JP2010068868A - Game medium holding device and game machine with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game medium holding device capable of eliminating troubles in the holding operation of game media. <P>SOLUTION: The game medium holding device 4 includes: a mounting member 43 for mounting the game medium b1; a catcher 42 provided with an arm 421 turnable around a horizontal axis, for performing the holding operation of turning the arm 421 from an open state to a closed state; a moving means 41 for vertically or horizontally moving the catcher 42; a control means for controlling the operation of the catcher 42 and the moving means 41; and a detection means for detecting that the catcher 42 abuts on the mounting member 43. The control means executes control to the catcher 42 and the moving means 41 so as to successively execute the operation of lowering the catcher 42 in the open state by the arm 421, the operation of elevating the catcher 42 for a prescribed amount on the basis of detection signals detected by the detection means and the holding operation of turning the arm 421 to the closed state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a game medium holding device provided in, for example, a prize acquisition game machine, and a game machine provided with the same.

  An example of this type of game medium holding device is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The game medium holding device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided in a prize acquisition game machine, and has a catcher for grabbing a prize as a game medium. The catcher is provided with a pair of arms that can be opened and closed around a horizontal axis. As the game progresses, when grabbing the prize, the catcher descends with the arm open, and after detecting that the catcher has reached the prize or the table on which the prize is placed, the arm is rotated immediately. A series of operations such as closing is performed.

  However, in the above conventional game medium holding device, if the arm is closed immediately after detecting that the arm has come into contact with the table and the prize is held, the tip of the arm is placed on the table during the holding action. The table could get caught and hurt the table. Further, when the arm is caught on the table in the process of closing the arm, it may be suddenly released from the caught state. In this case, an inconvenience may occur that the arm suddenly closes and the prize that was about to be grabbed is thrown off by the arm.

Japanese Patent No. 2656863

  The present invention has been conceived under such circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a game medium holding device that can eliminate the above-described disadvantages in the operation of holding a game medium.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following technical means.

  A game medium holding device provided by the first aspect of the present invention has a mounting member for mounting a game medium and an arm that can be rotated about a horizontal axis, and the arm is closed from an open state. A catcher that performs a holding operation of rotating to a state, a moving unit that moves the catcher up and down or horizontally in a predetermined space on the mounting member, a control unit that controls operations of the catcher and the moving unit, And a detecting means for detecting that the catcher is in contact with the placement member or the playing medium, wherein the control means receives a predetermined holding operation command, and the arm A lowering operation for lowering the catcher in an open state, an ascending operation for raising the catcher by a predetermined amount based on a detection signal detected by the detection means, and the arm Is characterized by performing control with respect to the catcher and the moving means to sequentially execute the above holding operation of rotating to the closed state.

  According to the game medium holding device of the present invention, in the holding operation of the game medium by the catcher, when it is detected that the catcher is lowered with the arm opened and the catcher comes into contact with the placing member, the catcher is temporarily stopped. After being raised by a predetermined amount, the holding operation of the game medium is executed by rotating the arm in the closing direction. Therefore, when the operation for closing the arm is started, a gap of a predetermined distance is secured between the arm and the mounting member, so that the arm is caught by the mounting member in the process of closing the arm. Can be avoided, and inconvenience due to the hooking of the arm can be solved.

  In a preferred embodiment, the mounting member has a substantially horizontal plane as a whole and is rotated around a predetermined vertical axis. Even when the mounting member is rotated in this manner, the arm is not hooked and dragged by the mounting member, so that no load is applied to the catcher or the member that suspends the catcher.

  In a preferred embodiment, the arm is opened / closed and rotated substantially parallel to the rotation direction of the mounting member. According to such a structure, even when a mounting member is rotated, a game medium can be hold | maintained comparatively easily.

  In a preferred embodiment, the game medium is composed of rolling elements. More preferably, a plurality of recesses for restricting the movement of the game medium is provided on the upper surface of the placement member. According to such a configuration, movement of the game medium is restricted when the game medium fits into the recess. Therefore, it is possible to facilitate the holding of the game medium by the arm.

