the ball box from above the lift member via the link and moves it on the ball counter and tilts the ball box, the structure of the discharge mechanism can be simplified, and the balls in the ball box can be Can be reliably inserted into a ball counter.

  According to the ball counter lift device of the tenth aspect, in addition to the effect of the ball counter lift device according to the eighth aspect, as a discharge mechanism, while lifting the ball box from above the lift member by swinging the arm By adopting an arm system in which the ball box is moved onto the ball counter by the movement of the slide part and the ball box is tilted by the tilting operation part, the balls in the ball box can be reliably put into the ball counter.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  1 to 6 show a first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, the ball counter lift device 11 includes a mounting table main body 12 on which a ball counter 13 is mounted. Easily throw balls that are pachinko balls in the ball box 15 into the ball counter 13 from either one or two ball boxes 15 that have been carried without using the multiple ball boxes 15 and carts 14 that have been carried. It is configured to be able to.

  The ball counter 13 is of a general stationary type, and has an insertion port 18 into which a ball is inserted on the upper surface, and a display unit 19 for displaying a counting result and the like on the rear side of the upper surface. The balls thrown into the slot 18 are received inside the ball counter 13 and counted, and the balls thus counted are discharged from the rear part of the ball counter 13 and collected by a predetermined collecting device.

  The carriage 14 includes a carriage body 22 on which the ball box 15 is placed, and a plurality of wheels 23 for traveling on the floor surface are attached to the lower surface of the carriage body 22, and the carriage 14 is attached to an end of the carriage body 22. A handle or the like (not shown) for running operation is detachably attached.

  The ball box 15 is provided with a box body 26 that is open on the upper surface and accommodates a ball, and an edge portion 27 projects from the periphery of the box body 26, and handles 28 project from both ends of the box body 26. Yes.

  The mounting table body 12 of the ball counter lift device 11 includes side plates 31 on both sides, upper and lower shelf plates 32, 33 spanned between the side plates 31 on both sides, and these shelf plates 32, 33. A front plate 34 disposed on the front side, a back plate 35 disposed on the upper back side of the shelf plate 32, and a back plate 36 disposed on the lower back side of the shelf plate 33, and the upper shelf plate A ball counter 13 is placed on 32.

  On the front surface side of the mounting table main body 12, a lift member 39 for placing and raising the carriage 14 is disposed so as to be movable in the vertical direction along the front surface side of the mounting table main body 12. The lift member 39 includes a lift support part 40 and a lift part 41 detachably attached to the lift support part 40. On the lift part 41, a carriage 14 can be mounted or the ball box 15 can be directly placed, and a guide 42 for holding the side surface of the carriage 14 or the ball box 15 is provided at the edge opposite to the lift support part 40 side. It is installed. In a state where the lift part 41 is positioned at a lower position in contact with the floor surface, the carriage 14 that has traveled on the floor surface from one side of the lift part 41 travels as it is and is mounted. A stopper 43 that stops the carriage 14 at a predetermined position on the lift portion 41 is disposed facing the other side of the lift portion 41.

  On the lift support portion 40 side of the lift member 39, a ball box detecting means 44 for detecting that the carriage 14 or the ball box 15 is placed on the lift member 39 is provided. This ball box detecting means 44 is, for example, a spring (not shown) that urges the lift 41 to lift the lift support 40, a micro switch (not shown) that detects the position of the lift 41 relative to the lift support 40, etc. It is configured. If nothing is placed on the lift portion 41, the lift portion 41 tends to lift up with respect to the lift support portion 40 due to the bias of the spring, the micro switch is turned off, and nothing is placed on the lift portion 41. Detect that it is not placed. Further, if the carriage 14 and the ball box 15 are placed on the lift part 41, the lift part 41 tends to be pushed down against the lift support part 40 against the bias of the spring, and the micro switch is turned on. Then, it is detected that the carriage 14 and the ball box 15 are placed on the lift part 41. Such a ball box detection means 44 may be provided on the mounting table main body 12 side in correspondence with the lift member 39 located at the upper position.

  Lift guides 46 are attached to the inner surfaces of the side plates 31 on both sides of the mounting table main body 12 facing each other in the vertical direction along the front ends of the side plates 31. A guide groove 47 is formed in the lift guide 46 along the vertical direction. Rollers 48 rotatably supported at both ends of the lift support portion 40 of the lift member 39 are rotatably engaged with the guide groove portions 47 of the lift guides 46 on both sides.

  The lift member 39 can be moved up and down between a lower position near the floor surface on which the carriage 14 on which the ball box 15 is placed can be mounted and an upper position near the ball counter 13. For example, the lower position is a position where the lift portion 41 is in contact with the floor surface, the upper position is a position above the lower position, and the height position near the ball counter 13 is the uppermost position, for example.

