JP2008142216A - Game medium supply system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game medium supply system improving durability and lowering the power consumption/running cost/noise of devices by controlling a horizontal conveyance device and a polishing/lifting device to an operation stop state when there is no supply request from a game machine or a game medium dispenser. <P>SOLUTION: This game medium supply system 100 is provided with a plurality of game machines 2 and game medium dispensers 3, the horizontal conveyance device 4, and an upper storage tank 5, a storage/conveyance device 6 of residual game media, the polishing/lifting device 7, and a control means 8 for game media supply; and is characterized in that the control means 8 is disposed with a supply request detector 81 at least in one game medium take-in side of the game machine 2 or the game medium dispenser 3, and the horizontal conveyance device 4 and the polishing/lifting device 7 are operated by a supply request signal from the supply request detector 81. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention operates a horizontal transfer device only when there is a replenishment request from a plurality of gaming machines and gaming medium lending machines, and a game medium, in particular at least one of the gaming machine and the gaming medium lending machine, The present invention relates to a game medium supply system capable of supplying pachinko balls.

In general, a plurality of islands called game machine islands are installed in a game arcade. In this gaming machine island, a large number of gaming machines and gaming medium lending machines are arranged in parallel, and an upper storage tank and a gaming medium are transported horizontally above the gaming machine and gaming medium lending machine. It is arranged. In addition, a storage / conveyance device for storing and transporting the remaining game media is installed below these gaming machines and game media rental machines. Then, the end hose and the polishing / lifting device are connected between the horizontal transfer device and the storage / transfer device, and the game medium is stored in the upper storage tank → the horizontal transfer device → the end hose → the storage / transfer device → the polishing / transfer device. It is circulated between the lifting device and the upper storage tank. On the other hand, part of the game medium supplied to the gaming machine is also joined to the storage / conveyance device and is conveyed to the polishing / lifting device → the upper storage tank.

However, as described above, as a method for circulating the game medium inside the gaming machine island using the horizontal transfer device, for example, as disclosed in JP-A-6-39136 (Patent Document 1), a horizontal transfer device is used. A method using a conveyor belt and a method using a rotating disk as a horizontal conveyor are known, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-125029 (Patent Document 2).

In the game medium supply system of such a method, in order to supply the game medium to the game machine or the game medium lending machine, it is necessary to always operate the horizontal transfer device. In addition, a polishing / lifting device for transporting game media to the horizontal transport device must also be operated in conjunction.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-239136 (Patent Document 3) discloses a configuration in which game media conveyed by a polishing and lifting device is supplied to a gaming machine via an inclined distribution rod on the upper part of the gaming machine island. . And in this invention, the structure which controls the above-mentioned grinding | polishing lifting apparatus with the quantity of the game medium stored inside the distribution basket is disclosed.

Prior art documents related to the invention of this application include the following.
JP-A-6-39136 JP 2005-125029 A JP-A-9-239136 None

However, when a horizontal transport device is used, the game medium supplied to the inside of the horizontal transport device is placed inside an inclined distribution bowl as disclosed in JP-A-9-239136 (Patent Document 3). It is difficult to detect the amount of game media stored in the stacked state from below because the game media inside the horizontal transport device is scattered on the belt and the rotating disk. Therefore, the horizontal transfer device cannot be controlled and results in operation at all times, causing problems in durability of the device, increase in power consumption, generation of noise, and the like. As a matter of course, since the polishing / lifting device is also operated in conjunction, the problem has become even greater.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and its purpose is to operate the horizontal transfer device and the polishing / lifting device in response to a replenishment request of a gaming machine or a gaming media rental machine. When there is no replenishment request, the game media replenishment system with less problems such as improved device durability, lower power consumption, lower running cost, and lower noise is provided by controlling the operation to be stopped. To do.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, in the present invention, a plurality of gaming machines, a gaming medium rental machine that lends gaming media, and the gaming machine and the gaming medium rental machine are arranged above the gaming machine. A horizontal transport device for transporting the game, an upper storage tank for supplying game media to the horizontal transport device, a storage / transport device for remaining game media disposed below the gaming machine and the game media rental machine, A polishing / lifting device for polishing / lifting the remaining game media supplied from the storage / conveyance device to the upper storage tank, and a control means for controlling the supply of the game media to the game machine and the game media rental machine. In the game medium supply system, the control means includes a supply request detector disposed on at least one of the game machine and the game medium lending machine, and a supply request signal from the supply request detector. Before It is obtained by running the grinding-pumped device with horizontal conveyor unit.

