JP2009240535A - Ball lifter and ball counter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a ball lifter smoothly carrying game balls even if suppressing its height-directional dimension; and a ball counter capable of accurately counting the number of balls using the ball lifter. <P>SOLUTION: A delivery position of a game ball 9 from a ball lifting mechanism part 22 to a carry-out part 23 is arranged at a position higher than a delivery position of the game ball 9 from a carry-in part 21 to the ball lifting mechanism 22, and the ball lifting mechanism part 2 includes a guide part 27 rotating along with a rotating member 25 and delivering the game ball 9 delivered from the carry-in part 21 to the carry-out part 23 while holding the game ball 9. The guide part 27 is formed from a recessed portion 31 disposed in a rearward side relative to the rotation direction of the rotating member 25, and a guide portion 12 consecutively provided from the recessed portion 31 and inclined forward in the rotating direction with respect to a normal line, and opened to the periphery side. The rotating member 25 is driven by a stepping motor 24 and the stepping motor 24 is temporarily stopped at a position where the game ball 9 is delivered to the guide part 27. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a ball raising machine capable of conveying a pachinko game ball from a low position to a high position, and a ball counting apparatus using the ball raising machine.

  Conventionally, in the pachinko hall, the ball counting device for counting the game balls acquired by the player is installed at the end of the pachinko island or at the prize exchange counter, and the player who has finished the game receives the acquired game ball. They were transported to these ball counting devices for counting. However, this carrying work is troublesome and it takes a lot of labor to carry a lot of game balls. In recent years, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a ball counting device is provided for each game stand. Installation is done.

  Also, for example, a ball counting device is installed at a predetermined place on the island, such as an island edge, and the game balls thrown from the slot provided in the vicinity of the game stand are transported to the ball counting device and counted. There is. However, in this case, since the conveyance path for guiding the game balls to the ball counting device becomes long, clogging may occur between them, which may hinder counting of the game balls.

  Further, in the case of a ball counting device configured such that the game ball is naturally dropped or rolled by its own weight and transported to the ball counting device, the game ball is also in the ball even when the counting mechanism is not activated due to power failure or disconnection. There was a problem that it passed through the counting device and was not counted correctly.

  On the other hand, it is said that a conveyance passage having an inclination of about 4.5% is appropriate for flowing a pachinko game ball using its own weight. When the inclination is gentler than this, the game balls do not flow smoothly, and when the inclination is steep, the balls may be worn by collision with each other, or the acceleration of the balls may increase and the carry-out portion may be clogged. Therefore, in order to secure a predetermined inclination, a certain height is required to provide the game ball conveyance path.

  However, in recent years, pachinko halls tend to keep the height of pachinko islands low. This is because by lowering the island, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the store space, reduce the feeling of pressure, improve air conditioning efficiency by encouraging air convection, and crime prevention effect by improving the view. is there.

  For this reason, ball counting devices installed for each gaming table are required to require as little space as possible in the height direction. For example, Patent Document 2 uses a mechanism for lifting a game ball to increase the overall height. There has been disclosed a game ball counting device provided with a transport passage having a predetermined inclination while suppressing the directional dimension.

Japanese Patent No. 35777850 JP 2000-262730 A

  However, for example, when a large amount of game balls flow into the lifting section at the time of a big hit, the counting device of Patent Document 2 may cause clogging and cannot be accurately counted.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and to perform accurate ball counting using a ball hoisting machine that allows a game ball to be smoothly conveyed even if the size in the height direction is suppressed, and the ball hoisting machine. An object of the present invention is to provide a ball counting device capable of performing the above.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention provides a game ball carrying-in part and a carrying-out part connected to a substantially opposite position via a ball raising mechanism part, and the game ball from the carry-in part to the ball raising mechanism part. The game ball delivery position from the ball raising mechanism portion to the carry-out portion is higher than the ball delivery position, and the ball raising mechanism portion rotates around a horizontal axis. A guide portion that is provided on the outer peripheral side of the rotary member and rotates with the rotary member and holds the game ball transferred from the carry-in portion, and is delivered to the carry-out portion, and the guide portion has a rotation direction of the rotary member A substantially hemispherical concave portion arranged on the rear side with respect to the concave portion and a guide portion that is continuous from the concave portion and is inclined forward with respect to the normal line of the rotating member with respect to the rotational direction. It is formed in the shape of a needle as viewed from the side and opened to the outer periphery side. And provided, wherein the rotary member is driven by a stepping motor, the stepping motor provides a ball raising machine, characterized in that the pause at the position where the guide portion is passed to the game balls.

  By this invention, a game ball can be conveyed to a position higher than the exit of a carrying-in part. Moreover, since the motor is temporarily stopped when the game ball is delivered to the guide unit, the game ball can be reliably sent to the guide unit and accurately conveyed. Therefore, by using the present invention, it is possible to secure a conveyance path having a predetermined inclination with a small space in the height direction.