  A driving mechanism 51 that moves the lift member 39 up and down is disposed in the mounting table main body 12. In this drive mechanism 51, upper and lower rotary shafts 52 are rotatably mounted between the upper and lower portions of the lift guides 46 on both sides via bearings or the like, and pulleys 53 are provided near both ends of the upper and lower rotary shafts 52. The belts 54 are attached to each other, and endless belts 54 are stretched over the upper and lower pulleys 53. A timing belt is used for the belt 54, and a timing pulley for the timing belt is used for the pulley 53, and the belts 54 on both sides are configured to rotate integrally in synchronization.

  A drive unit case 55 is disposed so as to cover a part of the lower rotary shaft 52, and a worm wheel 56 is attached to the lower rotary shaft 52 in the drive unit case 55. In the drive unit case 55, a worm gear 57 meshing with the worm wheel 56, a clutch means 58, and a pulley shaft 59 are coaxially arranged and are rotatably mounted on the drive unit case 55.

  A driven pulley 60 is attached to the pulley shaft 59, a drive pulley 61 is disposed on the side of the driven pulley 60, and a belt 62 is stretched between the pulleys 59, 60. The drive pulley 61 is driven to rotate forward and backward by a motor 63 attached to the drive unit case 55.

  The clutch means 58 is disposed in the driving force transmission path 64 that transmits the driving force from the motor 63 to the lift member 39, and is a one-way clutch that transmits the driving force from the motor 63 only in the direction in which the lift member 39 rises. 65, and an electromagnetic clutch 66 that electrically switches between transmission and disconnection of the driving force.

  On the mounting table body 12 side facing the lift area of the lift support portion 40 of the lift member 39, for example, a micro switch or an optical sensor that detects the lowermost position of the lift member 39 and the highest position of the lift member 39, respectively. The constructed lift member position detection means 67 (shown in FIG. 6) is disposed. This lower position is the height at which the lift part 41 of the lift member 39 is in contact with the floor surface, and the upper position is the height of the lift part 41 of the lift member 39 at the middle stage of the ball counter 13 (height shown in FIG. 5). It is said.

  In addition, a chute member 70 for placing balls discharged from the ball box 15 into the ball counter 13 is disposed between the inner sides of the side plates 31 on both sides of the front side of the mounting table main body 12. The chute member 70 is pivotally supported at the upper end of a plate-like support member 71 installed between the inner sides of the side plates 31 on both sides of the mounting table body 12 so as to be swingable in the vertical direction via a hinge 72 as a fulcrum portion. ing.

  The chute member 70 is formed wider than the box body 26 of the ball box 15, and guide edges 73 for guiding the ball are provided on both sides of the chute member 70. The front end of the chute member 70 is disposed slightly behind the position of the ball box 15 placed on the lift member 39, and a hooking edge 74 is erected in the central region of the front end of the chute member 70. The rear end of the chute member 70 is disposed on the inlet 18 of the ball counter 13. The chute member 70 is in the standby posture when the front end is lowered, and the throwing posture is the state in which the front end of the chute member 70 is raised and the ball discharged from the ball box 15 can be thrown into the ball counter 13. .

  A ball box engaging portion 75 that engages with the ball box 15 raised by the lift member 39 is attached to the approximate center of the upper surface of the chute member 70. The front end side of the ball box engaging portion 75 is spaced from the front upper surface of the chute member 70 and projects forward from the front end of the chute member 70.

  The chute member 70 is supported by a chute member support 76 that can expand and contract with respect to the support member 71. The chute member support 76 is attached to the first support member 78 rotatably attached to the front surface side of the support member 71 by a support shaft 77 and to the lower surface side of the chute member 70 to be rotatable by a support shaft 79. Second support member 80, and an edge portion 78a of the first support member 78 bent into a substantially L shape and an edge portion 80a of the second support member 80 bent into a substantially L shape. Are engaged with each other, and a pin 80b provided on the second support member 80 is engaged with a long hole 78b formed in the first support member 78 so that it can be expanded and contracted.

  A serrated ratchet tooth 80c is formed at the lower edge of the second support member 80, and a hook 81 meshing with the ratchet tooth 80c is attached to the first support member 78 by a support shaft 82. Is biased in the meshing direction by a spring (not shown). In the meshing relationship between the ratchet teeth 80c and the hook 81, the ratchet teeth 80c can get over the hook 81 in the direction in which the chute member support 76 extends, and the front end of the chute member 70 is allowed to be lifted. In the contraction direction of the chute member support 76, the ratchet teeth 80c are engaged with the hook 81 and the front end of the chute member 70 is prevented from descending.

  The hook 81 is connected to a solenoid 83 attached to the first support member 78 via a connection member (not shown). By driving the solenoid 83, the hook 81 is detached from the second support member 80 and the chute member 70 is moved. The front end is configured to descend.

