JP2009183543A - Ball transfer auxiliary device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a ball transfer auxiliary device which enables the smooth transfer of balls even on a low-angled transfer way, can work under low power, excels in durability and can be maintained easily. <P>SOLUTION: The device has a transfer gutter 4 used as the passage for a ball 9, an endless belt 14 arranged above the transfer gutter 4, a driving means (a drive roller 11, a driven roller 12) which circulates the endless belt 14 in the longitudinal direction of the transfer gutter 4. The transfer gutter 4 is arranged horizontally low-angled downward to transfer direction C of the ball 9. The endless belt 14 is loose and touches the ball 9 and guides it to a transfer direction C. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a ball transport auxiliary device used when a ball is transported within a game island or between islands in a pachinko game hall.

  In the pachinko game hall, the balls after being used in each game machine are collected in a storage tank 6 on each island 2 as shown in FIG. It is lifted up to 8. Further, the balls are sent out from the upper tank 8 to the transport basket 4 and are sent to the respective game tables 3 through the respective chutes 4a to become the next game balls. In this way, balls circulate within the island.

  Conventionally, as a ball conveying means in a pachinko amusement hall, a metal or synthetic resin conveying rod is installed at a certain angle and rolled using its own weight. It is said that a conveyance path having an inclination of about 4.5% is appropriate for rolling and conveying pachinko balls by their own weight. When the inclination is gentler than this, the balls do not flow smoothly, and when the inclination becomes steep, the balls may be worn due to collision with each other, or the acceleration of the balls may increase and the carry-out portion may be clogged. Therefore, in order to provide the ball conveyance path, a certain height is required to ensure a predetermined inclination.

  On the other hand, in recent years, pachinko halls tend to keep the height of pachinko islands low. This is because by lowering the island, the degree of freedom in designing interior facilities, etc., improving the efficiency of store space, reducing the feeling of pressure, improving air conditioning efficiency by encouraging air convection, and crime prevention by improving the view This is because an effect can be achieved.

  However, as described above, when a conveyance path having a certain inclination is rolled, if the conveyance distance becomes long, a large difference in height is required to maintain the inclination, and the height of the entire island cannot be suppressed. Moreover, since it is necessary to provide the conveyance start position at a high position, a large amount of power is required to lift the polished ball to the conveyance start position.

  As a countermeasure, conventionally, by providing a lift device that relays balls in the middle of the conveying rod, it is possible to suppress the overall height and ensure a certain inclination. Further, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a transport device that can reduce the height of the entire game island by transferring balls with a plurality of swingable unit supply rods.

  Furthermore, as shown in Patent Document 2, for example, a method is known in which a belt conveyor is installed on a horizontally disposed basket and a ball is conveyed on the belt conveyor.

JP 2006-181083 A JP-A-6-39136

  However, the lift device that relays balls and the transport device disclosed in Patent Document 1 have extremely complicated structures.

  Moreover, when conveying a ball | bowl on a belt conveyor as disclosed by patent document 2, a structure and control become complicated and big motive power is required. Furthermore, when balls are transported on a belt conveyor, there is a problem that the weight of a large amount of balls acts on the transport belt, so that the transport belt is easily worn and deteriorated. Also, when exchanging or inspecting the conveyor belt, it is necessary to take out a large amount of balls, which makes maintenance extremely troublesome.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a ball conveyance auxiliary device that can smoothly carry a ball even on a low-gradient conveyance path, can operate with low power, has excellent durability, and is easy to maintain.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a ball conveyance assisting device that rolls a conveyance rod for supplying balls to each game machine or game island in a pachinko game hall, and a conveyance rod serving as a passage for the ball. , An endless belt disposed above the conveying rod, and driving means for circulating the endless belt along the longitudinal direction of the conveying rod, the conveying rod being horizontal in the ball conveying direction. A replenishing rod transport assisting device is provided that is installed with a slightly lower slope than the endless belt and is guided in the transport direction by contacting the ball with the endless belt slackened.

  By guiding the balls on the conveying rod arranged in a low gradient in the conveying direction with an endless belt, even a low gradient conveying rod can be smoothly conveyed. Therefore, the height dimension required for the entire conveyance path can be reduced. In addition, since the endless belt only needs to assist the force with which the ball rolls naturally, the ball can be conveyed with low power. Further, even if the belt tension is not strictly controlled, the belt can be conveyed only by contacting the ball, so that complicated control is not required. Further, since the endless belt comes into contact with the ball in a slack state, frictional heat is hardly generated between the endless belt and the ball, and the belt is not easily worn. Furthermore, since the endless belt is installed above the ball, it is not necessary to remove the ball when replacing the belt, and the maintenance is excellent.

  It is preferable that a tensioner for maintaining a predetermined slack in the endless belt is provided. As a result, it is possible to maintain smoothness of the endless belt and to continue smooth conveyance.