  In a preferred embodiment, the moving means has a catcher raising / lowering mechanism that is located immediately above the catcher and moves the catcher up and down. The catcher raising / lowering mechanism has a wire on which the catcher is suspended at the tip. And a lifting motor that lifts and lowers the catcher by rotating the winding portion, and the detection means includes a tension detection sensor that detects a change in tension generated in the wire. The control means is configured to stop the lowering operation of the catcher due to the rotation of the lifting motor and reverse the lifting motor when the tension detection sensor detects that the tension has changed. The ascending operation is performed. According to the configuration including the tension detection sensor that detects the tension of the wire that suspends the catcher, it can be detected that the catcher has come into contact with the mounting member with a relatively simple structure.

  The prize acquisition game machine provided by the second aspect of the present invention includes the game medium holding device provided by the first aspect of the present invention. According to such a configuration, it is possible to receive the same effects as described for the game medium holding device provided by the first aspect of the present invention.

  The medal game machine provided by the third aspect of the present invention includes the game medium holding device provided by the first aspect of the present invention. According to such a configuration, it is possible to receive the same effects as described for the game medium holding device provided by the first aspect of the present invention.

  Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description given below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a game medium holding device according to the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1-14 has shown one Embodiment of the medal game machine provided with the game media holding | maintenance apparatus based on this invention.

  As shown well in FIG. 1, in the medal game machine A of the present embodiment, a cylindrical showcase 11 is placed on the lower housing 10, and an upper cover 12 is provided on the showcase 11. In the space surrounded by the showcase 11, a medal game field MF and a center unit CU, which will be described later, are provided. A plurality of operation panel portions 13 are provided at equal intervals on the outer peripheral surface portion of the lower housing 10 so that the same number of persons (for example, eight people) as those operation panel portions 13 can play a game simultaneously. It has become. Each operation panel 13 includes a lever 13A and operation buttons 13B used in a lottery game, which will be described later, as well as a detailed illustration, but a medal depot for storing medals m, a medal slot, and so on. Etc. are provided. A medal payout port 13C for paying out a medal m dropped from the medal game field MF is also provided in the back of the operation panel unit 13. In addition, a medal insertion device 14 is provided inside the lower housing 10 on both the left and right sides of each operation panel unit 13. The medal insertion device 14 is configured to throw the medal m inserted by the player outside the showcase into the medal game field MF in the showcase 11 in a desired direction on the left and right. For example, a total of eight medal game fields MF are provided corresponding to each of the plurality of operation panel units 13.

  The medal game machine A is equipped with an operation control device (control means) for controlling the operation of each unit such as the image display device 2 and the catcher lottery device 4 described later (see FIG. 11).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the medal game field MF is provided with an image display device 2 for executing an electronic game using a liquid crystal display or the like, and a pusher field 3 positioned on the lower side on the front side of the image display device 2. It has been. The image display device 2 is inclined so that its screen portion becomes lower as it goes to the near side.

  The medal insertion device 14 is a standing-up medal conveyance guide 141 for conveying the medal m upward via a medal delivery mechanism (not shown), and throws the medal m upward with an initial speed while standing up. And a medal shooter 142. The medal shooter 142 can swing within a predetermined angle range in the lateral direction by operating a lever 13A provided on the operation panel unit 13. The medal delivery mechanism is a well-known mechanism that is disposed between the medal insertion slot and the medal transport guide 141 and includes a path for transporting the medal m, a hopper device for the medal m, and the like.

  Between the image display device 2 and the pusher field 3, for example, a plurality of chuckers 21 are provided side by side in the horizontal direction. Each chucker 21 is configured such that the passage of the medal m is detected by a sensor (not shown) provided inside, for example. When the medal m thrown out from the medal shooter 142 enters the chucker 21, an electronic game developed on the image display device 2 or a predetermined game using the chucker 21 is executed. Both the medal m entering the chucker and the medal m not entering the chucker fall on the pusher field 3.