  It is preferable that the guide portions are provided in two rows with respect to the advancing direction of the game ball, and the adjacent guide portions are arranged at equal angular intervals while being shifted in the rotation direction of the rotating member. The conveyance amount can be increased by providing two rows of guide portions. Further, by shifting the position, it is possible to shift the discharge timing and prevent clogging.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that the stepping motor rotates while being paused at regular intervals shorter than the angular interval of the guide portion. By temporarily stopping the motor in small increments, the inertia of the motor can be reduced and the motor can be stopped at an accurate position.

  It is desirable to have a position sensor for positioning the stepping motor. Thereby, initial positioning can be automatically performed when the rotating member rotates.

  A wall is provided at the upper end of the carry-in passage of the game ball provided in the carry-in portion, and a ball dropping part having a step difference from the carry-in passage smaller than the diameter of the game ball is provided at the front end side of the carry-in passage. It may be provided. By providing the wall, even if the game ball rolls in the carry-in passage vigorously, it does not hit the ball raising mechanism as it is. Therefore, damage to the member of the ball raising mechanism can be prevented and the rotational force of the rotating member can be reduced. In addition, by providing the ball drop portion, the effect of decelerating the game balls can be obtained, and the game balls can be stored one by one without clogging the game balls. The game balls in the ball dropping unit receive force from the next rolled game ball and are gently sent out to the guide unit.

  A width of the guide portion in the axial direction is smaller than the diameter of the game ball, and a guide plate is provided from the lower surface of the base end portion of the carry-out passage of the game ball provided in the carry-out portion toward the side of the rotating member. The side portion of the game ball that has been transported to the entrance of the carry-out portion protrudes from the guide portion and contacts the guide plate, whereby the game ball may be guided to the carry-out passage. . When the game ball is transported to the vicinity of the carry-out passage, it is pushed into the concave portion by the rotation of the guide portion and is guided to the carry-out passage side by the guide plate, so that it is reliably delivered to the carry-out passage.

  The carry-in passage provided in the carry-in portion and the carry-out passage provided in the carry-out portion preferably have an inclination for the game ball to roll naturally. As a result, the game ball is rolled and conveyed naturally in the carry-in part and the carry-out part without providing a mechanism for conveying the game ball by power or the like.

  Further, according to the present invention, an introduction unit that is installed for each gaming table and introduces the acquired game ball, the ball hoisting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and the ball raising machine from the introduction unit. An entrance-side passage having an inclination in which the game ball naturally rolls to the carry-in position, and an exit side having an inclination in which the game ball rolls naturally from the carry-out position of the ball hoisting machine to the platform machine provided between the game tables There is provided a ball counting device comprising a passage and a sensor for detecting the passage of the game ball.

  By providing the ball raising machine, the height dimension required for the path of the game ball having a certain inclination can be shortened, so that the overall height of the game table can be kept low. In addition, a counting device is installed for each game machine, and after being counted, it is discharged to the machine, so that the acquired game balls are quickly counted and discharged to the machine, and used as the next game ball. , Game balls can be used effectively. Therefore, the number of game balls to be convected can be reduced, and the structure for simplifying the structure can be achieved, for example, the power for convection of the game balls can be reduced. Further, it is possible to save labor and labor for transporting the game balls acquired by the player to the counter.

  It is preferable that an inlet side sensor and an outlet side sensor for detecting passage of the game ball are provided on the upstream side and the downstream side of the ball raising machine, respectively. Thereby, for example, it is possible to check the consistency of the count values of both sensors and perform accurate counting. Further, by counting with the exit side sensor, it becomes difficult to perform an illegal act such as returning the game ball detected by the sensor to the game stand side.

  Preferably, the stepping motor is started when the entrance side sensor detects the passage of the game ball, and the game ball is counted when the exit side sensor detects the passage of the game ball. Thereby, when the game ball is not transported, the hoisting machine does not operate, so that useless power consumption can be eliminated. Moreover, since the hoisting machine does not operate during a power failure or when the outlet is disconnected, the game ball does not pass through the downstream side of the hoisting machine, that is, the outlet side sensor. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a counting error at the time of power failure or disconnection. Furthermore, since the game ball is counted by the exit side sensor after passing through the ball hoisting machine and discharged as it is to the pedestal machine, it is possible to prevent fraud.

  The exit side passage may be gradually narrowed so that the game balls roll in one row before reaching the outlet to the inter-vehicle machine.

  It is preferable that the entrance side passage has a gap in the shape of a gutter on the bottom surface. Thereby, it is possible to prevent trash, beverages, and the like from falling from the gap and entering the ball raising machine.

