JP2012192066A - Shooting ball supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a shooting ball supply device preventing that a plurality of game balls pass a ball supply path or that a sprocket comes into a non-rotatable state by preventing that the sprocket rotates to a direction opposite to a direction allowing passage of a game ball.SOLUTION: The shooting ball supply device A shooting a game ball B by forward/backward movement of a spring part 23 includes: the sprocket 25 formed with a plurality of ball carriage recessed parts 28 on the periphery, and rotating by the weight of the game ball B to make the game ball B pass; and a stopper 30 alternately moving an upper engagement part 32 and a lower engagement part 33 forward/backward to the sprocket 25 by reciprocatingly rotating to engage them with projection curve parts 28a of the ball carriage recessed parts 28. The shooting ball supply device A also includes: an association mechanism 40 reciprocatingly rotating the stopper 30 in association with the forward/backward movement of the spring part 23; and a reverse rotation prevention mechanism 35 preventing that the sprocket 25 rotates to the other direction.

Description

  The present invention relates to a launching ball supply device used for supplying a game ball from a ball supply path in a pachinko machine to a launch position provided at a lower end of a launch rail.

  Conventionally, in the pachinko machine, the game ball in the supply tray provided at the lower surface of the pachinko machine is sent to the launch position provided at the lower end of the launch rail via the ball supply path and sent to the launch position. The game ball is struck by a projecting portion that advances and retreats with respect to the launch position by the operation of the drive portion, and is sent out from the launch rail to the game board. In this case, in order to prevent a plurality of game balls from being supplied to the launch position at a time, one game ball is fired through the ball supply path in response to one advance and retreat of the projecting unit. A launching ball supply device having a mechanism for supplying a position is used (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  In this launching ball supply device, sprockets in which concave portions capable of engaging with a single game ball and tooth portions are alternately formed on the outer peripheral edge are rotatably arranged facing the ball supply path. . Then, by rotating the sprocket according to the weight of the game balls located in the recesses, the game balls are passed one by one from the upstream side of the ball supply path to the launch position side. Further, in the vicinity of the sprocket, a stopper provided with an upper engaging portion and a lower engaging portion that can engage with the sprocket teeth is rotatably provided. This stopper is configured to reciprocate in conjunction with a bullet portion that moves forward and backward with respect to the firing position by driving a plunger type solenoid.

  Then, the stopper reciprocally rotates in conjunction with the advancement and retraction of the projecting part, so that the upper engaging part and the lower engaging part are alternately engaged with or disengaged from the sprocket teeth. Or At this time, after the engagement between the upper engagement portion and the tooth portion is released, the lower engagement portion and the tooth portion are engaged, and further, the engagement between the lower engagement portion and the tooth portion is released. The sprocket is rotated by the weight of the game ball until the upper engagement portion and the tooth portion are engaged, and one game ball is passed from the upstream side of the ball supply path to the firing position side.

JP 61-29375 A

  In the above-described conventional launch ball supply device including a sprocket and a stopper, in order to have a certain interval in the timing of supplying game balls, the upper engagement portion and the lower engagement portion are alternately arranged. The sprocket is configured to prevent the sprocket from rotating in the direction of passing the game ball. However, the sprocket can be rotated not only in the direction in which the game ball passes, but also in the opposite direction. When the sprocket reciprocates, the sprocket rattles due to vibration in the direction opposite to the direction in which the game ball passes. When it rotates, a plurality of game balls pass through the ball supply path, or the game balls are sandwiched between the sprocket teeth and the wall of the ball supply path, and the sprocket becomes non-rotatable. Sometimes. In addition, the sprocket rotated in the opposite direction may engage with the stopper to adversely affect the advancement and retraction of the projecting portion.