  The pusher field 3 is a well-known one configured such that a movable plate 31 is stacked on a fixed plate 30, for example, and the movable plate 31 reciprocates back and forth with a constant stroke by driving a motor (not shown). When the movable plate 31 moves forward, when a plurality of medals m placed on the fixed plate 30 are pressed against each other toward the front of the fixed plate 30, the leading edge 30a of the fixed plate 30 The medal m falls in the drop groove in front. The medal m dropped in the dropping groove is paid out to a medal detention part (not shown) on the operation panel part 13 through a medal paying outlet 13C via a well-known medal paying mechanism (not shown) having a hopper device or the like. It has become. Balls b1 (game media) acquired by the catcher lottery device 4 to be described later are scattered on the fixed plate 30 according to the progress of the game, for example. The ball b1 moves forward as the medal m on the fixed plate 30 is pushed forward, and eventually falls into the dropping groove.

  In the present embodiment, the medal game field MF is provided with a fixed rail 51 and a movable rail 52 for transporting the ball b1 acquired by the catcher lottery device 4 and throwing it into the pusher field 3. At the upper end of the fixed rail 51, a tray 51a for placing a ball b1 gripped by a catcher 42, which will be described later, is provided. At the lower end of the fixed rail 51, a hole 51b for dropping the ball b1 to the base end of the movable rail 52 is provided. Is provided. The movable rail 52 is used to distribute the throwing position of the ball b1 on the pusher field 3, and its base end is connected to an output shaft of a motor (not shown) so that a certain angle about a predetermined vertical axis is obtained. It can be rotated within the range. A hole 52a for dropping the ball b1 is provided at the tip of the movable rail 52.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the center unit CU includes a catcher lottery device 4, a center lottery device 6, and a main display 7.

  The catcher lottery device 4 is for performing a lottery to grab the ball b1 by an input operation of a player, and includes a catcher driving unit 41, a catcher 42, and a rotary table 43. On the rotary table 43, a plurality of balls b1 (game media) are placed.

  The catcher driving unit 41 includes a linear rail 411 that supports a later-described catcher lifting mechanism 414, a rotation mechanism 412 that rotates the linear rail 411, and a linear movement mechanism 413. The linear rail 411 is rotatably supported around the center of the upper cover 12 by a rotation shaft 411A provided at the base end thereof. On the other hand, a rotating motor 411B is provided at the tip of the linear rail 411, and a roller 411C connected to the output shaft of the rotating motor 411B is on an arc rail 122 provided near the periphery of the upper cover 12. Is supposed to travel. With this configuration, when the rotation motor 411B is driven, the linear rail 411 is rotated around the rotation axis 411A. The rotation motor 411B is operated by tilting the lever 13A shown in FIG.

  The linear movement mechanism 413 is for linearly moving a frame body 414A of a catcher lifting mechanism 414, which will be described later, along the longitudinal direction (Y axis) of the linear rail 411. For example, the linear movement mechanism 413 is provided at both ends of the linear rail 411. A pulley 411D, a timing belt 411E wound around the pulley 411D, and a Y-axis motor 411F supported by the base end of the linear rail 411 and connected to one pulley 411D are configured. . The frame body 414A is fixed to a slide member (not shown) that is slidable in the longitudinal direction of the linear rail 411, and a timing belt 411E is coupled to the slide member. With this configuration, when the Y-axis motor 411F is driven, the frame body 414A is linearly moved along the longitudinal direction of the linear rail 411. The Y-axis motor 411F is operated by tilting the lever 13A shown in FIG. 1 back and forth.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the catcher lifting mechanism 414 includes a wire winding reel 416 for winding the wire 415, a lifting motor 418 that rotates the wire winding reel 416, and a frame that accommodates and supports them. And a body 414A. The wire 415 is inserted into a telescopic shaft 417 provided between the frame body 414A and the catcher 42, and the catcher 42 is suspended from the tip of the wire 415 (see FIG. 5). A lift motor 418 is connected to the wire winding reel 416. The elevating motor 418 is for winding or rewinding the wire 415 and moving the catcher 42 up and down by rotating the wire winding reel 416 forward or backward.

  A tension detection mechanism 419 that detects a change in tension generated in the wire 415 is also provided inside the frame body 414A. The tension detection mechanism 419 includes a movable body 419A and a tension detection sensor 419B. The movable body 419A is supported so as to be rotatable within a certain range around a horizontal support shaft 419c near the lower end. The movable body 419A is provided with a fixed pulley 419D that is rotatable around a horizontal support shaft 419c and a movable pulley 419E that is above the fixed pulley 419D. The movable body 419A is also provided with a detected piece 419F at the left end thereof, and one end of a tension spring 419H provided in the fixed portion 419G is connected in the vicinity of the detected piece 419F. The movable body 419A is biased in the direction in which the detected piece 419F moves downward by the elastic restoring force of the tension spring 419H. A wire 415 extending from a wire winding reel 416 is wound around the movable pulley 419E and the fixed pulley 419D.