By comprising as mentioned above, durability of apparatuses, such as a horizontal conveyance apparatus and a grinding | polishing / lifting apparatus, is improved, and power consumption is also reduced, and running cost is also reduced. In addition, it is possible to obtain an effect such that the generation of noise is reduced by shortening the operation time of the apparatus.

In the next invention, the control means includes a storage amount detector for detecting a storage amount of the game medium in the upper storage tank, and the storage amount detector is configured to receive the supply request signal from the supply request detector. When the predetermined amount of game medium is stored in the upper storage tank, the horizontal transfer device is operated in advance, and the game medium stored in the upper storage tank reaches a predetermined amount. The polishing / lifting device is operated by the signal of the storage amount detector transmitted when it is divided.

Thus, by operating the horizontal transfer device in advance, it is possible to improve the durability of the polishing / lifting device and to suppress noise caused by the operation of the horizontal transfer device and the polishing / lifting device. In addition, by operating the horizontal transfer device in advance, it is possible to quickly respond to a supply request from a gaming machine or the like.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the control means includes an upper limit detector for detecting a storage upper limit in the storage / conveyance device for the remaining game medium, and the horizontal transport device and the polishing / lifting device according to a signal from the upper limit detector. At least the polishing / lifting device is operated even when the feeding device is stopped.

As a result, even when there is no replenishment request from a gaming machine, that is, even when the horizontal transfer device and the polishing / lifting device are in a stopped state, the number of gaming media in the outrail increases, If there is a risk of failure in taking in the remaining game media, it is possible to avoid the failure caused by taking in the remaining game media by operating only the polishing / lifting device in advance. However, since the minimum necessary equipment is operated, the durability of the horizontal transfer device and the polishing / lifting device can be improved, the power consumption can be reduced, and the noise can be reduced.

As described above, according to the present invention, the horizontal transfer device and the polishing / lifting device are operated in accordance with the replenishment request of the gaming machine or the game medium lending machine, and the operation is stopped when there is no replenishment request. By controlling, it is possible to obtain a game medium supply system with less problems such as improvement of device durability, reduction of power consumption, reduction of running cost, and reduction of noise.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a game medium circulation system of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a top view thereof, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the detection flow of the replenishment request detector, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the detection flow of the upper limit detector.

A gaming medium supply system 100 according to the present invention is arranged on a gaming machine island 1, a polishing / lifting device 7 standing in the middle of the gaming machine island 1, and an upper unit 11 above the polishing / lifting device 7. The upper storage tank 5 provided, the horizontal transfer device 4 disposed inside the upper unit 11 of the gaming machine island 1, and a plurality of gaming machines 2 and games arranged in the middle unit 12 of the gaming machine island 1 A storage / conveying device 6 and a polishing / lifting device 7 disposed inside the medium lending machine 3 and the lower unit 13 and a control means 8 for controlling the operation of the horizontal conveying device 4 are provided.

The gaming machine island 1 is divided into left and right sides with a polishing / lifting device 7 standing in the middle of the gaming machine island 1 as a boundary. (Hereinafter, in FIG. 1, the description will focus on the polishing / lifting device 7 and the configuration on the left side thereof.)