  The ball counting device has a main body mounted below the lower plate of the game table and above the base plate, so that the processed game balls can be transferred to the intermediary machine without performing processing such as making a hole in the game island. Can be discharged.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to perform accurate counting while suppressing the dimension in the height direction and transporting the game balls smoothly and reliably one by one.

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

  FIG. 1 shows an example of a gaming facility provided in a pachinko hall. As shown in FIG. 1, the gaming facility is provided with one or more gaming island blocks 100 each having a plurality of gaming islands. A control device 110 that monitors and controls the game island block 100 is also provided. In the game island block 100, a plurality of, for example, five game islands 101, 102, 103, 104, 105 are provided.

  In each of the game islands 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105, the game tables 7 are usually arranged in two rows back to back, and as shown in FIG. In response to the above, a machine 8 is provided as a gaming ball lending device. The inter-machine 8 reads data such as a prepaid card such as a magnetic card or an IC card, or inserted banknotes, etc., for a player who uses the game table 7, and according to the amount designated by the player. A predetermined number of game balls are supplied.

  FIG. 2 is a side view of the gaming block 100 of FIG. 1 viewed from the AA direction. As shown in FIG. 2, in the game islands 101 to 105, a plurality of game tables 7 and inter-vehicle machines 8 and the like are incorporated in a casing 111 that supports various devices and structures provided on the game island. It has a structured.

  Each of the game islands 101 to 105 includes one upper tank 121 for storing game balls and one lift polishing machine 122 for lifting the game balls to the upper tank 121. In addition, inside the game islands 101 to 105, a supply path 123 for supplying the game balls derived from the upper tank 121 to the game table 7 and the machine 8, and from the game table 7 to the game islands 101 to 105. A recovery path 124 is provided for recovering the game balls that are discharged. Further, a main tank 125 for storing game balls is provided.

  A groove 126 is provided in the recovery path 124 below the game table 7. A recovery pipe 127 that passes through the bottom of the main tank 125 and has a downstream end connected to the lower end of the lift polishing machine 122 is provided at the lower portion of the groove 126.

  In addition, in the game island block 100, game balls are circulated and supplied to the game islands 101 to 105. For example, the supply and supply rods 131 and 132 provided at the upper part of each of the game islands 101 to 105 are bridged one by one between the upper tanks 121 of the first game island 101 and the second game island 102, for example. Has been. As shown in FIG. 2, the first receiving / supplying rod 131 is inclined so as to gradually descend from the second gaming island 102 side toward the first gaming island 101 side. As a result, the internal passage of the first receiving / supplying bowl 131 is a flow path for allowing the game ball to be led out from the second game island 102 and introduced into the first game island 101. The second receiving supply rod 132 is inclined so as to gradually descend from the first gaming island 101 side toward the second gaming island 102 side, and the game balls are moved from the first gaming island 101 to the second gaming island 102. A flow path to be introduced into 102 is formed.

  Each of the game islands 101 to 105 is provided with a control box 141 for controlling and monitoring various devices provided on the game island. The game table 7, the inter-table machine 8, the lifting and polishing machine 122, etc. provided on the game island are controlled by a control signal supplied from the control box 141.

  3 to 5 show the structure of the ball counting device according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a plan view, FIG. 4 is a front view, and FIG. 5 is a side view.

  The ball counting device 1 receives the acquired game ball 9 and guides it to the ball hoisting machine 3, the ball raising machine 3 provided with sensors 11, 12 at the inlet and the outlet, and discharges the game ball 9 after counting. The derivation unit 4 is configured. In the present embodiment, the rowing machine 3 is provided with two rows of guide portions 27 with respect to the traveling direction of the game ball 9. Further, the counted game balls 9 are discharged to the inter-vehicle machine 8. The introduction unit 2 has an entry-side passage 13 that conveys the game ball 9 to the ball hoisting machine 3, and the lead-out unit 4 conveys the game ball 9 carried out from the ball hoisting machine 3 to the inter-story machine 8. An exit passage 14 is provided. Each of the entrance side passage 13 and the exit side passage 14 has an inclination in which the game ball 9 rolls naturally with respect to the traveling direction, for example, a downward inclination of about 4.5%. As shown in FIG. 4, the ball counting device 1 is attached below the lower plate of the game table 7 and above the base plate by adjusting the position from the base plate 5 with the screw member 6 in the vertical direction. In use, a lid that cannot be opened by the player is attached to the surface of the ball raising machine 3 and the lead-out unit 4.

  The introduction portion 2 includes a rail 15 provided along the entry-side passage 13 and a ball receiving portion 16 having a gentle inclined surface toward the rail 15. In this embodiment, two rows of rails are provided. As shown in FIG. 6, the rails 15, 15 are provided in a saw-like shape with gaps between the side walls 17, 18, 19 that determine the position of the game balls 9 in the row direction, and only both ends in the longitudinal direction are provided. It is fixed. Thereby, even if liquid or small dust spills around the rail 15, it is dropped from the gaps between the side walls 17, 18, 19 and the rail 15, and is prevented from entering the inside of the ball hoisting machine 3. The rail 15 has a downward inclination in which the game ball 9 rolls naturally toward the traveling direction of the game ball 9.