  The support member 71 is provided with a chute member detecting means 84 using a micro switch for detecting the swing position of the chute member 70. The chute member detecting means 84 is configured such that the micro switch is turned on in the standby posture in which the front end of the chute member 70 is lowered, and the micro switch is turned off in the closing posture in which the front end of the chute member 70 is raised. Can be detected.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 91 for controlling the ball counter lift device 11 includes an operation unit 92 having a start button and the like, a ball box detection unit 44, a lift member position detection unit 67, and a chute member detection. While inputting a signal from the means 84, the motor 63 and the electromagnetic clutch 66 are controlled according to the setting by the standby position setting means 93. A power supply unit 96 that supplies power is connected to the control unit 91.

  The operation unit 92 is installed in an easy-to-operate place such as the upper side of the side portion of the mounting table body 12.

  The standby position setting means 93 is for selecting and setting the standby position of the lift member 39 to either the upper position or the lower position. The standby position setting means 93 includes a setting operation unit 94 for operating settings and a setting storage unit 95 for storing settings. Have.

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

  As shown in FIG. 1, when it is assumed that the plurality of ball boxes 15 are transported by the carriage 14 and the standby position of the lift member 39 is set to the lower position, the lift member 39 has the lift portion 41 on the floor surface. Waiting at the lower position where it touches. Further, the chute member 70 is in a standby posture in which the front end is lowered.

  An operator such as a player or a clerk carries the cart 14 on which the ball boxes 15 containing balls are placed in a plurality of stages onto the lift portion 41 of the lift member 39, and operates the start switch of the operation portion 92.

  After the solenoid 83 is turned on and off by the operation of the start switch of the operation unit 92, the motor 63 starts to drive and lifts the lift member 39 on which the carriage 14 is mounted. Even if the front end of the chute member 70 is raised by the solenoid 83 being turned on and off, the hook 81 of the first support member 78 is forced from the ratchet teeth 80c of the second support member 80. Therefore, the front end of the chute member 70 is lowered by its own weight and assumes a standby posture.

  When the carriage 14 is raised by the lift member 39, the edge portion 27 of the uppermost ball box 15 engages with the ball box engaging portion 75 of the chute member 70, and the chute is passed through this ball box engaging portion 75. The front end side of the member 70 is pushed up. The chute member 70 swings to the throwing posture in which the front end rises with the hinge 72 as a fulcrum, and the microswitch of the chute member detecting means 84 is turned off in response to the swinging of the chute member 70 to the throwing posture. The driving of the motor 63 is stopped and the driving force transmission path 64 is shut off by the electromagnetic clutch 66. Thereby, the lift amount of the lift member 39 due to inertia can be reduced, and the uppermost ball box 15 on the lift member 39 can be stopped at a desired position.

  The chute member 70 swinging to the throwing posture is held in the throwing posture by the hook 81 of the first support member 78 engaging the ratchet teeth 80c of the second support member 80.

  After stopping the lifting of the lift member 39, the operator operates to hook the edge 27 of the uppermost ball box 15 to the hooking edge 74 of the chute member 70, and the front side of the ball box 15 ascends with the hooked portion as a fulcrum. By tilting in such a manner (see FIG. 5), the balls stored in the ball box 15 are discharged onto the chute member 70, and the balls are thrown into the inlet 18 of the ball counter 13 through the chute member 70. The The ball box 15 that has been emptied after the introduction of the balls is removed from the chute member 70 and placed in a ball box collection place arranged in the vicinity of the placing table main body 12.

  The ball counter 13 counts the balls thrown into the slot 18 and displays the counting result on the display unit 19.

  Subsequently, in order to continue the ball insertion from the ball box 15 remaining on the lift member 39, the operator operates the start switch again with the operation unit 92.

  By re-operating the start switch of the operation unit 92, first, the solenoid 83 is turned on, and the hook 81 of the first support member 78 is forcibly removed from the ratchet teeth 80c of the second support member 80. The front end descends under its own weight and returns to the standby position. Thereafter, the solenoid 83 is turned off, the hook 81 of the first support member 78 is engaged with the ratchet teeth 80c of the second support member 80, and the motor 63 is driven again to raise the lift member 39, The uppermost ball box 15 is engaged with the ball box engaging portion 75, and the chute member 70 is in the throwing posture, the micro switch of the chute member detecting means 84 is turned on, and immediately the drive of the motor 63 is stopped and the electromagnetic The driving force transmission path 64 is blocked by the clutch 66.

  After the lifting of the lift member 39 is stopped, as described above, the ball in the uppermost ball box 15 is thrown into the ball counter 13 through the chute member 70 by the operation of the operator.