  The tension detection sensor 419B is composed of, for example, a photo sensor, and detects the presence or absence of tension in the wire 415 and sends the detection signal to a CPU 82 described later. In the state where the catcher 42 is suspended from the wire 415, the wire 415 is tensioned by the weight of the catcher 42, and as shown in FIG. 4A, the movable pulley 419E is displaced to the right to detect the detected piece 419F. Comes to the up position. At this time, the detection signal from the tension detection sensor 419B is in an off state. On the other hand, for example, when the catcher 42 is lowered and comes into contact with the rotary table 43, the wire 415 is not tensioned, and the movable pulley 419E is moved by the elastic restoring force of the tension spring 419H as shown in FIG. 4B. Displaced to the left, the detected piece 419F comes to the downward movement position. At this time, the detection signal by the tension detection sensor 419B is in an ON state.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the catcher 42 includes a support frame 420 connected to the lower end of the telescopic shaft 417 and a pair of arms 421 that can be opened and closed to hold the ball b1. Each of the arms 421 is provided so that the base end portion thereof is rotatable around horizontal shafts 421a and 421b located on the lower left and right sides of the support frame body 420 so that the tip end portion can scoop the ball b1. It is grooved. In addition, a catcher motor 422 and a plate cam 423 connected to the output shaft of the catcher motor 422 are provided in the center of the support frame 420. In addition, rollers 421c and 421d that can come into contact with the outer periphery of the plate cam 423 are rotatably mounted inside the base end portion of the arm 421.

  The plate cam 423 is substantially elliptical in a plan view, and as shown in FIG. 5, when the plate cam 423 is in a position where it abuts against the rollers 421c and 421d at both ends 423a and 423b on the short axis side, the arm 421 is provided. Is kept closed (closed state). On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, when the plate cam 423 is in a position where it abuts on the rollers 421c and 421d at both ends 423c and 423d on the long axis side, the arm 421 is kept in an open state (open state). With such a configuration, when the plate cam 423 is rotated around the vertical axis by driving the catcher motor 422, the pair of arms 421 perform an opening / closing operation between an open state and a closed state. One end of an urging spring 424 provided on the support frame body 420 is connected to the upper end of each arm 421, and each arm 421 is urged in the closing direction by the elastic restoring force of the urging spring 424. ing.

  The support frame 420 is provided with cam sensors 425 and 426 for detecting that the arm 421 is in the predetermined posture shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Here, for example, a photo sensor is used as the cam sensors 425 and 426. As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 7, they are arranged at symmetrical positions about the vertical axis. On the other hand, on the plate cam 423, a light shielding plate 427 having a high height and a light shielding plate 428 having a low height are alternately arranged at an angular interval of 90 ° around the vertical axis. The cam sensor 425 is set at a height position where only the light-shielding plate 427 having a high height can be detected, and the cam sensor 426 is set at a height position where both the light-shielding plates 427 and 428 can be detected. ing. Accordingly, the catcher motor 422 is driven and controlled by the detection signals from the cam sensors 425 and 426, so that the arm 421 maintains its posture in the closed state of FIG. 5 or the open state of FIG.

  The catcher 42 stands by directly above the tray 51a when the game is not being executed. In the present embodiment, one set of the catcher 42 and the catcher driving unit 41 is provided for every two adjacent medal game fields MF.

