JP2009225924A - Ball passage changeover device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a ball passage changeover device can reliably guide an introduced Pachinko game ball to a passage to be guided, and performing an operation to change-over ball passages in a reduced space. <P>SOLUTION: The ball passage changeover device 30 includes a ball guide member 39 having a ball receiving part 40, so as to change-over the ball guide member 39 between a state where the introduced Pachinko game ball is guided to a bypass by clogging a selection passage 62 and allowing the ball receiving part 40 to have a downward inclination attitude toward the bypass 60, and a state where the introduced Pachinko game ball is guided to the selection passage 62 by clogging the bypass 60 and allowing the ball receiving part 40 to have a downward inclination attitude toward the selection passage 62. The operation to change-over the ball guide member 39 is performed by changing the attitude, while sliding the ball guide member 39 in a horizontal direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a ball path switching device that switches pachinko ball paths.

Conventionally, a game store is configured such that a plurality of game islands configured by arranging a plurality of pachinko machines are arranged, and pachinko balls are circulated in the game island. In such an amusement island, various devices such as a ball polishing device for polishing pachinko balls and a ball storage tank for storing pachinko balls are installed, and a plurality of types of pachinko balls such as gold and silver are used. In game stores, ball sorting devices are installed to sort pachinko balls by type of gold and silver.
In each of these devices, a bypass provided separately for the pachinko balls to circulate in the amusement island without going through the above devices so as not to interfere with the operation of the amusement island when trouble occurs or during maintenance. There has been a need for a ball path switching device that can switch the path to a road or the like.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 4, a pachinko ball that has been inserted into the ball counter 82 and dropped from the discharge portion 82 a is guided into the game island 80, and installed below the ball counter 82. A ball passage switching device that switches the passage to a state of guiding to the ball spare tank 84 is disclosed. This is configured so that the passage switching unit 87 rotates and switches between the a position and the b position about the shaft 88, and when the passage switching unit 87 is at the a position, the pachinko that falls from the discharge unit 82a. The balls are guided into the game island 80 from the collection hole 90, and when the passage switching unit 87 is at the position b, the pachinko balls falling from the discharge unit 82a are stored in the ball reserve tank 84 installed below the ball counter 82. Guided to section 86.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-37274

  However, in the above conventional ball path switching device, the tip of the path switching unit draws an arc during the switching operation of the path switching unit and moves to a higher position from the normal use state (position a or position b). Therefore, it is necessary to secure a large space so as not to be buffered with other members in consideration of that amount, and conversely, when installing in a place where the height space is limited, the size of the passage switching unit should be reduced. As a result, the passage could not be enlarged.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention is capable of reliably guiding an introduced pachinko ball to a path to be guided and capable of switching the ball path in a space-saving manner. An object is to provide an apparatus.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a ball path switching device capable of switching between a state where the introduced pachinko balls are guided to the first path and a state where the pachinko balls are guided to the second path. A pachinko ball introduced by closing the second passage and inclining the ball guide surface down to the first passage into the first passage. A first state for guiding, and a second state for guiding the pachinko balls introduced by closing the first passage and bringing the ball guide surface down and inclined to the second passage to the second passage, and The ball guide member can be switched by changing the posture while sliding the ball guide member in the lateral direction.

  According to the present invention, when the pachinko ball is guided to the first passage, the second passage is closed by the ball guide member and the ball guide surface is inclined downward to the first passage, When guiding to the passage, the ball guide member closes the first passage and the ball guide surface is inclined downward to the second passage, so that the introduced pachinko balls remain on the ball guide member. It is possible to reliably guide to the path to be guided. Further, since the switching operation is performed by changing the posture while sliding the ball guide member in the lateral direction, the switching operation of the ball path can be performed in a space-saving manner.

  The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a view showing a state in which a ball path switching device 30 according to an embodiment is provided at the end of a game island. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the ball path switching device 30, and FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory diagram of the ball path switching device 30 during path switching.