  In this manner, the lifting of the ball box 15 by the lift member 39 and the throwing of the ball from the uppermost ball box 15 are repeated, and all the balls in the ball box 15 on the lift member 39 are sequentially thrown into the ball counter 13. The ball is counted by the ball counter 13.

  After the ball counting by the ball counter 13 is completed, a receipt printed with a counting result is issued from a receipt issuing machine arranged in the vicinity of the mounting table body 12, or counted on a member card inserted in the member card processing machine. Write data such as results.

  Further, by operating the lowering of the lift member 39 by the operation unit 92, the control unit 91 detects that the ball box 15 is not placed on the lift member 39 by the ball box detection means 44. The motor 63 is driven to lower the lift member 39 downward.

  At this time, in the control unit 91, if the lift member 39 is in the upper position and the ball box detecting means 44 detects that the ball box 15 is placed on the lift member 39, the motor 63 is turned on. The lift member 39 is prohibited from being lowered toward the lower position without being driven, and an alarm is displayed on the operation unit 92 or the like. As a result, the lift member 39 is lowered even if the operation unit 92 is mistakenly lowered while the ball box 15 in which balls not yet counted are stored is placed on the lift member 39. Can be prevented.

  When the lift member 41 of the descending lift member 39 contacts the floor surface and the lift member position detecting means 67 detects that the lift member 39 has reached the lower position, the motor 63 is immediately stopped. At this time, although the motor 63 has inertia, the power transmission is interrupted when the lift portion 41 of the lift member 39 comes into contact with the floor surface by the one-way clutch 65 interposed in the driving force transmission path 64. Therefore, when the lift member 39 is lowered, the lift member 39 can be stopped at a certain position where it abuts against the floor surface, the stop position of the lift member 39 does not vary, and the lift member 39 does not vary between the lift member 39 and the floor surface. The carriage 14 can be smoothly put on the lift part 41 of the lift member 39 without a gap.

  Further, when the standby position of the lift member 39 is set to the upper position on the assumption that, for example, one or two ball boxes 15 are carried without using the carriage 14, the lift member 39 is Waiting at position. The chute member 70 is operated in advance by an attendant or the like so as to be in a throwing posture in which the front end rises.

  When one ball box 15 is carried, the balls in the ball box 15 are put into the inlet 18 of the ball counter 13. When throwing the balls, as described above, the edge 27 of the ball box 15 is hooked on the hooking edge 74 of the chute member 70 and tilted so that the front side of the ball box 15 rises with the hooked portion as a fulcrum. As a result (see FIG. 5), the balls stored in the ball box 15 can be discharged onto the chute member 70, and the balls can be put into the inlet 18 of the ball counter 13 through the chute member 70.

  When two ball boxes 15 are carried in a pile, the ball boxes 15 are temporarily placed on a lift member 39 located at an upper position, and the balls in the ball box 15 are held with the upper box 15. Is put into the inlet 18 of the ball counter 13, and then the ball in the ball box 15 is put into the inlet 18 of the ball counter 13 with the lower ball box 15 placed on the lift member 39. Also at this time, when throwing the ball, as described above, the edge 27 of the ball box 15 is hooked on the hook edge 74 of the chute member 70, and the front side of the ball box 15 rises with the hooked portion as a fulcrum. By tilting in such a manner (see FIG. 5), the balls stored in the ball box 15 are discharged onto the chute member 70, and the balls are thrown into the inlet 18 of the ball counter 13 through the chute member 70. be able to.

  Thus, because the lift member 39 is disposed on the front surface side of the mounting table body 12 on which the ball counter 13 is mounted, and the drive mechanism 51 that moves the lift member 39 in the vertical direction is disposed in the mounting table body 12. A special ball counter, a cart and a ball box are not required, and the ball box 15 transported using a general-purpose cart 14 can be mounted on the lift member 39 and lifted. When 39 is placed in the upper position in advance, the ball box 15 carried without using the carriage 14 can be temporarily placed on the lift member 39, and the balls in the ball box 15 are easily put into the ball counter 13 it can.

  In addition, the drive mechanism 51 is disposed in the mounting table main body 12, and there is no obstacle other than the lift member 39 on the front side of the mounting table main body 12, and the balls in the ball box 15 are thrown into the ball counter 13. Easy operation.

  Further, by previously setting the standby position of the lift member 39 to the upper position, the ball box 15 carried without using the carriage 14 can be temporarily placed on the lift member 39, and the ball box 15 to the ball counter 13 can be The operation of throwing balls can be made easy.

  Further, since the standby position of the lift member 39 can be selected and set to the upper position and the lower position by the standby position setting means 93, for example, the standby position is set to the lower position to give priority to the carriage, or the carriage is set with the standby position as the upper position. It can be set arbitrarily according to the usage situation at the installation location, such as giving priority to placing the ball box 15 carried without using 14.