The gaming machine island 1 is provided with a polishing / lifting device 7 in the middle, and is divided into left and right sides with the polishing / lifting device 7 as a boundary. Hereinafter, the left side configuration (for the sake of explanation, the gaming machine island 1L and the opposite right side will be called the gaming machine island 1R) will be described. The gaming machine island 1L has a three-layer structure of an upper unit 11, a middle unit 12, and a lower unit 13 that are respectively framed. A horizontal transfer device 4 is disposed inside the upper unit 11, and a plurality of gaming machines 2 and game medium rental machines 3 are alternately disposed in the middle unit 12. The lower unit 13 is provided with a storage / transport device 6 for storing and transporting the remaining game media 9. The remaining game media 9 is a generic term for game media other than the game media supplied to the gaming machine 2 and the game media rental machine 3 among the game media transported by the horizontal transport device 4. 4, game media flowing down from the island end side to the storage / transfer device 6, game media flowing down from the game machine 2 to the storage / transfer device 6, overflowed game media flowing down from the upper storage tank 5, and storage / transfer device from the beginning 6 and the like stored in the game media.

The horizontal transfer device 4 disposed inside the upper unit 11 will be described with a structure using a rotating disk shown in Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-125029) filed earlier by our company. A conveyor as shown in JP-A-6-39136) may be used. The horizontal transfer device 4 is installed in the upper unit 11 between the upper storage tank 5 provided at the upper part of the upper unit 11 and the island end of the gaming machine island 1L. And the game media supplied from the upper storage tank 5 are conveyed to the island end. During the transportation, game media are supplied to the game machine 2 and the game media rental machine 3 as necessary.

FIG. 3 shows a main part of the horizontal transfer device 4. The horizontal transfer device 4 includes a transfer rail 41 having a concave cross section, a rotating disk 42 provided on the bottom wall 41 a of the transfer rail 41, and a transfer operation. A supply chute 43 disposed on the side wall 41 b of the rail 41 and a guide 44 fixed to the upper surface of the rotary disk 42 are provided. The replenishment chute 43 described above communicates with the inside of the recess of the transport rail 41 by a notch 41c formed in the side wall 41b. On the other hand, a supply request detector 81 of the control means is attached to the supply side of the game medium of the supply chute 43. The replenishment request detector 81 is, for example, a limit switch, and is turned on when the game medium becomes low (when it no longer exists on the discharge side) and transmits a replenishment request signal. In response to this signal, the horizontal transfer device 4 and the polishing / lifting device 7 operate to supply game media to the game machine 2 and the game media rental machine 3. Reference numeral 45 denotes a bellows tube that communicates the horizontal transfer device 4 with the gaming machine 2 and the game medium lending machine 3, and passes through the bellows tube 45 to allow the gaming machine 2 and the game medium lending. A game medium is supplied to each of the machines 3.

The middle unit 12 is also framed in the same manner as the upper unit 11, and a plurality of gaming machines 2 and gaming medium lending machines 3 are arranged in parallel in the frame.

The lower unit 13 is also framed in the same manner as the upper unit 11 and the middle unit 12, and the storage / conveyance device 6 is disposed therein. The storage / conveyance device 6 is connected to an end tank 61, an inclined lifter 62, an outrail 63, and a balance tank 64 from the island end side, and the balance tank 64 is connected to the polishing / lifting device 7. The right gaming machine island 1R has a short length from the storage / conveyance device 6 to the island end, and therefore the inclined lifter 62 is not provided.

The end tank 61 is disposed on the island end side of the lower unit 13, and communicates with the island end of the horizontal transfer device 4 by the end hose 65. Then, the remaining game media 9 from the horizontal transfer device 4 is taken in. At this time, the shutter 46 provided at the end of the horizontal conveyance device 4 is opened. When the shutter 46 is closed, game media are stored inside the horizontal transport device 4.

The inclined lifter 62 lifts the remaining game media 9 stored in the end tank 61 to the upper portion of the outrail 63 in order from the bottom side portion. As a result, the remaining game medium 9 is prevented from staying under the end tank 61 and becoming a dead ball.

The above-described outrail 63 causes the remaining game medium 9 lifted from the end tank 61 by the inclined lifter 62 to flow down to the balance tank 64 using the inclination of the bottom surface of the outrail 63. An upper limit detector 83 serving as a control means is disposed inside the outrail 63. The upper limit detector 83 is, for example, a limit switch, and is turned on when the amount of the remaining game media 9 in the outrail 63 reaches a certain level or more to operate the polishing / lifting device 7, and the balance tank 64. The remaining game media 9 stored in the upper storage tank 5 is polished and transported to reduce the remaining game media 9 in the outrail 63. This prevents game media from collecting in the gaming machine 2 and causing clogging.