In FIG. 1, a ball sorting device 20 is provided inside the installation base 14 of the ball counter 12 installed at the island end, and a ball passage switching device 30 is provided below the ball discharge portion 12 a of the ball counter 12. It has been.
The ball counting machine 12 receives and counts pachinko balls and the like acquired by the player, and the counted pachinko balls are discharged from the discharge unit 12a. The ball sorting device 20 is a device that sorts pachinko balls according to the type of gold and silver. The silver pachinko balls are sent into the game island 10 and the golden pachinko balls are stored inside. The ball path switching device 30 guides the pachinko balls discharged from the discharge unit 12 a of the ball counter 12 to the ball sorting device 20 and directly guides the pachinko balls into the amusement island 10 without going through the ball sorting device 20. The pachinko balls are normally used while being held in a state of guiding them to the ball sorting device 20 side. Further, when trouble such as a failure occurs in the ball sorting device 20, the ball path switching device 30 is set in a state in which the pachinko balls are guided directly into the amusement island 10 without going through the ball sorting device 20. It is possible to prevent the business from being hindered without stopping the use of the counter 12.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the ball sorting device 20 is generally composed of a temporary storage unit 22, a ball sorting unit 24, and a lift 25. The pachinko balls discharged to the sorting path 62 that guides the ball sorting device 20 through the ball path switching device 30 are sent to the temporary storage unit 22 by the ball guide bar 26. The temporary storage unit 22 can temporarily store pachinko balls, and can accept even when a large number of pachinko balls are thrown into the ball counter 12. From the temporary storage unit 22, it is sent to the ball sorting unit 24 installed below, and the ball sorting unit 24 sorts the pachinko balls according to the type of gold and silver, and the golden pachinko balls are placed inside the ball sorting unit 24. It is stored in a provided storage section (not shown). On the other hand, the silver pachinko balls are sent to the lift 25 through the ball guide rod 28, lifted up by the lift 25, and collected into the game island 10 through the collection port 16.

Next, the configuration of the ball path switching device 30 will be described with reference to FIG. The ball path switching device 30 includes a ball guide member 39 and an outer frame member 52, and an operation lever 32 for operating the ball guide member 39 is connected to the ball guide member 39.
The operation lever 32 is formed by an operation side arm portion 34 and a connection side arm portion 37 that is bifurcated from the tip of the operation side arm portion 34 and formed in a U-shape, and the operation side arm portion 34 has a handle. The connection side arm portion 37 includes insertion holes 37 a and 37 b for inserting bosses 46 a and 46 b provided in the ball guide member 39.

  The ball guide member 39 includes a ball receiving portion 40 formed of a rectangular flat plate, and side walls 42 a and 42 b are erected on both front and rear ends of the ball receiving portion 40. The bosses 46a and 46b are erected on the bent portions 44a and 44b formed by bending the center portions of the upper end edges of the both side walls 42a and 42b inward, and on the left and right sides of the outer surfaces of the side walls 42a and 42b. Two pairs of slide rollers 47a, 47b, 48a, 48b, which are rotatably attached as two pairs of slide protrusions, are attached. Further, locking male members 50 and 51 that are respectively fitted to the locking female members 54 and 55 of the outer frame member 52 are provided at substantially lower central portions at both the left and right ends of the ball receiving portion 40. Note that the slide rollers 47a, 47b, 48a, and 48b do not necessarily have to be rollers as long as they do not hinder operation, and may simply be formed with protrusions.

  The outer frame member 52 formed in a rectangular tube shape is provided with locking female members 54 and 55 for fitting the locking male members 50 and 51 of the ball guide member 39 to the center portions of the inner surfaces on both the left and right sides, respectively. A pair of guide rails 56a and 56b inclined downward from the left end side toward the center and a pair of guide rails 57a and 57b inclined downward from the right end side toward the center are provided on the inner surfaces of the front and rear sides.