  Further, the engagement with the ball box 15 due to the lifting of the lift member 39 causes the chute member 70 to swing to the throwing posture in which the chute member 70 descends toward the ball counter 13, and the chute 70 is swung to the throwing posture. In order to stop the lift of the lift member 39 by detecting with the member detection means 84, the ball in the ball box 15 discharged from the ball box 15 through the chute member 70 can be put into the ball counter 13 and the ball box 15 The chute member 70 can also be used for detection for stopping at a predetermined position, and the configuration can be simplified.

  Since the clutch means 58 is provided in the driving force transmission path 64, if the one-way clutch 65 that transmits the drive only in the upward direction of the lift member 39 is used as the clutch means 58, the lift member 39 is brought to the floor when the lift member 39 is lowered. When the lift member 39 is lifted, the lift member 39 can be moved to a predetermined position when the lift member 39 is lifted up by using the electromagnetic clutch 66 as the clutch means 58. When stopping at the position, transmission of the driving force is interrupted, and variations in the stop position of the lift member 39 due to inertia can be reduced.

  In addition, a key switch as an clerk operation limiting means is added to the operation unit 92 of the ball counter lift device 11, and the operation of the ball counter lift device 11 is allowed by operating this key switch with a key possessed by the clerk. In other words, only the clerk with the key can use the ball counter lift device 11 and may not use it for the player. As a result, it is possible to prevent an inexperienced player other than a staff member from operating and turning the ball box 15 upside down.

  As the clerk operation limiting means limited to the clerk operation only, in addition to the key switch, the clerk card may be read or biometric authentication such as a fingerprint may be performed.

  Next, FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment.

  In the second embodiment, instead of the chute member 70 and the configuration related to the chute member 70 of the first embodiment, the ball box 15 is lifted from the lift member 39 and moved to the ball counter 13. And a discharging mechanism 101 for tilting the ball box 15 and discharging the balls in the ball box 15 to the ball counter 13.

  The discharge mechanism 101 is mounted on the first links 103 on both sides having the ball box engaging portions 102 that engage the handles 28 on both sides of the ball box 15 on the lift member 39, and the first links 103 on both sides. A second link 104 and a third link 105 that rotatably connect the outer surfaces of the side plates 31 on both sides of the mounting base body 12 are provided.

  The ball box engaging portion 102 can pass through the ball box engaging portion 102 in the direction in which the ball box 15 is relatively raised, and is clamped in the direction in which the ball box 15 is relatively lowered. It can be locked in the state. An example of this ball box engaging portion 102 will be described in the third embodiment below.

  Front and rear ends of the first link 103 on both sides are connected to each other by support shafts 106 and 107, and a frame portion 108 is formed by these.

  Each second link 104 is longer than the third link 105, and a front end that is one end is pivotally supported by a support shaft 106 on a front end that is one end of the first link 103, and a rear end that is the other end Is pivotally supported on the outer surface of the side plate 31 of the mounting table body 12 by a support shaft 109.

  Each of the third links 105 is shorter than the second link 104, and a front end that is one end is pivotally supported by a support shaft 107 on a rear end that is the other end of the first link 103, and is the other end. The rear end is pivotally supported by the support shaft 110 on the outer surface of the side plate 31 of the mounting table body 12.

  Then, the operation of the second embodiment is applied.

  In the standby state of the discharge mechanism 101, the first link 103 is disposed substantially horizontally in the front area of the mounting table main body 12.

  The carriage 14 loaded with the carriage 14 is loaded onto the lift section 41 of the lift member 39 by moving the carriage 14 on which the ball boxes 15 containing balls are placed in a plurality of stages, and the start switch of the operation section 92 is operated. Rises.

  When the handle 28 of the uppermost ball box 15 raised by the lift member 39 is engaged with the ball box engaging portions 102 of the first links 103 on both sides, the lift member 39 is stopped. For the stop control of the lift member 39, detection means (not shown) such as a sensor or a switch (not shown) for detecting the position of the ball box 15 is used.

  By moving the front end portion of the frame portion 108 backward while moving the second link 104 and the third link 105, the ball box 15 is moved from above the lift member 39 via the first link 103. While being lifted, it is moved onto the ball counter 13 and the ball box 15 is tilted. As a result, the balls in the ball box 15 are discharged downward and are inserted into the inlet 18 of the ball counter 13.

  After the ball is thrown from the ball box 15, the front end of the frame portion 108 is lowered while being pulled forward to return the discharge mechanism 101 to the standby state and prepare for the next ball throwing operation.