  The present invention has been made to address the above-described problems, and its purpose is to prevent a sprocket from rotating in a direction opposite to the direction in which a game ball is passed, thereby supplying a plurality of game balls to the ball. It is an object of the present invention to provide a launching ball supply device that can prevent passage of a road or a sprocket from becoming unrotatable. In the description of each constituent element of the present invention below, the reference numerals of corresponding portions of the embodiment are shown in parentheses in order to facilitate understanding of the present invention. The present invention should not be construed as being limited to the configurations of the corresponding portions indicated by the reference numerals of the forms.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, a structural feature of the launching ball supply device according to the present invention is that a game ball (B) is supplied to the launch position (16a) provided at the lower end of the launch rail (16). A supply path (17), a bullet portion (23) provided so as to be able to advance and retreat with respect to the launch position, and a game ball supplied to the launch position by advancing and retracting the bullet portion with respect to the launch position A ball striking device (20) provided with a drive unit (20a) for causing the ball to hit and a rotating body formed with a plurality of ball transport recesses (28) on the outer peripheral portion and facing the outer peripheral portion to the ball supply path The sprocket (25) that allows the game ball to pass from the upstream side of the ball supply path to the launch position side by rotating in one direction depending on the weight of the game ball entering the ball transport recess is installed so as to be capable of reciprocating rotation. The main body (31) and the upper and lower parts of the main body An upper engaging portion (32) and a lower engaging portion (33) projecting to the ket side are provided, and the upper engaging portion and the lower engaging portion are alternately advanced and retracted with respect to the sprocket by reciprocating rotation. By engaging with the edge (28a) of the ball conveyance recess, the rotation of the sprocket in one direction is stopped, and the engagement of the upper engagement portion and the lower engagement portion with the edge of the ball conveyance recess is performed. When switching, the stopper (30) that allows the sprocket to rotate in one direction, the interlocking means (40) that reciprocally rotates the stopper in conjunction with the advancement and retraction of the projecting portion, and the sprocket to rotate in the other direction And a reverse rotation preventing means (35) for preventing the rotation.

  In the launching ball supply device according to the present invention, a plurality of ball transport recesses are formed on the outer peripheral portion of the sprocket, and the stopper protrudes from the upper and lower parts of the main body and engages with the edge of the sprocket ball transport recess. An upper engaging portion and a lower engaging portion are provided. The sprocket is also provided with a reverse rotation preventing means for preventing the sprocket from rotating in the direction opposite to the rotation direction in order to pass the game ball from the upstream side of the ball supply path to the launch position side.

  For this reason, when the upper engagement portion stops the rotation of the sprocket in one direction, even if the sprocket tries to rotate in the other direction due to vibration or the like, the rotation in the other direction of the sprocket is prevented by the reverse rotation preventing means. Be blocked. Similarly, when the lower engagement part stops the rotation of the sprocket in one direction, even if the sprocket tries to rotate in the other direction due to vibration or the like, the reverse rotation prevention means will rotate the sprocket in the other direction. Is blocked. Further, even when the upper engaging portion and the lower engaging portion are not engaged with the sprocket, the reverse rotation preventing means prevents the sprocket from rotating in the other direction. This prevents a plurality of game balls from passing through the ball supply path and the game balls from being sandwiched between the sprocket teeth and the wall of the ball supply path to prevent the sprocket from rotating. it can.

  Further, in the present invention, the interlocking means reciprocally rotates the stopper in conjunction with the advancement and retraction of the projecting part, whereby the upper engaging part and the lower engaging part are alternately placed on the edge of the sprocket ball conveying recess. When the engagement of the upper engaging portion and the lower engaging portion with respect to the edge of the ball transport recess is switched, the sprocket is allowed to rotate in one direction due to the weight of the game ball. For this reason, the game balls are supplied to the launch position one by one with respect to one advance and retreat of the bullet emitting unit. In this case, when the projecting portion is in the standby position, the upper engaging portion engages with the edge of the ball transport recess on the upper side of the sprocket, and at this time, the game ball is held in the predetermined ball transport recess. The Next, while the projecting portion advances to the firing position and hits the game ball already supplied to the firing position, the engagement between the upper engaging portion and the edge of the ball transport recess is released, and the lower The mating portion engages with the edge of the ball transport recess on the lower side of the sprocket. During this time, the sprocket rotates in one direction to supply the game ball to the launch position.

  Further, when the impacting portion returns to the standby position, the engagement between the lower engaging portion and the edge of the ball conveying recess is released, and the upper engaging portion is again engaged with the edge of the upper ball conveying recess. At this time, the sprocket rotates in one direction to guide the next game ball into the ball transport recess. In this way, the operation of supplying the game ball to the launch position is performed at the same timing as the operation of the bullet emitting unit hitting the game ball. A rotary solenoid or a plunger type solenoid can be used as the drive unit. As the interlocking means, there is an interlocking mechanism that mechanically interlocks using a cam, a link, etc., and a separate solenoid that reciprocally rotates the stopper, and an interlocking that electrically interlocks the operation of this solenoid with the operation of the drive unit. A device or the like can be used.