  In the configuration as described above, the slide rollers 47a and 47b of the ball guide member 39 are fitted to the guide rails 56a and 56b, and the slide rollers 48a and 48b are fitted to the guide rails 57a and 57b so as to be freely rotatable. It is possible to move along the guide rail. The operation lever 32 is placed on the installation table 14 of the ball counter 12 in a state where the bosses 46a and 46b of the ball guide member 39 are inserted into the insertion holes 37a and 37b and connected to the ball guide member 39 (see FIG. 1), the handle portion 35 can be moved in the left-right direction in FIG. 1 to operate the ball guide member 39. The locking structure constituted by the locking male members 50 and 51 provided on the ball guide member 39 and the locking female members 54 and 55 provided on the outer frame member 52 is the present embodiment. Uses a known so-called ball catch mechanism, and can be engaged and disengaged by applying a certain amount of force.

  In the ball path switching device 30 configured as described above, the locking male member 50 and the locking female member 54 are engaged with each other at a position where the ball guide member 39 is on the left side of the outer frame member 52 in a normal state. It is used in the state held by this (the state shown in FIG. 3A). At this time, the ball receiving portion 40 of the ball guide member 39 is in a state in which the bypass path 60 side directly connected to the recovery port 16 is closed and the sorting path 62 side is opened. Further, at this time, the pair of slide rollers 47a and 47b on the left side of the ball guide member 39 are respectively formed on the upper left corners of the pair of guide rails 56a and 56b inclined downward from the left end of the outer frame member 52 toward the center. The right pair of slide rollers 48a and 48b are positioned at the lower left end of the pair of guide rails 57a and 57b inclined downward from the right end of the outer frame member 52 toward the center, respectively. The ball receiver 40 is inclined downward toward the sorting path 62 side. Accordingly, the pachinko balls introduced from above (that is, pachinko balls discharged from the discharge unit 12a of the ball counter 12) are reliably guided to the opened sorting path 60 without remaining on the ball receiving unit 40, Roll to the sorting device 20.

When trouble such as a failure occurs in the ball sorting device 20, the ball guide member 39 should be used while being moved to the position on the right side of the outer frame member 52 (the state shown in FIG. 3C). Thus, it is possible to prevent the business from being hindered without stopping the use of the ball counter 12. Hereinafter, an operation of switching from the state of FIG. 3A to the state of FIG. 3C will be described.
By pulling the handle portion 35 of the operation lever 32 to the right in the drawing from the state shown in FIG. 3A, the locking of the locking male member 50 and the locking female member 54 is released, and the ball guide The member 39 can be moved rightward. At this time, the left slide rollers 47a and 47b of the ball guide member 39 move in the lower right direction along the guide rails 56a and 56b, and the right slide rollers 48a and 48b in the upper right direction along the guide rails 57a and 57b. When the ball guide member 39 moves while the inclination angle of the ball receiving portion 40 becomes gentle, and moves to the center of the outer frame member 52 as shown in FIG. The ball receiver 39 is in a horizontal posture. Further, when the operation lever 32 is pulled in the right direction, the ball guide member 39 moves in the right direction while the ball receiving portion 40 is inclined downward in the left direction, and the outer frame member 52 is moved as shown in FIG. The locking male member 51 and the locking female member 55 are engaged with each other and held at the right side position. At this time, the ball receiving portion 40 of the ball guide member 39 closes the sorting path 62 side and opens the bypass path 60 side, and the ball receiving section 40 is inclined downward toward the bypass path 60 side. The pachinko balls introduced from above (that is, pachinko balls discharged from the discharge unit of the ball counter) are reliably guided to the opened bypass path 60 without remaining on the ball receiving unit 40, and the ball sorting device 20 It is collected directly into the game island 10 through the collection port 16 without going through.

  On the other hand, when returning from the state of FIG. 3C to the state of FIG. 3A, conversely to the above operation, the handle portion 35 of the operation lever 32 is pushed leftward to lock the male member 51 for locking. And the locking female member 55 is released, the ball guide member 39 is moved to the left, and the locking male member 50 is locked to the locking female member 54 so that the ball guiding member 39 is held. The handle 35 of the operation lever 32 may be pushed until it is done.

  In the present embodiment, the bypass path 60 and the sorting path 62 constitute the first and second paths of the invention. The ball receiving portion 40 constitutes a ball guide surface, the guide rails 56a and 56b constitute a first guide rail, and the guide rails 57a and 57b constitute a second guide rail.