The balance tank 64 stores the remaining game media 9 and puts it into the polishing / lifting device 7. The remaining game medium 9 is lifted from the end tank 61 by the inclined lifter 62 and flown down from the outrail 63, the game medium flown down from the gaming machine 2 to the outrail 63, and the upper storage tank 5. The game media that overflowed and flowed down through the overflow hose 51 and the game media that were initially put into the end tank 61, the outrail 63, and the balance tank 64.

The polishing / lifting device 7 is disposed inside a tower-like outer case 71. The lower part communicates with the aforementioned balance tank 64, and the upper part communicates with the upper storage tank 5. This polishing / lifting device 7 is a generally known device, which holds a game medium between two endless polishing belts 72, and is free from dust, dirt, and dirt adhering to the game medium. Is being pumped up to the upper storage tank 5 disposed at the upper part of the gaming machine island 1.

The upper storage tank 5 is disposed in the upper part of the gaming machine island 1 so as to include the upper end of the polishing / lifting device 7 standing in the middle of the gaming machine island 1. The upper storage tank 5 supplies game media to the horizontal transfer devices 4 respectively disposed on the gaming machine island 1L and the gaming machine island 1R which are divided on the left and right with the polishing / lifting device 7 as a boundary. For this purpose, a supply port 52 and a discharge port 53 for allowing the game medium filled in the upper storage tank 5 to flow down from the overflow hose 51 to the balance tank 64 are formed.

The control means 8 includes a detector disposed in a main part of each component constituting the game medium supply system 100, and a horizontal transfer device 4 and a polishing / lifting device according to a signal transmitted from the detector. 7 drive control units (not shown). Specifically, the replenishment request detector 81 disposed on the game medium supply side of the gaming machine 2 and the game medium lending machine 3, the storage amount detector 82 disposed on the upper storage tank 5, and the outrail 63 are arranged. The driving of the horizontal transfer device 4 and the polishing / lifting device 7 is controlled by a combination of the provided upper limit detectors 83.

、二点鎖線部分８１２など） The replenishment request detector 81 detects a state in which the game media stored in the gaming machine 2 and the game media lending machine 3 are reduced and needs replenishment. For example, a limit switch is used. The detector is not limited to a limit switch. In short, another detector may be used as long as it detects a state in which replenishment is required. The replenishment request detector 81 is arranged on the game medium supply side to the game machine 2 and the game medium rental machine 3. For example, it is attached to the discharge pipe 43a of the replenishment chute 43 shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the replenishment chute 43 (arrow a) for replenishing game media to the gaming machine 2 and the replenishment chute 43 (arrow b) for replenishing game media to the game medium lending machine 3 are respectively attached. Is configured as a dedicated part for replenishing the gaming machine 2 and then the route for replenishing the gaming medium lending machine 3 is branched and switched, so that the replenishment request detector 81 can be halved. Become. Further, the replenishment request detector 81 can be attached in the vicinity of the upper tray 21 for storing game media provided on the back surface of the gaming machine 2 as shown in FIG. (811 in the figure

, Two-dot chain line portion 812, etc.)

The storage amount detector 82 is originally intended to detect the amount of game media stored inside the horizontal transport device 4, but if the replenishment basket is inclined as in the conventional example, The game media are sequentially densely stacked with reference to the shutter provided on the island end side of the replenishment basket, so that the amount of game media can be easily detected. In a mechanism that transports horizontally, the game media are scattered inside the horizontal transport device 4, and it is actually difficult to detect the amount of game media. As an alternative, in the present invention, the storage amount detector 82 is provided in the upper storage tank 5. That is, if the game medium is stored in the upper storage tank 5 in the storage amount detector 82 or more, the polishing / lifting device 7 is operated for a while to remove the remaining game medium 9 from the balance tank 64 to the upper storage tank 5. Even if only the horizontal transfer device is operated without replenishing the inside, the game medium can be replenished to the gaming machine 2 and the game medium lending machine 3 without any trouble.