  In addition, another structural feature of the launching ball supply device according to the present invention is that the reverse rotation preventing means includes a ratchet gear (36) provided coaxially with the sprocket and rotating integrally with the sprocket, and the sprocket. A rotation prevention unit (37) that allows the sprocket to rotate without engaging with the ratchet gear when rotating in the direction, and engages with the ratchet gear to stop the rotation of the sprocket when the sprocket tries to rotate in the other direction. It is in the configuration. According to the present invention, it is possible to reliably prevent the sprocket from rotating in the other direction with a relatively simple configuration.

  Further, another structural feature of the launching ball supply device according to the present invention is that the rotation preventing portion is supported so that the base portion (37a) is rotatable coaxially with the stopper, and the tip portion is a tooth portion of the ratchet gear. It is in the shape of a rod extending toward the top. According to the present invention, since the rotation preventing portion is provided coaxially with the stopper, it is not necessary to provide a space for installing the rotation preventing portion separately, and the apparatus can be prevented from being enlarged.

  In addition, another structural feature of the launching ball supply device according to the present invention is that the drive unit is constituted by a plunger-type solenoid that moves the plunger back and forth by the operation of the solenoid, and the interlocking means rotates about the shaft (41d). A solenoid lever (41) whose one end rotates as the plunger moves forward and backward across the shaft, and one end rotatably connected to the other end sandwiching the shaft of the solenoid lever and the other end opposite to the sprocket side of the stopper body The relay lever (42) is rotatably connected to the portion (41c). According to this, in the launching ball supply device using the plunger type solenoid as the drive unit, it is possible to prevent a plurality of game balls from passing through the ball supply path and the sprocket from becoming unable to rotate.

1 is a perspective view showing a launching ball supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the perspective view which removed the outer cover and showed the inside of the launching ball supply apparatus. It is the perspective view which removed the inner cover and showed the inside of the launching ball supply apparatus. It is the front view which removed the inner cover and showed the inside of the launching ball supply apparatus. It is the front view which removed the outer cover and showed the inside of the launching ball supply apparatus. The sprocket with which the ratchet gearwheel was attached is shown, (a) is a front view, (b) is a side view. It is the front view which showed the stopper with which the launching ball supply apparatus is provided. The pawl is shown, (a) is a front view and (b) is a bottom view. It is the front view which removed the inner cover and showed the inside of the ball supply apparatus for a launch when a bulleting part raises. It is the front view which removed the outer cover of the ball supply apparatus for a launch when a bulleting part raised, and showed the inside. It is the front view which removed the outer cover and showed the inside of the launching ball supply device when the game ball is supplied to the position of the sprocket. It is the front view which removed the outer cover of the launching ball supply apparatus after sending out the first game ball from the supply port, and showed the inside.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the appearance of a launching ball supply device A according to the embodiment, and FIGS. 2 and 3 show different parts inside the launching ball supply device A. FIG. This launching ball supply device A is incorporated in a lower part of a pachinko machine main body (not shown) via an installation case 10, and a game ball B (see FIG. 5) in a supply tray provided on the surface of the pachinko machine main body. 11 and FIG. 12) is supplied to a launch position 16a provided at the lower end of the launch rail 16 via a ball supply path 17 described later. The launching ball supply device A is interlocked with the installation case 10 to interlock the hitting device 20, the sprocket 25, the stopper 30, the reverse rotation prevention mechanism 35, and the elastic portion 23 and the stopper 30 provided in the hitting device 20. The mechanism 40 is installed and configured. Hereinafter, in this specification, left and right, front and rear, and up and down directions will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 3.

  The installation case 10 includes a base 11, an inner cover 12, and an outer cover 13. And the base 11 is comprised by the board | substrate 11a, the surrounding wall part 11b, and the attaching part 11c, as shown in FIG. The substrate 11a has an upper edge of the rectangular portion extending from the lower right to the upper left, an edge extending horizontally to the left from the upper end of the upper right edge of the rectangular portion, and an edge extending upward from the upper end of the lower left edge. The peripheral wall portion 11b is composed of a frame-like wall portion that protrudes forward from the peripheral edge portion excluding the horizontal portion at the top of the substrate 11a. The attachment portion 11c is located on the left side of the edge portion extending in the vertical direction of the upper portion of the substrate 11a and is formed in a substantially rectangular shape.