  The gradient of the transport rod may be 1.0 to 1.5% in the downward direction toward the ball transport direction. This gradient is lower than 4.5%, which is appropriate in the conventional conveyance path, and the height dimension can be reduced.

  It is preferable that the endless belt is formed with a linear groove or protrusion for guiding the ball in the transport direction on a contact surface with the ball. As a result, the balls can be reliably guided and discharged toward each game table or the like.

  The transport rod is preferably flat at the center in the width direction and descending toward both ends. As a result, the range in which the endless belt comes into contact with the ball is widened, so that the ball can be efficiently conveyed and the central portion of the belt can be prevented from being concentrated and worn. In addition, by appropriately dropping the balls on both ends, the balls can be distributed and discharged to the respective game machines from the middle of the transport basket.

  According to the present invention, smooth ball conveyance is possible even with a low gradient, and the height dimension required for the conveyance passage can be reduced. In addition, it can be operated with low power, has a simple configuration, and is excellent in maintainability.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  FIG. 1 shows an outline of a pachinko hall in which a conveyance rod according to the present invention is used. On the island 2, a plurality of game tables 3 arranged in two rows back to back are installed. The balls used in each game table 3 are collected in the storage tank 6 of the island 2, polished by the polishing machine 7, and then transported to the upper tank 8 above the island 2. The balls sent from the upper tank 8 to the transport basket 4 are distributed and discharged from the transport basket 4 to the game table 3 or the ball lending machine via the chute 4a communicating with each game table 3 or the inter-ball ball lending machine. . Further, balls are conveyed from the upper tank 8 to the upper tank 8 of the adjacent island 2 through the basket 5. In this way, the balls circulate in the island 2 or between the adjacent islands 2. The ball conveyance assist device according to the present invention is provided to assist the conveyance of the balls rolling on the conveyance rods 4 and 5.

  2 and 3 show the ball conveyance auxiliary device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view, and FIG. 3 is a plan view. As shown in FIG. 2, a driving unit composed of a driving roller 11 and a driven roller 12 and an endless belt 14 circulated by the driving unit are provided above the conveying basket 4. The driving roller 11 rotates in the R direction of FIG. 2, and the endless belt 14 circulates along the longitudinal direction of the conveying basket 4 along with this. This endless belt 14 guides the conveyance of the balls 9 in the direction of arrow C. The positions of the driving roller 11 and the driven roller 12 may be opposite to those in FIG. 2, but as shown in FIG. 2, by providing the driving roller 11 on the downstream end side in the conveying direction of the balls 9, the endless belt 14 is pulled. Since it is driven, the endless belt 14 can be circulated efficiently with little power. In addition, the driving roller 11 as a driving source is provided at a low position, and workability during maintenance is good.

  The distance between the lower ends of the driving roller 11 and the driven roller 12 and the conveying rod 4 is larger than the diameter of the ball 9 to be conveyed. For example, when a pachinko ball having a diameter d of 11 mm is conveyed, the distance D from the lower end of the driving roller 11 and the driven roller 12 by the thickness of the endless belt 14 to the conveying rod 4 is about 12 to 12.5 mm. . That is, the endless belt 14 does not contact the ball 9 in a state where the tension is substantially applied between the driving roller 11 and the driven roller 12 and the endless belt 14 is sufficiently stretched. When the ball 9 is conveyed, as shown in FIG. 4, the endless belt 14 is slightly slackened, and is brought into contact with the upper portion of the ball 9 by its own weight. At this time, a tensioner 13 for adjusting the tension of the endless belt 14 is provided in order to maintain the slack of the endless belt 14 in an appropriate state.

  Since the ball rolls with its own weight, the transport rod 4 is lowered with a gradient that is gentler than the proper 4.5% gradient, for example, with a gradient of 1 to 1.5% in the downstream direction. As a result, the ball 9 tends to roll slightly in the transport direction C due to its own weight, so that the endless belt 14 contacts lightly and guides in the transport direction in order to assist its movement. As shown in FIG. 3, a chute 4a communicating with each game machine or the like is provided at a predetermined position at both ends in the width direction of the transport basket 4. When the ball 9 is transported in the C direction, the chute 4a is in the middle of the chute 4a. Fall as appropriate. Further, an unloading portion 15 for the ball 9 is provided at the tip of the conveying rod 4.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of a cross-sectional shape of the transport rod 4. FIG. 5A shows a curve that descends from the center in the width direction toward both ends. The endless belt 14 has substantially the same width dimension as the entire width of the conveying basket 4. The endless belt 14 comes into contact with the ball 9 passing mainly near the center in the width direction and is guided in the transport direction. The balls 9 positioned at both ends hardly contact the endless belt 14 and enter the chutes 4a provided at both ends in the width direction of the conveying basket 4, and the balls 9 are distributed and replenished to the respective game tables 3 and the like through the chutes 4a. Is done. In FIG. 5B, the central portion in the width direction is flat and has an inclination that descends toward both ends. The endless belt 14 has substantially the same width as the width of the central flat portion 21. In this case, it is possible to prevent the endless belt 14 from evenly contacting the balls 9 passing through the flat portion 21 and concentrate the wear of the endless belt 14 in the center. Further, the balls 9 rolled along the inclinations of both ends enter the chute 4a as in the case of FIG. 5A, and the balls 9 are distributed and replenished to each gaming table 3 and the like via the chute 4a.