  Further, when the standby position of the lift member 39 is set to the upper position on the assumption that, for example, one or two ball boxes 15 are carried without using the carriage 14, the frame portion 108 of the discharge mechanism 101 is used. Is set to the standby position of the discharge mechanism 101, so that the ball box 15 carried can be temporarily placed on the lift member 39. In this case, the frame 108 of the discharge mechanism 101 is once swung downward to engage the ball box engaging portion 102 with the ball box 15 and then lifted, whereby the balls in the ball box 15 are moved to the ball counter 13. Can be discharged.

  In this way, using the discharge mechanism 101, the ball box 15 is lifted from the lift member 39 and moved onto the ball counter 13, and the ball box 15 is tilted so that the balls in the ball box 15 are moved. Therefore, the operation of throwing the balls in the ball box 15 into the ball counter 13 can be facilitated.

  In particular, as the discharge mechanism 101, the second link 104 and the third link 105 are moved on the ball counter 13 while lifting the ball box 15 from the lift member 39 via the first link 103 by the swing of the second link 104 and the third link 105. By adopting a link method in which the ball box 15 is inclined, the configuration of the discharge mechanism 101 can be simplified, and the balls in the ball box 15 can be reliably inserted into the ball counter 13.

  Next, FIGS. 8 to 11 show a third embodiment.

  In the third embodiment, instead of the chute member 70 and the configuration related to the chute member 70 of the first embodiment, the ball box 15 is lifted from the lift member 39 and moved to the ball counter 13. And a discharge mechanism 121 that causes the ball counter 15 to discharge the balls in the ball box 15 by tilting the ball box 15.

  This discharge mechanism 121 is a substantially U-shaped arm having arms 122 on both sides arranged on the outside of the side plates 31 on both sides of the mounting table body 12 and a connecting portion 123 that connects the front ends that are one end of the arms 122 on both sides. A body 124 is provided. The rear ends, which are the other ends of the arms 122 on both sides, are pivotally supported by the support shaft 125 on the rear side of the side plates 31 on both sides of the mounting table body 12. The arms 122 on both sides protrude to the front of the mounting table main body 12 and are arranged on both sides of the lift member 39 and the ball counter 13 so as to be swingable in the vertical direction with the support shaft 125 as a fulcrum.

  The arms 122 on both sides are formed in a substantially C-shaped cross section, and on the inner side, a slide portion 126 is provided that can slide between the lift member 39 and the ball counter 13 along the arm 122. Yes. The slide portion 126 has a plurality of upper and lower rollers 127 that are arranged so as to roll inside the upper and lower sides of the arm 122, and can slide along the arm 122 by these rollers 127.

  A ball box engaging portion 128 that is engaged with the handles 28 on both sides of the ball box 15 on the lift member 39 is attached to the slide portions 126 on both sides. The ball box engaging portion 128 has a lower engaging portion 129 that engages with the lower side of the handle 28 of the ball box 15 and an upper engaging portion 130 that engages with the upper side of the handle 28. A handle 28 can be held between the engaging portion 129 and the upper engaging portion 130 so as to be held. The lower engagement portion 129 and the upper engagement portion 130 are pivotable upward on the distal end side with respect to the proximal end side via hinges 131 and 132, respectively, and are urged horizontally by a spring (not shown). Yes. For this reason, the ball box engaging portion 128 can be passed in the direction in which the ball box 15 is relatively lifted, and can be locked in the direction in which the ball box 15 is relatively lowered.

  The base end of the swing shaft 133 is rotatably attached to the slide portions 126 on both sides, and the base end of the lower engagement portion 129 of the ball box engaging portion 128 is attached to the tip of the swing shaft 133. . A swing plate 134 is attached to the base end of the swing shaft 133, and two rollers 135 are rotatably supported on the swing plate 134. A rail 136 is attached to the inner side surface of the arms 122 on both sides along the longitudinal direction, and the ball box engaging portion 128 extends along the longitudinal direction of the arm 122 with the two rollers 135 engaged on the rail 136. Hold in parallel.

  The end 136a on the rear end side of the rail 136 is located on the inlet 18 of the ball counter 13, and the roller 135 is moved to the rear end side of the rail 136 when the slide portion 126 moves onto the rear ball counter 13. The ball box engaging portion 128 can be rotated together with the swing plate 134 and the swing shaft 133 by being detached from the end portion 136a. Then, when the slide part 126 is moved onto the ball counter 13 by the swing shaft 133, the swing plate 134, the roller 135, the end 136a on the rear end side of the rail 136, etc. This is configured as a tilting operation unit 137 that tilts the ball box 15 and throws the balls in the ball box 15 into the ball counter 13.

  Further, springs 138 as urging means for urging the slide portion 126 to slide on the front lift member 39 are disposed on the arms 122 on both sides. One end of the spring 138 is attached to a position in the vicinity of the rear end portion 136a of the rail 136 of the arm 122, the intermediate portion is hooked on two upper and lower guides 139 disposed on the front side of the rail 136, and the other end is attached to the slide portion 126. It is connected to.