  In addition, a lower guide wall 14 extending obliquely from the upper end toward the lower side is formed at substantially the center in the width direction of the substrate 11a, and is parallel to the lower guide wall 14 with an interval at the upper right of the lower guide wall 14. An upper guide wall 15 is formed. A firing rail 16 is installed at the lower end of the lower guide wall 14. The firing rail 16 has a substantially M-shaped cross section, and a shallow groove having a V-shaped section along the longitudinal direction is formed on the upper surface. The firing rail 16 is fixed to the lower guide wall 14 with screws 14a.

  The upper guide wall 15 is formed with a space that allows the game ball B to pass between the lower guide wall 14 and the firing rail 16 with a margin, and protrudes toward the lower guide wall 14 at the lower end thereof. A ball stop portion 15a is provided. The ball stopping portion 15a is formed of a substantially L-shaped wall portion extending downward toward the lower guide wall 14 and then bent and extending rightward and coupled to the peripheral wall portion 11b. A notch 15b is provided at the front of the corner.

  That is, between the lower guide wall 14 and the firing rail 16 and the upper guide wall 15, a ball launch path through which the game ball B is launched toward the game board is configured, and the width of the lower end thereof is the ball stop portion 15a. Is narrowed by protruding toward the lower guide wall 14, and the game ball B cannot pass therethrough. In the present embodiment, a portion where the game ball B between the lower end side portion of the launch rail 16 and the ball stop portion 15a cannot pass is set as the launch position 16a.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the inner cover 12 includes an inner cover body 12 a and a peripheral wall portion 12 b, and is attached to a front portion of a rectangular portion that extends from the lower right to the upper left of the base 11. The inner cover body 12a includes a rectangular portion extending from the lower right to the upper left, a small triangular portion protruding from the upper left portion of the rectangular portion toward the lower left, and a vertically central portion on the right side of the rectangular portion from the upper right to the upper right. It consists of a protruding large triangular part.

  And the surrounding wall part 12b is comprised by the wall part with the short length of the front-back direction formed in the part except the part in which the ball supply path 17 was formed in the peripheral part of the inner cover main body 12a. Further, a substantially rectangular large hole 12c communicating with the inside of the base 11 is formed in the lower part of the inner cover body 12a, and a peripheral wall 12d having the same length in the front-rear direction as the peripheral wall 12b is formed on the peripheral edge thereof. Is formed. Furthermore, a vertically long oval small hole 12e is formed in the lower left of the hole 12c in the inner cover main body 12a (near the lower left corner of the inner cover main body 12a). Further, a cylindrical bearing portion 18a penetrating in the front-rear direction is formed between the hole portion 12c and the hole portion 12e in the lower portion of the inner cover body 12a, and is substantially in the vertical direction on the left edge side of the inner cover body 12a. A cylindrical spring support portion 19 is formed in the upper portion.

  The ball supply path 17 is formed from the supply tray of the pachinko machine main body to approximately the center of the inner cover 12, and the lower end thereof communicates with the launch position 16a. The ball supply path 17 is an outer cover that covers a part of the inner cover main body 12a, guide side walls 17a and 17b protruding forward from the front surface of the inner cover main body 12a, and front portions of the guide side walls 17a and 17b. It is formed between a part of the cover 13. The ball supply path 17 is provided in a large triangular portion provided in the inner cover 12, and is S-shaped after extending gently from the upper right side of the installation case 10 to the lower left side and extending to the center side. It bends gently and extends downward. And the supply port 17c which connects the bulb | ball supply path 17 to the discharge position 16a is opening in the part corresponding to the lower end of the bulb | ball supply path 17 in the inner cover main body 12a.

  The outer cover 13 is composed of an outer cover main body 13a and a peripheral wall portion 13b which are different in level, and is attached to the base 11 together with the inner cover 12 by screws 11d. The outer cover main body 13a has a shape in which the inner cover main body 12a is divided by a boundary extending upward from the lower end portion of the small triangular portion, and the left side portion thereof is positioned behind the other portions, The peripheral wall part 13b is comprised by the wall part formed toward the back in the part except the part in which the ball supply path 17 was formed in the peripheral part of the outer cover main body 13a. The outer cover 13 is disposed to face the guide side walls 17a and 17b, and is formed with a guide side wall that is longer in the front-rear direction than the guide side walls 17a and 17b.