The upper limit detector 83 is attached to the upper portion of the outrail 63 where the remaining game media 9 flowing down from the gaming machine 2 are collected. Then, when the remaining game media 9 merged with the remaining game media 9 flowing down from each portion and stored in the storage / conveyance device 6 increase and reach the above-described upper limit detector 83, the upper limit detector 83 is The polishing / lifting device 7 is turned on and the remaining game medium 9 stored in the balance tank 64 is transferred to the upper storage tank 5. The operation of the polishing / lifting device 7 reduces the remaining game media 9 in the outrail 63. As a result, the remaining game medium 9 flowing down from the gaming machine 2 does not flow down to the outrail 63 and backflows up to the gaming machine 2 so that the gaming machine 2 does not clog the gaming medium.

Next, the flow of the game medium supply system 100 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Before the start, the horizontal transfer device 4 and the polishing / lifting device 7 are operated, and the game media stored in the storage / transfer device 6 in advance are distributed throughout. Naturally, the upper storage tank 5 is stored so as not to overflow and above the storage amount detector 82, and game media are also distributed to the respective game machines 2 and the game medium rental machines 3. At this time, if each detector is connected to a display device (not shown) provided at the island edge, etc., it can be easily confirmed whether each detector is functioning normally, and maintenance and inspection can be performed. It can be easily implemented.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of game medium supply control. First, the presence / absence of a supply signal is confirmed. (St1) When there is a supply signal (Y), the operation of the horizontal transfer device 4 is confirmed. (St2) When the horizontal transfer device 4 is in operation, the operation of the polishing / lifting device 7 is confirmed. (St3) When the polishing / lifting device 7 is in operation, the game medium is replenished and END. When there is no replenishment signal at st1, it is confirmed whether the operations of the horizontal transfer device 4 and the polishing / lifting device 7 are stopped. (St4) END if the operations of the horizontal transfer device 4 and the polishing / lifting device 7 are stopped. When the horizontal transfer device 4 and the polishing / lifting device 7 are in operation, stop and END. Next, when the horizontal conveyance device 4 is not in operation at st2, the storage amount detector 82 confirms whether the game medium storage amount of the upper storage tank 5 is sufficient. (St5) When the game medium storage amount is sufficient, the horizontal transfer device 4 is operated to replenish game media and END. If the game medium storage amount is insufficient, after the polishing / lifting device 7 is operated, the horizontal transfer device 4 is operated to supply the game media to END. Therefore, when there is no replenishment signal, the horizontal transfer device 4 and the polishing / lifting device 7 are stopped.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of control when the remaining game medium reaches the upper limit at the outrail 63. First, the presence or absence of an upper limit signal transmission by the upper limit detector 83 is confirmed. (St1) If there is an upper limit signal (Y), it is confirmed whether or not the polishing / lifting device 7 is in operation. (St2) When the polishing / lifting device 7 is in operation, END is performed as it is. If there is no upper limit signal transmission at st1 (N), it is also checked whether the polishing / lifting device 7 is in operation. (St3) When the polishing / lifting device 7 is in operation, the presence / absence of a supply signal is confirmed. When the polishing / lifting device 7 is not in operation (N) at st2, the polishing / lifting device 7 is operated and then set to END. When the polishing / lifting device 7 is not in operation at (st3), END is set as it is. If there is a replenishment signal at st4, the polishing / lifting device 7 is set to END while operating. When there is no replenishment signal at st4, the polishing / lifting device 7 is stopped and set to END.

Next, the game medium circulation cycle of the game medium supply system 100 of the present invention will be described. First, the horizontal transfer device 4 and the polishing / lifting device 7 are operated, and the game medium stored in the storage / transfer device 6 in advance is balanced tank 64 → polishing / lifting device 7 → upper storage tank 5 → horizontal transfer. Initial circulation is performed as follows: apparatus 4 → shutter 46 → end hose 65 → end tank 61 → inclined lifter 62 → outrail 63 → balance tank 64. In the middle of this circulation cycle, game media are supplied from the horizontal transfer device 4 to the game machine 2 and the game media rental machine 3 via the supply chute 43. At this time, the control means 8 (replenishment request detector 81, storage amount detector 82, and upper limit detector 83 are checked.