  The rotary table 43 has an annular shape in plan view, and is made of, for example, resin. The upper surface portion of the rotary table 43 is a flat ball mounting surface 43a. The ball mounting surface 43a is provided with a plurality of dimples 43b. Further, the rotary table 43 is provided with an upright wall 43c erected upward so as to surround the periphery of the ball mounting surface 43a. As shown in FIG. 8, the dimple 43b has a spherical shape, and its radius of curvature is larger than the radius of curvature of the ball b1. The depth of the dimple 43b is set to be relatively small, about 1/10 of the diameter of the ball b1. Thus, in a state where the ball b1 is fitted in the dimple 43b, even if the rotary table 43 rotates at a constant speed, the ball b1 does not come out of the dimple 43b, and the movement of the ball b1 with respect to the ball mounting surface 43a is not caused. Be regulated. These dimples 43 b are regularly arranged along the circumferential direction of the rotary table 43. The distance between the dimples 43b is such that the ball b1 can pass through, so that the ball b1 can pass between the two adjacent dimples 43b even when the ball b1 is fitted. ing. Further, the diameter of the dimple 43b may be appropriately changed for each row along the circumferential direction.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the rotary table 43 has a configuration in which an annular upper plate 431, a cylindrical portion 432, and an annular lower plate 433 are connected, and the ball mounting surface 43a described above. The dimple 43b and the standing wall 43c are provided on the upper plate 431. The lower plate 433 is rotatably supported via a plurality of rollers 101 provided at appropriate positions of the lower housing 10. In addition, a plurality of rollers 102 that define the position in the horizontal direction are in contact with the side surface of the lower plate 433 in a freely rotatable manner. Thereby, the turntable 43 is supported so as to be rotatable about the vertical axis v <b> 1 with respect to the lower housing 10. Further, an output roller 104 attached to the output shaft of the motor 103 supported by the lower housing 10 is pressed against the upper surface of the lower plate 433, and the rotation table 43 is controlled by controlling the drive of the motor 103. Rotated.

  The rotary table 43 may be rotated at least when a lottery for grabbing the ball b1 by the catcher lottery device 4 is performed, or may be always rotated. The rotary table 43 is not limited to an annular shape, and may be a polygonal table or may not be annular.

  The lottery game in the catcher lottery apparatus 4 having the above configuration is, for example, when an electronic game (screen lottery) using the image display apparatus 2 or a game aiming for winning a designated chucker 21 is obtained when a predetermined result is obtained. Executed. A specific operation procedure after the start of the lottery game in the catcher lottery apparatus 4 will be described later.

  When the ball b1 is acquired by the catcher lottery device 4, the ball b1 is thrown onto the pusher field 3 via the rails 51 and 52. When the ball b1 falls from the drop groove, a lottery game is executed in the center lottery device 6 after the passage of the ball b1 is read by a reading sensor (not shown) below the drop groove. It should be noted that the ball b1 can be inserted into the pusher field 3 without using the rails 51 and 52. In this case, for example, instead of providing the rails 51 and 52, the catcher 42 may be configured to move onto the pusher field 3, and the ball b <b> 1 may be directly thrown onto the pusher field 3 from the catcher 42.

  The ball b1 whose passage is read by the reading sensor is sent to the lift mechanism 16 through the passage 15 as shown in FIG. The lift mechanism 16 is for returning the ball b1 onto the rotary table 43. The lift mechanism 16 is provided with a pair of pulleys 161 spaced apart from each other, a belt 162 wound around the pulleys 161, and the belt 162 at substantially constant intervals. A plurality of partition plates 163 and a case 164 for housing them are provided. The ball b <b> 1 rolling down the passage 15 is received between the belt 162, the adjacent partition plate 163, and the case 164. One pulley 161 is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown), and the belt 162 is moved in the direction of the arrow. Along with this, the ball b1 is transported upward and discharged onto the rotary table 43 through the opening 164a. In this way, in the medal game machine A, the ball b1 is recycled.

  The center lottery device 6 is for performing a physical lottery using a ball. In the present embodiment, the lottery game executed by the center lottery device 6 is a lottery (SJP lottery) for obtaining a jackpot (hereinafter referred to as SJP (super jackpot)) from which, for example, thousands of medals m are paid out. ). When the SJP lottery is won, the medal m is paid out on the medal game field MF via a medal payout mechanism (not shown). It should be noted that the number of medals paid out at the time of SJP winning is set so as to be added according to the number of medals m inserted into the medal game field MF by each player, for example. The medal payout number is displayed on the main display 7, for example.