  The embodiment is configured as described above, and the ball path switching device 30 includes a ball guide member 39 having a ball receiving portion 40, and the ball guide member 39 has two pairs of slide rollers 47a, The ball path switching device 30 includes a pair of guide rails 56a and 56b for guiding one pair of slide rollers 47a and 47b of the slide rollers, and the other of the slide rollers. A pair of guide rails 57a and 57b for guiding the pair of slide rollers 48a and 48b, and the guide rails 47a and 47b and the guide rails 48a and 48b are provided so as to be inclined downward from each other. The pachinko balls introduced by placing the ball guide member 39 in a posture in which the sorting path 62 is closed and the ball receiving portion 40 is inclined down to the bypass path 60 are bypassed. A state in which the pachinko balls introduced by closing the bypass path 60 and inclining the ball receiving portion 40 to the sorting path 62 are guided to the sorting path 62. Switching is possible, and the switching operation of the ball guide member 39 is performed by changing the posture while sliding the lateral direction with respect to the moving direction of the pachinko ball introducing the ball guide member 39. Therefore, the introduced pachinko balls are reliably guided to the path to be guided without remaining on the ball receiving portion 40 of the ball guide member 39, and the ball guide member 39 is normally used during the path switching operation. Thus, the passage switching operation can be performed in a space-saving manner without protruding from the height range in the state (FIG. 3 (a) or FIG. 3 (c)).

  Further, since the operation lever 32 is connected to the ball path switching device 30 and the handle portion 35 is exposed to the outside, the path switching operation of the ball path switching device 32 is moved from the position where the ball counter 12 is normally used. This can be done easily without causing In addition, it is good also as a structure which connects a motor to the ball path switching device 30, and performs path switching operation by the drive of a motor.

  In the embodiment, a locking structure using a ball catch mechanism is used as a locking structure that allows the ball guiding member 39 to be detachably attached. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the ball guiding member 39 is not limited to this. Any material that can be securely held and can be easily engaged and disengaged can be used.

  In addition, although the structure which switches the path | route of the pachinko ball discharged | emitted from the discharge part 12a of the ball counter 12 is shown in the Example, it is not limited to this, Other pachinko ball path | routes of amusement islands are shown. It can be installed at an appropriate position.

It is a figure which shows the state which provided the ball path switching apparatus concerning embodiment in the game island edge. It is a disassembled perspective view of a ball passage switching device. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing at the time of the passage switching of the ball passage switching device. It is a figure which shows the conventional ball path switching device.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Game island 12 Ball counter 20 Ball sorter 22 Temporary storage part 24 Ball sorter 25 Lift 30 Ball path switching device 32 Operation lever 34 Operation side arm part 35 Handle part 37 Connection side arm part 37a, 37b Insertion hole 39 Ball guide Member 40 Ball receiving portion 42a, 42b Side wall 44a, 44b Bent portion 46a, 46b Boss 47a, 47b Slide roller 48a, 48b Slide roller 50, 51 Locking male member 52 Outer frame member 54, 55 Locking female member 56a , 56b Guide rails 57a, 57b Guide rails 60 Bypass path 62 Sorting path

Claims (2)

In the ball path switching device capable of switching between the state of guiding the introduced pachinko ball to the first path and the state of guiding to the second path,
The ball passage switching device
A ball guide member having a ball guide surface;
The ball guide member,
A first state in which the pachinko ball introduced by closing the second passage and inclining the ball guide surface to the first passage is guided to the first passage;
The state is switched between a second state in which the pachinko ball introduced by closing the first passage and inclining the ball guide surface to the second passage is guided to the second passage. Is possible,
The ball path switching device characterized in that the switching operation of the ball guide member is performed by changing the posture while sliding the ball guide member in the lateral direction. The ball guide member is provided with two pairs of slide protrusions at opposite ends.
The ball path switching device includes a pair of first guide rails for guiding one pair of the slide protrusions and a pair of second guides for guiding the other pair of the slide protrusions. Rails, and
The ball path switching device, wherein the first guide rail and the second guide rail are provided so as to be inclined downward in a mutual direction.

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