  In the exit side passage 14 of the lead-out part 4, the base end part 14a on the side of the ball hoisting machine 3 has a width through which the game balls 9 carried out from the two rows of guide parts 27 can pass, and gradually toward the tip. The width is reduced, and at the outlet 14b to the inter-vehicle machine 8, the width is formed such that one game ball 9 can pass.

  The ball hoisting machine 3 has two rows of passages arranged continuously at the downstream ends of the two rows of rails 15, 15, and is provided at a substantially opposite position of the center ball raising mechanism portion 22 and the ball raising mechanism portion 22. It is composed of a carry-in unit 21 and a carry-out unit 23. In the present embodiment, a ball raising mechanism portion 22 having two rows of guide portions 27 is provided corresponding to the downstream positions of the two rows of rails 15 and 15, respectively. The two rows of guide portions 27 may be formed integrally or separately.

  A rotating member 25 (sprocket) connected to a stepping motor 24 is pivotally supported on the ball raising mechanism 22. The rotating member 25 rotates in the direction of arrow R in FIG. 4 about the horizontal axis 26 with the stepping motor 24 as a power source. The rotation control by the stepping motor 24 will be described later. A plurality of guide portions 27 are provided at equal intervals on the outer peripheral side of the rotating member 25. In the present embodiment, two rows of three guide portions 27 arranged at equal intervals from the rotation center of the rotation member 25 are provided in the axial direction of the shaft 26. The guide portions 27 in each row are arranged at an angular interval of 120 degrees, and the guide portions 27 in adjacent rows are arranged at positions shifted from each other by 60 degrees.

  7 and 8 are enlarged views of the ball raising machine 3. FIG. The guide portion 27 is formed by a concave portion 31 and a guide portion 32 in a hook shape when viewed from the side with respect to the rotation direction. The concave portion 31 has a substantially hemispherically curved bowl shape having an inner diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the game ball 9 to be conveyed so that the game ball 9 can be held, and is provided so that the front in the rotation direction is concave. . The recessed portion 31 has a sufficient depth to hold the game ball 9 from the delivery position from the carry-in section 21 to the delivery position to the carry-out section 23, and the game ball 9 is delivered to the carry-out section 23. The shape is made slightly shallower than the hemisphere so that it can be pushed out in the direction of the carry-out part 23 without being wound in the rotational direction. The guide portion 32 is continuous from the concave portion 31 and extends in a direction inclined forward of the rotation direction with respect to the normal line of the rotating member 25. This inclination is determined so that when the guide part 27 reaches the delivery position to the carry-out part 23, the guide part 32 has a slope that is horizontal or slightly lowered toward the carry-out part 23. The guide portion 27 is attached so as to open toward the outer peripheral side of the rotating member 25. The width of the guide portion 27 in the axial direction of the shaft 26 is smaller than the diameter of the game ball 9.

  The carry-in portion 21 is provided with a carry-in passage 33 for the game ball 9 that has rolled along the rail 15 of FIG. 3, and the game ball 9 is delivered to the ball raising mechanism portion 22 from the outlet 34 at the tip. Further, the carry-out portion 23 is provided with a carry-out passage 35 for the game ball 9, and the game ball 9 is transferred from the ball raising mechanism portion 22 to the inlet 36 at the base end of the carry-out portion 23. The inlet 36 of the carry-out passage 35 is provided at a position higher than the tip of the carry-in passage 33.

  As shown in FIG. 9, rails 41 are laid on both side walls in the carry-in passage 33 and the carry-out passage 35, and the game ball 9 rolls along the rails 41. Further, the carry-in passage 33 and the carry-out passage 35 have, for example, an inclination of 4.5% so that the game ball 9 rolls smoothly.

  A ball drop portion 37 is provided with a step difference downward from the tip of the carry-in passage 33. The ball drop portion 37 is provided at a position that is lowered from the lower surface of the carry-in passage 33 by a step that is shallower than the diameter of the game ball 9, and the length of the ball drop portion 37 in the traveling direction is slightly smaller than the diameter of the game ball 9. It is formed to be large, that is, a size into which only one game ball 9 can enter. Although the length of two or more game balls 9 may be included, the game balls 9 can be reliably conveyed one by one by entering one by one. A curved inclined surface 38 is formed from the carry-in passage 33 to the ball dropping portion 37. In addition, a wall 39 is provided at the upper end of the carry-in passage 33, and even if the carried game ball 9 rolls vigorously, it does not collide with the ball raising mechanism portion 22 as it is and hits the wall 39 to drop the ball drop portion 37. To fall. This prevents damage to the ball raising mechanism 22 and resistance to rotation of the rotating member 25 from acting. At normal times, the game ball 9 falls on the ball drop portion 37 along the curved inclined surface 38.