  Next, an example of the operation control device of the medal game machine A having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 11, 80 is a program ROM which stores various programs for performing an electronic game using the image display device 2, a lottery game using the catcher lottery device 4 and the center lottery device 6, maintenance, and the like. Yes, 81 is a backup RAM capable of storing various data used for operation control of the catcher drive unit 41 and the catcher 42, failure monitoring control, and the like. A CPU 82 executes various programs stored in the program ROM 80.

  Reference numeral 83 denotes a medal number counter for counting the number of medals m inserted from the medal insertion slot of the operation panel unit 13. The medal number counter 83 detects the insertion of medals by a mechanical switch, and the detection signal is displayed as a medal. The input signal is sent to the CPU 82. The CPU 82 drives the medal sending mechanism of the medal insertion device 14 based on the medal insertion signal, and the medal m is thrown out from the medal shooter 142. Reference numeral 84 denotes the reading sensor that reads the ball b1 dropped from the dropping groove.

  85 is a failure detection switch group of a belt or a machine part provided in the drive mechanism unit of the medal game machine A, and 86 is used for remotely monitoring the operation status of the medal game machine A, the presence / absence of a failure, or the like. It is a communication module.

  87 is a timer, for example, which measures the elapsed time after the lottery game starts in the catcher lottery apparatus 4.

  Reference numeral 88 denotes a sound source circuit that generates a predetermined sound from the speaker 89 in accordance with various situations such as SJP winning when the ball b1 is successfully acquired during a game in response to a command from the CPU 82. Reference numeral 90 denotes a ROM for storing general music data to be played during a game or the like. Reference numeral 91 denotes a ROM for storing event music data to be played when the ball b1 is successfully acquired or when SJP is won.

  Reference numeral 92 denotes a catcher motor sensor group. In this embodiment, the catch motor sensor group 92 includes the cam sensors 425 and 426.

  A rotation motor sensor group 93 detects the position of the linear rail 411 and sends a position detection signal to the CPU 82. Reference numeral 94 denotes a Y-axis motor sensor group that detects the position of the catcher lifting mechanism 414 on the Y-axis coordinates and sends a position detection signal to the CPU 82.

  Reference numeral 95 denotes a lift motor sensor group that detects the limit position of the vertical movement of the catcher 42 and sends it to the CPU 82. An upper limit position sensor (not shown) that detects that the catcher 42 has reached the upper limit position, and tension detection Sensor 419B. Although not shown in FIG. 11, the operation control device of the medal game machine A includes other operation units such as the pusher field 3 and the center lottery device 6.

  Next, the operation procedure after the start of the lottery game of the catcher lottery apparatus 4 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, when a lottery right in the catcher lottery device 4 is generated, a command from the CPU 82 is received and the player enters a standby state for operating the lever 13A (step S10). Next, when the lever 13A is operated (step S11), the CPU 82 drives the rotation motor 411B and the Y-axis motor 411F according to the operation of the lever 13A, and the catcher 42 moves horizontally together with the catcher lifting mechanism 414. (Step S12). Next, when the operation button 13B is pressed (step S13), the lift motor 418 is driven and the catcher 42 is lowered as shown in FIG. 13 (step S14). At this time, the arm 421 is in an open state, and the opening / closing direction of the arm 421 is substantially parallel to the rotation direction of the rotary table 43 in plan view. If the input operation by the lever 13A is not performed after a predetermined time has elapsed from the standby state of the lever 13A operation, it is determined that a time-out has occurred and the operation proceeds to the lowering operation of the catcher 42 in step S14.

  Next, when the catcher 42 (arm 421) lands (abuts) on the rotary table 43, as described above with reference to FIG. 4B, no tension is applied to the wire 415, and a detection signal from the tension detection sensor 419B. Is turned on (step S15), the drive of the lift motor 418 is immediately stopped and the lowering operation of the catcher 42 is stopped (step S16). Thereafter, the elevating motor 418 is quickly driven in reverse to raise the catcher 42 (step S17). Next, when the catcher 42 moves away from the rotary table 43, the wire 415 is tensioned and the detection signal from the tension detection sensor 419B is turned off (step S18). When the CPU 82 receives this OFF detection signal, after a predetermined time has elapsed (for example, 100 msec, step 19), the raising / lowering motor 418 is stopped and the raising operation of the catcher 42 is stopped (step S20). At this time, there is a predetermined gap between the rotary table 43 and the tip of the arm 421 so that the arm 421 and the rotary table 43 do not come into contact with each other due to the opening / closing operation of the arm 421 (the arm 421 is illustrated in FIG. ). In step S19, the time for which the lifting / lowering motor 418 is driven in reverse is set based on the rotational speed of the lifting / lowering motor 418 and the like so as to secure the predetermined gap.