  Further, a projecting piece 140 projects from the slide portion 126 on one side toward the rear, and a roller 141 is rotatably attached to the tip of the projecting piece 140. Corresponding to the positions of the protruding pieces 140 and the rollers 141, a guide member 142 having a front side guide portion 142a and an upper surface side guide portion 142b is attached to the mounting table main body 12 side.

  The operation of the third embodiment will be described.

  In the standby state of the discharge mechanism 121, the slide portion 126 slides to the front side of the arm 122 by the bias of the spring 138 and is disposed on the lift member 39, and the two swing plates 134 disposed on the slide portion 126 are arranged. The roller 135 is engaged on the rail 136, and the ball box engaging portion 128 is held in a parallel state along the longitudinal direction of the arm 122. The arm body 124 may swing downward due to its own weight or may swing upward due to a spring (not shown). Here, it is assumed that the arm body 124 swings downward due to its own weight.

  The carriage 14 loaded with the carriage 14 is loaded onto the lift section 41 of the lift member 39 by moving the carriage 14 on which the ball boxes 15 containing balls are placed in a plurality of stages, and the start switch of the operation section 92 is operated. Rises.

  When the handle 28 of the uppermost ball box 15 raised by the lift member 39 is engaged with the ball box engaging portions 128 on both sides, the lift member 39 is stopped. At this time, the ball box engaging portions 128 on both sides allow the handle 28 of the ball box 15 to get over while pushing up the lower engaging portion 129, and between the lower engaging portion 129 and the upper engaging portion 130. The handle 28 of the ball box 15 is sandwiched between and held. Further, for the stop control of the lift member 39, a detection means (not shown) such as a sensor or a switch (not shown) for detecting the position of the ball box 15 is used.

  After stopping the lift member 39, the arm body 124 is swung upward and the ball box 15 is lifted together via the ball box engaging portion 128. When the arm body 124 is swung until the front end side becomes higher than the rear end side, the slide portion 126 together with the ball box 15 resists the bias of the spring 138 by the weight of the ball box 15 containing the balls. Although it tries to slide backward, the roller 141 of the projecting piece 140 of the slide part 126 abuts on the front side guide part 142a of the guide member 142 until the arm body 124 swings to a predetermined height. Sliding backward of 126 is restricted.

  When the arm body 124 swings to a predetermined height, the roller 141 of the projecting piece 140 of the slide portion 126 is disengaged above the front side guide portion 142a of the guide member 142. The sliding portion 126 slides backward against the bias of the spring 138 together with the ball box 15. Therefore, the ball box 15 moves from the lift member 39 to the ball counter 13.

  When the slide part 126 moves on the rear ball counter 13, the two rollers 135 of the swing plate 134 disposed on the slide part 126 are disengaged from the end part 136 a on the rear end side of the rail 136, and the swing shaft 133 is moved. The ball box engaging portion 128 and the ball box 15 are inclined so as to rotate rearward. As a result, the balls in the ball box 15 are discharged downward and are inserted into the inlet 18 of the ball counter 13.

  When all the balls are discharged from the ball box 15, the ball box 15 becomes lighter. For example, the ball box engaging portion 128 and the ball box 15 are urged by a spring (not shown) attached to the swing shaft 133. While being rotated forward and returned to the pre-tilt posture, the slide portion 126 slides forward due to the bias of the spring 138. Until the slide portion 126 slides to the front side position, the roller 141 of the projecting piece 140 of the slide portion 126 abuts on the upper surface side guide portion 142b of the guide member 142, so that the downward swing of the arm body 124 is restricted. Is done.

  If the upward swing of the arm body 124 is released after the slide portion 126 slides to the front side position, the arm body 124 descends by its own weight, the discharge mechanism 101 returns to the standby state, and prepares for the next ball throwing operation. .

  Further, when the standby position of the lift member 39 is set to the upper position on the assumption that, for example, one or two ball boxes 15 are carried without using the carriage 14, the arm body 124 is provided with the lift member 39. By setting the position swinging rearward from the top as the standby position of the discharge mechanism 121, the carried ball box 15 can be placed on the lift member 39 at one end. In this case, the ball in the ball box 15 can be discharged to the ball counter 13 by swinging the arm body 124 downward once and then moving the ball box engaging portion 128 to the ball box 15 and then raising it.

  In this way, using the discharge mechanism 121, the ball box 15 is lifted from the lift member 39 and moved onto the ball counter 13, and the ball box 15 is tilted so that the balls in the ball box 15 are tilted. Therefore, the operation of throwing the balls in the ball box 15 into the ball counter 13 can be facilitated.