  A guide plate 40 is provided in the horizontal direction from the bottom surface of the base end portion of the carry-out passage 35 toward the ball raising mechanism portion 22. The guide plate 40 is provided slightly outside the rotating member 25 so as not to hinder the rotation of the guide portion 27.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a ball removal hole 42 is provided at the lower portion of the ball raising mechanism portion 22, and for example, the rotating member 25 does not rotate reversely, and the game ball 9 is not discharged into the carry-out passage 35. In such a case, the game ball 9 falls downward.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the inlet side sensor 11 is provided at the proximal end portion of the carry-in passage 33, and the outlet side sensor 12 is provided at the distal end portion of the carry-out passage 35. Proximity sensors or the like are used for the entrance side sensor 11 and the exit side sensor 12, and when the game ball 9 passes, it is detected and counted, and the count value is displayed or printed.

  The count information by the sensor is transmitted to, for example, a control device (control device 110 in FIG. 1) that supervises the game facility, and is managed there and exchanged prizes and the like. Alternatively, for example, a card unit that reads and writes a membership card such as a magnetic card or an IC card may be provided in the ball counting device 1 or the inter-machine 8 and the counting result may be recorded on the membership card. Further, an output unit that outputs the counting result to paper may be provided in the ball counting device 1 or the inter-machine 8 and output as a printed matter.

  Further, a reflecting plate 48 is provided on the outer periphery of the rotating member 25, and a reflective position sensor 49 that detects the passage of the reflecting plate 48 is provided outside the rotating member 25.

  The ball counting device 1 includes a control unit and a display unit other than counting, such as a card unit that reads and writes a membership card, a signal unit that includes an automatic light-emitting plate that displays a sense of appearance, and a TV navigation unit. May be. Control on the counting result can be performed using the control unit of these units, and various information associated with the counting can be displayed using the display unit. Alternatively, the ball counting device 1 and the control units of the various units provided in the table machine 8 may be communicable, and the control unit of the table machine 8 may be used for controlling the ball counting device 1.

  Next, the ball counting procedure of the game ball 9 by the ball counting device 1 having the above-described configuration will be described.

  The game ball 9 acquired by the player falls from the lower plate (not shown) of the game table 7 to the ball receiving portion 16. The game ball 9 rolls along a gentle inclined surface of the ball receiving portion 16 and rolls to the left in FIG. 3 while aligning on the rail 15 provided along the entry side passage 13 of the game ball 9.

  When the game ball 9 reaches the carry-in passage 33 of the ball hoisting machine 3 continuous from the downstream end of the rail 15 and passes through the inlet side sensor 11, it is detected by the inlet side sensor 11 and the motor 24 of the ball hoisting machine 3 is switched. Enters.

  Thereafter, the game ball 9 naturally rolls in the carry-in passage 33 having an inclination of about 4.5% by its own weight, and falls from the tip of the carry-in passage 33 to the ball dropping portion 37 having a step difference downward. When the game ball 9 rolls in the carry-in passage 33 vigorously, it hits the wall 39 provided at the end and falls to the ball drop portion 37. As shown in FIG. 10A, the game ball 9a dropped on the ball dropping unit 37 receives a leftward force in the figure when the next game ball 9b rolls. When the guide unit 27 reaches the position of the carry-in unit outlet 34, the game ball 9a enters the guide unit 27 and is held. Since the depth of the ball drop portion 37 is smaller than the diameter of the game ball 9a, the game ball 9a in the ball drop portion 37 receives a force from the game ball 9b that has been rolled next, and gently guides it. Sent to the unit 27. In this way, the game balls 9 are delivered to the guide unit 27 smoothly and reliably one by one. By providing the wall 39 and the ball drop portion 37, the game ball 9 hits the ball raising mechanism portion 22 while maintaining the momentum when rolling in the carry-in passage 33, and excessive stress acts on the ball raising mechanism portion 22 to damage it. And the force required for rotation is prevented from increasing.

  As shown in FIGS. 10B and 10C, the game ball delivered from the carry-in passage 33 to the ball raising mechanism portion 22 is held in the concave portion 31 as the guide portion 27 rotates. The inside of the raising mechanism 22 is conveyed.

  When the game ball 9 is transported to the carry-out passage entrance 36, the end of the game ball 9 comes into contact with the side guide plate 40. Further, as shown in FIG. 10D, the concave portion 31 pushes the game ball 9 to the carry-out passage 35 side by the rotation of the guide portion 27. Thereby, the game ball 9 is guided and delivered to the carry-out passage 35 along the guide portion 32 and the guide plate 40 of the guide portion 27 which are substantially horizontal.