  Next, by driving the catcher motor 422, the arm 421 is rotated in the closing direction as shown in FIG. 14, and the holding operation of the ball b1 is performed (step S21). Here, if the ball b1 is located between the arms 421, the ball b1 can be scooped up. In the present embodiment, as described above, the opening / closing direction of the arm 421 is substantially parallel to the rotation direction of the rotary table 43, and the movement of the ball b1 is regulated by the dimple 43b. Can be grabbed. When the arm 421 rotates to the closed state, it is detected by the cam sensors 425 and 426, and the rotation operation of the arm 421 stops. In this embodiment, the arm 421 is configured to scoop the ball b1, but may be configured to sandwich the ball b1 instead.

  Next, the lift motor 418 is driven to raise the catcher 42 to the upper limit position, and then the rotation motor 411B and the Y-axis motor 411F are driven to horizontally move the catcher 42 to the open position (just above the tray 51a) ( Step S22). When the catcher 42 reaches the open position, the rotation motor 411B and the Y-axis motor 411F are stopped, and the arm 421 is opened by driving the catcher motor 422 (step S23). Next, the catcher 42 is moved to the standby position (step S24). When the catcher 42 returns to the standby position, the lottery game by the catcher lottery device 4 is completed, and then the standby state is entered until the right for the lottery of the catcher lottery device 4 is generated.

  In the operation during the lottery game in the catcher lottery apparatus 4 of this embodiment, when the catcher 42 is lowered and reaches the rotary table 43, the catcher 42 is once raised by a predetermined amount, and then the arm 421 is closed in the closing direction. The ball b1 is held to move. As described above, a predetermined gap is secured between the arm 421 and the rotary table 43 when the ball b1 is held. For this reason, during the operation of closing the arm 421, the arm 421 rotates smoothly without being caught by the rotary table 43. Therefore, there is no inconvenience that the rotary table 43 is damaged by the arm 421 or the ball b1 that was about to be grabbed is blown off by the arm 421. This also contributes to enhancing the durability of the medal game machine A provided with the catcher lottery device 4.

  In the present embodiment, the rotary table 43 on which the ball b1 is placed is rotated around the vertical axis v1, but the holding operation is performed with the arm 421 away from the rotary table 43 as described above. Accordingly, during the operation of closing the arm 421, the arm 421 is not caught by the rotary table 43 and dragged, and no extra load is applied to the telescopic shaft 417 or the like.

  In the present embodiment, the contact of the catcher 42 with the rotary table 43 is detected by a tension detection sensor 419B provided inside the frame body 414A of the catcher lifting mechanism 414. As described above, according to the configuration including the tension detection sensor 419B, it is possible to detect that the catcher 42 (arm 421) is in contact with the rotary table 43 with a relatively simple structure.

  Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The specific configuration of each part of the game medium holding device according to the present invention can be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

  As the operation procedure of the catcher, after detecting that the catcher has come into contact with the mounting member, the catcher is temporarily raised by a predetermined amount, and then the arm is closed (holding operation). The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. In the above embodiment, after detecting the contact of the catcher with the mounting member, the raising operation is continued for a predetermined time after the detection signal from the tension detection sensor is turned off during the raising operation of the catcher, and then the arm is closed. However, instead of this, for example, after detecting the contact of the catcher to the mounting member, the catcher is raised for a predetermined time, and after confirming that the detection signal by the tension detection sensor is off, It is good also as a structure which closes an arm.

  The detection means for detecting that the catcher is in contact with the mounting member is not limited to the wire tension detection sensor formed of the photosensor as in the above-described embodiment, and may be configured using, for example, a microswitch. When a micro switch is used, for example, the micro switch can be provided inside the catcher, and the micro switch can be used to detect that the arm is in contact with the mounting member.