When a game is started and a replenishment signal is transmitted from the gaming machine 2 and the game medium lending machine 3 via the replenishment request detector 81, the horizontal transfer device 4 is driven and the gaming machine 2 that has transmitted the replenishment signal and The game medium lending machine 3 is replenished with the game medium via the supply chute 43. At this time, if the shutter 46 provided on the island end side of the horizontal transport device 4 is closed, the game medium stays in the transport rail 41 and is sent to the supply chute 43 more effectively. Even if the shutter 46 is in the open state, the game medium is sent to the supply chute 43. Therefore, in particular, the game medium may be circulated in the gaming machine island 1 without providing the shutter 46.

Of the remaining game media 9, the game media flowing out from the island end of the horizontal transport device 4 flows down to the end tank 61 via the end hose 65. The game media flowing down from the gaming machine 2 are collected in the outrail 63. Further, the game medium overflowed from the upper storage tank 5 flows down to the balance tank 64 through the overflow hose 51. In any case, the remaining game medium 9 circulates in the gaming machine island 1 while returning to the storage / conveyance device 6 and being cleaned by the polishing / lifting device 7 again.

It is the front view which showed the game media circulation system of this invention. It is the top view which showed the game media circulation system of this invention. It is the principal part perspective view which showed the game media circulation system of this invention. It is the perspective view which showed another attachment state of the replenishment request | requirement detector. It is the flowchart figure which showed the detection flow of the replenishment request | requirement detector. It is the flowchart figure which showed the detection flow of the upper limit detector.

Explanation of symbols

100 gaming medium supply system 1 gaming machine island 11 upper unit 12 middle unit 13 lower unit 2 gaming machine 21 upper plate 3 gaming medium rental machine 4 horizontal transfer device 41 transfer rail 41a bottom wall 41b side wall 41c notch 42 rotating disk 43 supply chute 44 Guide 45 Bellows tube 46 Shutter 5 Upper storage tank 51 Overflow hose 52 Supply port 53 Discharge port 6 Storage / conveyance device 61 End tank 62 Inclined lifter 63 Out rail 64 Balance tank 65 End hose 7 Polishing / lifting device 71 Outer case 72 Endless polishing belt 8 Control means 81 Supply request detector 811 Supply request detector (FIG. 4)
812 Replenishment request detector (FIG. 4)
82 Storage amount detector 83 Upper limit detector 9 Remaining game medium

Claims (3)

A plurality of side-by-side gaming machines and gaming medium lending machines for lending gaming media;
A horizontal transport device disposed on top of the gaming machine and the gaming media rental machine and transporting gaming media to them;
An upper storage tank for supplying game media to the horizontal transfer device;
A storage / conveyance device for remaining game media, disposed below the gaming machine and the game media rental machine;
A polishing / lifting device for polishing / lifting the remaining game medium supplied from the storage / transport device to the upper storage tank;
A game medium supply system comprising control means for controlling supply of game media to the game machine and game media rental machine,
The control means includes a replenishment request detector disposed on at least one of the gaming machine and the game medium lending machine, and a horizontal replenishment device and a polishing device according to a replenishment request signal from the replenishment request detector. -A game media supply system characterized by operating a lifting device. The control means includes a storage amount detector for detecting a storage amount of the game medium in the upper storage tank, and a storage amount detection signal of the storage amount detector when receiving a supply request signal from the supply request detector As long as a predetermined amount of game media is stored in the upper storage tank, the horizontal transport device is operated in advance, and is transmitted when the game medium stored in the upper storage tank breaks the predetermined amount. The game medium supply system according to claim 1, wherein the polishing / lifting device is operated by a signal of the stored amount detector. The control means is provided with an upper limit detector for detecting an upper limit of storage in the storage / conveyance device for the remaining game medium, and the horizontal transport device and the polishing / lifting device are stopped by a signal from the upper limit detector. 3. The game medium supply system according to claim 1, wherein at least the polishing / lifting device is operated even at times.

Images