  11 and 12 show the operation when the game ball 9 is guided from the guide portion 27 to the carry-out passage 35. (a) is a longitudinal sectional view, and (b) is from above except for the outer frame portion. FIG. When the guide portion 32 of the guide portion 27 containing the game ball 9 reaches the position shown in FIG. 11 and becomes horizontal, and when the guide portion 27 further rotates in the direction of the arrow, the guide portion 27 is normally pushed into the concave portion 31 as described above. Then, the game ball 9 is pushed out into the carry-out passage 35. In addition, as shown in FIG. 11 (b), since the width of the guide portion 27 is smaller than the diameter of the game ball 9, one side portion of the game ball 9 that protrudes from the guide portion 27 contacts the guide plate 40. Then, it is guided along the guide plate 40 to the carry-out passage 35. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12A, even if the guide portion 32 of the guide portion 27 rotates below the carry-out passage 35, the game ball 9 is not discharged into the carry-out passage 35, and 9c in FIG. As described above, the guide unit 27 does not get caught in the ball raising mechanism unit 22 and is reliably guided to the carry-out passage 35.

  In this way, the game ball 9 is smoothly and reliably conveyed to the carry-out passage 35 at a position higher than the tip of the carry-in passage 33 by the ball raising machine 3 of the present invention. Thereby, the required dimension of the height direction of the ball | bowl channel | path 5 which requires a fixed inclination angle can be shortened.

  When the game ball 9 passes through the carry-out passage 35, it is counted by the outlet side sensor 12. For example, when the entrance-side sensor 11 detects the outlet-side sensor 12 within a preset time, such as when a sensor malfunctions or a ball clogging occurs in the ball-lifting mechanism 22 or when the game ball 9 is removed by an unauthorized operation, Is detected, or when the outlet side sensor 12 detects it in a time shorter than the set time, it is recognized as an error and communication to the control unit is performed, or an error is notified by a lamp, a warning sound, or the like. can do. Furthermore, by checking the count numbers of the inlet side sensor 11 and the outlet side sensor 12, it is possible to check whether clogging or fraud has occurred. In addition, when the sensors 11 and 12 are not activated, such as when a power failure occurs or the outlet is disconnected, the ball hoisting machine 3 does not operate, so that it is possible to prevent the game balls 9 from being discharged without being counted.

  After the game ball detected by the entrance side sensor 11 is counted by the exit side sensor 12, the motor 24 stops when the entrance side sensor 11 does not detect even after a predetermined time has elapsed. Thereafter, when the entrance sensor 11 detects the passing of the game ball, the motor 24 rotates again.

  Next, the rotation control by the stepping motor of the rotating member 25 provided with the guide portion 27 in the ball raising mechanism portion 22 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a timing chart showing the operations of the inlet side sensor 11, the outlet side sensor 12, and the motor 24 for each step of the stepping motor. In FIG. 13, A1 is an inlet side sensor in the first row, A2 is an inlet side sensor in the second row, B1 is an outlet side sensor in the first row, and B2 is an outlet side sensor in the second row.

  A chart of the A1 sensor and the A2 sensor in FIG. 13 is an example of a passing state of the game ball 9. In this example, first, the A1 sensor detects the passage of each game ball three times, and then detects the intermittent passage of a plurality of game balls. The A2 sensor detects intermittent passage of a plurality of game balls.

  When either one of the inlet side sensors A1 and A2 installed in the two rows of the carry-in passages 33 of the ball raising mechanism 22 detects the passage of the game ball 9, the motor is started. In the present embodiment, the 4-layer 48 stepping motor is controlled by 1-2 phase, and one round (360 degrees) 96 steps, that is, the basic step angle is 3.75 degrees. The motor stops for a certain time after completing 8 steps, that is, every time it rotates 30 degrees. As described above, a total of six guide portions 27 are provided in two rows, and the angular interval of each guide portion 27 is 60 degrees. Therefore, the motor stops at every half angle of the interval of the guide portion 27, and accepts the game ball 9 to the guide portion 27 when the motor is stopped every other time. By temporarily stopping the rotation, the game ball 9 is reliably delivered to the guide unit 27. In addition, by stopping the motor at intervals smaller than the interval between the guide portions 27, the inertia (inertia) can be reduced and the motor can be reliably stopped at a predetermined position. In the present embodiment, the motor is temporarily stopped every half of the interval between the guide portions 27. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, every quarter of the interval between the guide portions 27 is arbitrary. You may pause at intervals. As the pause interval is shortened, the inertia can be reduced. On the other hand, if the pause interval is increased, the number of rotations of the motor can be increased.