  In particular, as the discharge mechanism 121, the ball box 15 is moved onto the ball counter 13 by the movement of the slide portion 126 while the ball box 15 is lifted from the lift member 39 by the swinging of the arm 122, and the ball box is moved by the tilting operation unit 137. By adopting an arm system in which 15 is inclined, the balls in the ball box 15 can be reliably put into the ball counter 13.

  In the above-described embodiment, the cart 14 loaded with the ball box 15 is raised on the lift member 39, but only the ball box 15 may be raised. In that case, the lift member 39 is inserted between the bottom surface of the lowermost ball box 15 and the mounting surface of the carriage 14 or the plane shape of the lift member 39 is a U-shape, and the side surface of the lowermost ball box 15 Or the handle 28 is used to raise only the ball box 15.

It is sectional drawing seen from the side surface direction of the lift apparatus for ball counters which shows the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the lift apparatus for ball counters same as the above. It is a front view of the lift apparatus for ball counters same as the above. It is an expanded sectional view which shows the standby state of the chute | shoot member of the lift apparatus for ball counters same as the above. It is an expanded sectional view which shows the state rock | fluctuated to the throwing-in attitude | position of the chute | shoot member of the lift apparatus for ball counters same as the above. It is a block diagram of the lift apparatus for ball counters same as the above. It is a partial sectional view seen from the side direction of the lift device for ball counter showing the second embodiment of the present invention. It is a partial sectional view of the discharge mechanism of the ball counter lift device showing the third embodiment of the present invention as seen from the side. It is a fragmentary sectional view seen from the side direction showing the ball discharge state by the discharge mechanism of the lift device for the same ball counter. It is a top view of a part of discharge mechanism of the lift device for the same ball counter. It is a one part front view of the discharge mechanism of the lift apparatus for ball counters same as the above.

Explanation of symbols

11 Lifting device for ball counter
12 Mounting base
13 ball counter
15 ball box
39 Lifting material
44 Ball box detection means
51 Drive mechanism
58 Clutch means
63 motor
64 Driving force transmission path
70 Chute material
84 Chute member detection means
91 Control unit
93 Standby position setting means
101 Ejection mechanism
102 Ball box engaging part
103 First link
104 Second link
105 Third link
121 Ejection mechanism
122 arm
126 Slide part
128 Ball box engaging part
137 Tilting motion part

Claims (10)

A mounting table body on which a ball counter is mounted;
A lift member that is arranged on the front side of the mounting table main body and that can move a ball box between a lower position near the floor and an upper position near the ball counter,
A ball counter lift device, comprising: a drive mechanism that is disposed in the mounting table main body and moves the lift member. The lift device for a ball counter according to claim 1, wherein the standby position of the lift member is an upper position. The ball counter lift device according to claim 1, further comprising standby position setting means for selectively setting the standby position of the lift member to either one of an upper position and a lower position. Comprising a ball box detection means for detecting that the ball box is placed on the lift member;
The ball count according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the drive mechanism does not lower the lift member if the ball box detection means detects that the ball box is placed on the lift member. Lift device for machine. The ball counter lift device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising clerk operation limiting means for allowing operation of the drive mechanism only by clerk operation. The drive mechanism includes a motor, a drive force transmission path for transmitting the drive force of the motor to the lift member, and clutch means provided in the drive force transmission path. Lift device for ball counter. It is arranged on the front side of the mounting table so as to be swingable in the vertical direction near the ball counter, and is swung into a throwing posture that descends toward the ball counter by engaging with the ball box ascending the lift member. , A chute member for throwing the balls in the ball box discharged from the ball box into the ball counting machine,
Chute member detecting means for detecting that the chute member has swung to the throwing position;
The ball counter lift device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a control unit that stops the lift of the lift member by detection of the chute member detection means. 2. A discharge mechanism for lifting the ball box from above the lift member and moving it onto the ball counter and tilting the ball box to discharge the balls in the ball box to the ball counter is provided. 6. A ball counter lift device according to any one of the above. The discharge mechanism includes a first link having a ball box engaging portion that engages with a ball box on the lift member, a second link that rotatably connects one end of the first link and the mounting table main body, And a third link for rotatably connecting the other end of the first link and the mounting table main body, and on the lift member via the first link by swinging of the second and third links. The ball counter lift device according to claim 8, wherein the ball box is moved while being lifted from the ball counter while being tilted. The discharge mechanism supports an arm that can swing in the vertical direction on the side of the lift member and the ball counter, and a ball box engaging portion that engages with the ball box on the lift member. A slide part that can slide between the ball counter and a tilting action part that tilts the ball box via the ball box engaging part when the slide part moves on the ball counter. 9. The ball counter according to claim 8, wherein the ball box is moved onto the ball counter by the movement of the slide part while the ball box is lifted from the lift member by swinging, and the ball box is inclined by the tilting operation unit. Lift device.

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