  FIG. 6 shows an example of the surface shape of the endless belt. The endless belt 14 is formed of, for example, a vinyl material. A groove for guiding the ball 9 in the transport direction is provided on the surface that contacts the ball 9. FIG. 6A shows an endless belt 14 provided with diagonal grooves 22 alternately on the left and right sides at both ends in the width direction. In addition, you may provide a groove | channel symmetrically in the width direction in the position which opposes instead of alternating. Of the balls to be conveyed, the balls 22 that are in contact with both ends in the width direction of the endless belt 14 are guided to both ends in the width direction of the conveying rod 4. The ball that has rolled to both ends enters the chute 4a. In FIG. 6B, an oblique groove 23 is provided at opposite positions on both ends in the width direction, and a groove 24 extending in the longitudinal direction is provided at the center. By these grooves 23 and 24, the balls on both ends in the width direction are guided to both ends of the transport rod 4 and enter the chute 4a, and the ball in the center is further guided forward in the transport direction.

  The shape of the groove is not limited to the example of FIG. Further, in any case, a protrusion having the same shape may be provided instead of the groove. However, in the case of the protrusion, the surface may come into contact with the tensioner 13 and wear or breakage may occur. Thus, when the tensioner 13 is provided, it is preferable to provide a groove.

  In the conveyance auxiliary device of the present invention, the ball 9 discharged from the upper tank 8 rolls on the conveyance basket 4 and the endless belt 14 loosened moderately comes into contact with the upper part of the ball 9 by the above configuration. The ball 9 is transported in the transport direction. For example, when transporting by pressing a ball while applying tension to an endless belt, friction occurs between the belt and the ball, and between the ball and the heel, and the belt and the heel tend to wear. The life of the is shortened. For example, when the conveying rod is installed horizontally, if the belt tension is too low, smooth conveyance cannot be performed, and troublesome control is required to maintain an appropriate tension. On the other hand, according to the present invention, the endless belt 14 is loosened and brought into contact with the balls 9, so that the endless belt 14 is less worn. In addition, since the balls 9 are transported on the low-gradient transport rod 4, the flow of the balls 9 does not stagnate without strictly managing the tension of the endless belt 14. Further, by providing a groove or the like on the surface of the endless belt 14, the balls 9 are guided not only to the front but also to the side chute to smoothly distribute and replenish the balls 9 to each game table. Can do.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to this example. It is obvious for those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. It is understood that it belongs to. For example, the tensioner may not be provided. Further, the surface of the endless belt may be provided with a ball polishing function.

  The present invention can be applied to a spherical conveyance auxiliary device.

The fragmentary perspective view which shows the outline | summary of the game equipment to which this invention is applied. The side view which shows the conveyance assistance apparatus of the ball | bowl of this invention. The top view of FIG. The enlarged view of the side view which shows the contact state of an endless belt and a ball. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the example of the shape of the conveyance rod of FIG. The top view and front view which show the example of the surface shape of the endless belt of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

2 Island 3 Game stand 4 Transport rod 4a Chute 5 樋 6 Storage tank 7 Polishing machine 8 Upper tank 9 Ball 11 Drive roller 12 Drive roller 13 Tensioner 14 Endless belts 22, 23, 24 Groove

Claims (5)

A ball transport auxiliary device that rolls a transport rod that replenishes balls to each game machine or amusement island in a pachinko game hall,
A conveying rod serving as a path for the balls, an endless belt disposed above the conveying rod, and drive means for circulating the endless belt along the longitudinal direction of the conveying rod,
The conveying rod is installed with a gradient slightly lower than horizontal in the conveying direction of the ball, and is guided in the conveying direction by contacting the ball with the endless belt slackened. A ball transport assist device.   The ball transport assisting device according to claim 1, wherein a tensioner for maintaining a predetermined slack in the endless belt is provided.   The ball conveyance auxiliary device according to claim 1, wherein a gradient of the conveyance basket is 1.0 to 1.5% in a downward direction toward the conveyance direction of the ball.   The ball according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the endless belt is formed with a linear groove or protrusion for guiding the ball in a conveying direction on a contact surface with the ball. Conveyance assist device.   The ball conveying auxiliary device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the conveying rod has a flat central portion in the width direction and descends toward both ends.

Images