  The positioning of the motor is performed by a position sensor 49 shown in FIG. First, when the power of the ball hoisting machine 3 is turned on, the motor is started, and the rotating member 25 rotates once to perform self-diagnosis. By this rotation, when the position sensor 49 detects the reflecting plate 48 provided on the rotating member 25, the motor position is recognized as the initial state. Thereafter, when one of the entrance side sensors A1 and A2 detects the passage of the game ball 9, the motor is started again, and the position sensor 49 pauses at the position where the reflector 48 is detected, and the first step is performed. Begins. Therefore, in order to accept the game ball 9 at the time of a pause at the end of every 8 steps, the position sensor 49 detects that either the first row or the second row guide portion 27 faces the outlet 34 of the carry-in passage 33. It is performed 30 degrees or 60 degrees before the position where the game ball 9 is received. When the motor is continuously rotating, the position sensor 49 does not operate.

  Due to the positioning of the motor, for example, when the motor rotates eight steps, the guide part on the carry-in passage side of the first row provided with the A1 sensor reaches a position for receiving the game ball. Therefore, after the eight-step rotation, the motor is temporarily stopped, and one game ball is received in the first row guide section during that time. Thereafter, the motor rotates again 8 steps, and the second temporary stop is performed. The second temporary stop is to reduce the inertia of the motor. When the game is further rotated by 8 steps and paused for the third time, one game ball is received in the second row guide section. In this way, game balls are received alternately in each row for every temporary pause.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the game ball P1 first detected by the A1 sensor is received by the guide unit at the first pause, and then transported to the carry-out passage 35 after being transported by a predetermined angle, for example, 145 degrees. It is. That is, after the game ball P1 is received, after the temporary stop every 30 degrees four times (after the fifth stop in FIG. 13), as shown in FIG. The passing of the game ball P1 is detected. The game ball P2 first detected by the A2 sensor is received by the second row guide section at the third temporary stop rotated 60 degrees after the game ball P1 is received. The game ball P2 has a timing shifted by 16 steps after the passage of the first game ball P1 is detected by the B1 sensor, that is, 6 pauses every 30 degrees after the game ball P1 is received. At the step (not shown), it is detected by the B2 sensor. After either of the A1 sensor and the A2 sensor has been detected, and after a certain period of time has elapsed, if both the A1 and A2 sensors remain undetected, the motor stops.

  When the game ball 9 is sent out to the carry-out passage 35, it can be performed while the motor is rotating normally. At the time of carry-out, due to the effect of the guide plate 40 described above, even if the rotating member 25 remains rotating, it is smoothly discharged. Therefore, the angular interval between the outlet 34 of the carry-in passage 33 and the inlet 36 of the carry-out passage 35 may not be a multiple of 30 degrees at which the motor stops.

  Normally, 2000 balls are discharged in a big hit when the average is about 4 minutes, so the ball counting device needs to have the ability to process 500 or more, preferably about 600 game balls in one minute. In this embodiment, in order to carry and count six game balls in one round, the number of revolutions of the motor is about 100 revolutions per minute.

  The game balls 9 counted by the ball counting device are discharged from the exit side passage 14 of the lead-out unit 4 to the intermediary machine 8. FIG. 14 shows a path of game balls discharged from the ball counting apparatus 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 15 shows a discharge path of game balls of a counter provided for each conventional gaming table. Since the present invention realizes shortening of the required dimension in the height direction of the ball passage, the ball counting device 1 can be installed at a position higher than the conventional counter 51. Conventionally, in order to provide a passage for game balls discharged from the ball counting device 51, it has been necessary to open a hole 52 in the casing 111 of the game island and pass the pipe 53 as shown in FIG. According to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 14, the ball counting device 1 can be installed at the height of the intermediary machine 8, so that the game balls discharged to the intermediary machine 8 are led directly into the groove 126 of the game island. The Therefore, according to the present invention, the game island can be easily installed without modification. The game ball led out to the groove 126 is sent to the main tank 125 shown in FIG. 2 and further sent to the lift polishing machine 122 through the recovery pipe 127 and polished, and then lifted to the upper tank 121. Sent. Thereafter, the game balls are supplied to each game table 7 or the inter-vehicle machine 8 via the supply path 123, or the game balls are circulated between the game islands via the supply / supply rods 131 and 132, and used as the next game ball.

  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 detailed mechanism of the ball raising machine is not limited to the above example. Moreover, in said embodiment, although the rail and the ball raising mechanism were made into 2 rows, it is not restricted to this, You may be 1 row or 3 rows or more. In the case of a plurality of rows, the positions of the guide portions 27 may be shifted so that all the guide portions 27 are equiangularly spaced as in the above-described embodiment. Further, the type of the position sensor for positioning the motor and the positioning means are not limited to the above-described light detection type position sensor, but may be a magnet sensor, a proximity switch, or any other conventionally used position detection means.

  The present invention can be applied to a game ball counting device.