  In the above embodiment, the opening / closing direction of the arm is substantially parallel to the rotation direction of the mounting member, but the present invention is not limited to this. The arm may be opened and closed in any direction with respect to the rotation direction of the mounting member.

  The catcher of the present invention is not limited to a configuration having a plurality of arms, and may have a configuration having a single arm (shovel member), for example. The single arm is rotated around the horizontal axis at the base end, for example.

  The game medium referred to in the present invention is not limited to a spherical ball, and a non-spherical object such as a polyhedron other than a ball or an egg shape can be used.

  In the above embodiment, a case where the game medium holding device is applied to a medal game machine is described as an example, and the configuration in which the ball b1 as a game medium is circulated and used in the medal game machine A has been described. The medium holding device can also be applied to a so-called prize acquisition game machine using a prize such as a stuffed toy as a play medium.

It is the whole external view of one embodiment of a medal game machine provided with the game media holding device concerning the present invention. It is a schematic front view which shows the structural example of the medal game field of the medal game machine shown in FIG. It is a principal part perspective view of the medal game machine shown in FIG. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of a catcher raising / lowering mechanism, (a) represents the state where a detection means is OFF, (b) represents the state where a detection means is ON. It is a principal part front view showing the internal structure of a catcher and showing the state where the arm closed. It is a principal part front view showing the internal structure of a catcher and showing the state where the arm opened. FIG. 6 is a right side view of FIG. 5. It is principal part sectional drawing of a turntable. It is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the support structure of a mounting member. It is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view for demonstrating the structure of a lift mechanism. It is a block diagram of the operation control apparatus which performs operation control of a medal game machine. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure by a game media holding | maintenance apparatus. It is a principal part front view for demonstrating operation | movement of a catcher. It is a principal part front view for demonstrating operation | movement of a catcher.

Explanation of symbols

A medal game machine b1 ball (play media)
m Medal MF Medal game field v1 Vertical axis 2 Image display device 3 Pusher field 4 Catcher lottery device (game media holding device)
41 Catcher driving part (moving means)
42 catcher 43 rotary table (mounting member)
43b Dimple (recess)
43c Standing wall 414 Catcher raising / lowering mechanism 415 Wire 416 Wire winding reel (winding part)
418 Lifting motor 419B Tension detection sensor 421 Arm

Claims (8)

A mounting member for mounting a play medium;
A catcher having an arm rotatable around a horizontal axis, and performing a holding operation of rotating the arm from an open state to a closed state;
Moving means for moving the catcher up and down or horizontally in a predetermined space on the mounting member;
Control means for controlling the operation of the catcher and the moving means;
A game medium holding device comprising: detecting means for detecting that the catcher is in contact with the placement member or the game medium;
In response to a predetermined holding operation command, the control means lowers the catcher with the arm in an open state, and raises the catcher to increase a predetermined amount based on a detection signal detected by the detection means. A game medium holding device that controls the catcher and the moving means so as to sequentially execute an operation and the holding operation for rotating the arm to a closed state.   The game medium holding device according to claim 1, wherein the mounting member has a substantially horizontal plane as a whole and is rotated about a predetermined vertical axis.   The game medium holding device according to claim 2, wherein the arm is opened / closed and rotated substantially in parallel with the rotation direction of the mounting member.   4. The game medium holding device according to claim 1, wherein the game medium is made of a rolling element.   The game medium holding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a plurality of recesses for restricting movement of the game medium are provided on an upper surface of the placement member. The moving means is located immediately above the catcher and has a catcher lifting mechanism for moving the catcher up and down,
The catcher elevating mechanism includes a winding part for winding a wire on which the catcher is suspended, and an elevating motor for raising and lowering the catcher by rotating the winding part.
The detection means includes a tension detection sensor that detects a change in tension generated in the wire,
The control means stops the lowering operation of the catcher due to rotation of the lifting motor when the tension detection sensor detects that the tension has changed, and performs the lifting operation by reversing the lifting motor. The game medium holding device according to claim 1, configured as described above.   A prize acquisition game machine comprising the game medium holding device according to claim 1.   A medal game machine comprising the game medium holding device according to claim 1.

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