The top view which shows the example of arrangement | positioning of the game facility to which this invention is applied. The side view seen from the AA line of FIG. The top view which shows embodiment of this invention. FIG. 4 is a front view of FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a side view of FIG. 3. The expanded partial sectional view seen from the BB line of FIG. The enlarged front view of a ball raising machine. The top view of FIG. Sectional drawing of the carrying-in channel | path and carrying-out channel | path of FIG. Partial explanatory drawing which shows the state by which a game ball is conveyed in the inside of a ball raising mechanism part. It is a figure explaining the operation | movement by which a game ball is carried out from a guide part, (a) is sectional drawing, (b) is a top view. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement following FIG. 11, (a) is sectional drawing, (b) is a top view. The timing chart of a motor and each sensor. Sectional drawing which shows the discharge path | route of the game ball after the count by this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the discharge path | route of the game ball after the conventional count.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ball counter 2 Introduction part 3 Climbing machine 4 Deriving part 7 Game stand 8 Inter-machine 9 Game ball 11 Inlet side sensor 12 Outlet side sensor 13 Inlet side path 14 Outlet side path 15 Rail 16 Outlet receiving part 21 Carrying in part 22 Climbing mechanism portion 23 Unloading portion 24 Motor 25 Rotating member 26 Shaft 27 Guide portion 31 Recess portion 32 Guide portion 38 Reflecting plate 39 Position sensor 101, 102, 103, 104, 105 Amusement island 111 Housing 127 Groove

Claims (13)

A game ball carry-in part and a carry-out part are connected to a substantially opposite position via a ball raising mechanism part,
The game ball delivery position from the ball raising mechanism part to the carry-out part is higher than the delivery position of the game ball from the carry-in part to the ball raising mechanism part,
The ball raising mechanism portion is provided on the outer peripheral side of a rotating member that rotates about a horizontal axis, rotates together with the rotating member, holds the game ball delivered from the carry-in portion, and is received by the carry-out portion. Have a passing guide,
The guide portion is a substantially hemispherical concave portion arranged on the rear side with respect to the rotation direction of the rotating member, and is continuous from the concave portion and inclined forward with respect to the normal line of the rotating member. It is formed in a hook shape when viewed from the side with respect to the rotation direction by the guide part, and provided to be opened on the outer peripheral side.
The rotating member is driven by a stepping motor, and the stepping motor temporarily stops at a position where the guide portion delivers the game ball.   The guide portions are provided in two rows with respect to the advancing direction of the game balls, and the adjacent guide portions are arranged at equal angular intervals while being displaced in the rotation direction of the rotating member. The ball hoisting machine according to claim 1.   The said stepping motor rotates, stopping temporarily for every fixed interval shorter than the angular interval of the said guide part, The ball climber of Claim 1 or 2 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The ball hoisting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a position sensor for positioning the stepping motor.   A wall is provided at the upper end of the carry-in passage of the game ball provided in the carry-in portion, and a ball dropping part having a step difference from the carry-in passage smaller than the diameter of the game ball is provided at the front end side of the carry-in passage. The ball hoisting machine according to claim 1, wherein the ball hoisting machine is provided. A width of the guide portion in the axial direction is smaller than the diameter of the game ball, and a guide plate is provided from the lower surface of the base end portion of the carry-out passage of the game ball provided in the carry-out portion toward the side of the rotating member. And
The game ball is guided to the carry-out passage when a side portion of the game ball conveyed to the entrance of the carry-out portion protrudes from the guide portion and contacts the guide plate. Item 6. The ball raising machine according to any one of items 1 to 5.   The carry-in passage provided in the carry-in portion and the carry-out passage provided in the carry-out portion have an inclination for the game ball to roll naturally, according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The ball hoisting machine described in 1. It is installed for each game stand,
An introduction that introduces the acquired game balls,
A ball raising machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
An entry-side passage having an inclination in which the game ball rolls naturally from the introduction portion to the carry-in position of the ball raising machine;
An exit-side passage having an inclination in which the game ball rolls naturally from a carry-out position of the ball hoisting machine to a machine between the game machines;
A sensor for detecting the passage of the game ball;
A ball counting device comprising:   The ball counting device according to claim 8, wherein an inlet side sensor and an outlet side sensor for detecting passage of the game ball are provided on an upstream side and a downstream side of the ball raising machine, respectively.   The stepping motor is started when the entrance side sensor detects the passage of the game ball, and the game balls are counted when the exit side sensor detects the passage of the game ball. The ball counting device according to claim 9.   The width of the exit side passage gradually narrows so that the game balls roll in one row before reaching the discharge port to the inter-vehicle machine. The ball counting device according to any one of 10.   The ball counting device according to claim 8, wherein a bottom surface of the entry side passage has a gap in a sawtooth shape.   The ball counting device according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the ball counting device has a main body attached below the lower plate of the game table and above the base plate.

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