  In addition, an opening having a length about twice as large as the diameter of the game ball B (a portion where the guide side wall is not formed) is formed in the S-shaped bent portion of the guide side wall of the outer cover 13 facing the guide side wall 17a. Is formed. A protrusion 17d that protrudes toward the inner side of the ball supply path 17 is formed at the right rear portion of the opening of the guide side wall 17b, and a portion of the guide side wall of the outer cover 13 that faces the protrusion 17d. Are also formed with the same shape. Further, a casing 13c made of an oval protrusion protruding forward is formed on the upper surface portion of the outer cover body 13a. A space for accommodating the reverse rotation preventing mechanism 35 is formed inside the casing 13c, and two bearing holes 13d and 13e penetrating in the front-rear direction are formed in the front wall.

  The ball striking device 20 includes a drive unit 20a composed of a plunger-type solenoid and a bullet unit 23. The drive unit 20a includes a rectangular solenoid body 21 that accommodates a cylindrical coil that is arranged in a state in which the axial direction is aligned with the direction in which the firing rail 16 extends, and a sleeve 22 that penetrates the solenoid body 21 in the axial direction. A plunger is disposed in the sleeve 22 so as to be movable in the axial direction. Push bars 23a (see FIG. 9) and 23b projecting from the sleeve 22 are provided on both sides in the axial direction of the plunger, and a striking portion 23c is attached to the tip of the push bar 23a located at the upper part. . In addition, a spring that biases the plunger in a direction in which the plunger is retracted with respect to the firing position 16a is provided in the sleeve 22.

  Note that the push bar 23a, 23b and the hitting portion 23c constitute a bulleting portion 23 according to the present invention. In the ball striking device 20, when the coil included in the solenoid body 21 is not energized, the plunger is urged to the standby side below by the urging force of the spring, and when the coil is energized, the plunger is attracted. Then, the push bars 23a, 23b and the striking portion 23c move to the firing position 16a side together with the plunger. The solenoid body 21 is installed on the upper surface of a substantially square plate-like mounting base 21a, and the ball striking device 20 is incorporated in the base 11 by fixing the mounting base 21a to the substrate 11a with screws 21b. The front portion of the solenoid main body 21 protrudes forward of the inner cover 12 through the hole 12c.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the sprocket 25 includes a shaft portion 26 and a tooth portion forming portion 27 formed on the outer periphery of the shaft portion 26. The shaft portion 26 is formed in a stepped cylindrical shape with the outer front having a large diameter and the rear portion having a small diameter, and the tooth portion forming portion 27 has five identical spherical conveying recesses 28 on the outer peripheral edge of the ring-shaped plate. Are formed in a shape formed at regular intervals. Then, five identical tooth portions 27a arranged at regular intervals are formed by protrusions positioned between the respective ball conveyance recesses 28. The edge part of each ball | bowl conveyance recessed part 28 is formed in the substantially L shape where one side is extended to radial direction and the other is extended in the direction orthogonal to one side. By providing the ball conveying recess 28, the sprocket 25 shown in FIG. 6A rotates slowly in the radial direction at the front edge in the rotational direction of each tooth portion 27a when the sprocket 25 rotates in the clockwise direction. A convex curve portion 28a is formed.

  Moreover, on the outer peripheral side of the edge portion on the rear side in the rotation direction of each tooth portion 27a when the sprocket 25 shown in FIG. 6A rotates in the clockwise direction, a short linear portion extending in the circumferential direction, A bent line portion 28b is formed which is composed of an inclined line portion that is shorter than the convex curve portion 28a that is bent from the straight portion and extends toward the inner peripheral side. A shaft hole 26 a is formed in the shaft portion 26. A ratchet gear 36 protruding forward is formed integrally with the sprocket 25 on the front surface of the shaft portion 26. The ratchet gear 36 is formed in a shape in which five identical engaging grooves 36a are formed at regular intervals on the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical body having a short axial direction.

  Then, five identical tooth portions 36b arranged at regular intervals are formed by protrusions positioned between the engagement grooves 36a. The edge of each engagement groove 36a has a shape opposite to the edge of the above-described spherical conveying recess 28, and the edge located in the front when the ratchet gear 36 rotates in the clockwise direction is in the radial direction. The edge part which is extended and located in the back of a rotation direction is formed in the substantially L shape extended in the direction orthogonal to radial direction. Further, the shaft hole 36c of the ratchet gear 36 is constituted by a hole portion having the same diameter as the shaft hole 26a and continuing. The ratchet gear 36 constitutes a reverse rotation prevention mechanism 35 with a pawl 37 described later. The sprocket 25 and the ratchet gear 36 are located between the inner cover 12 and the outer cover 13, and are formed in a bearing hole (not shown) formed in the inner cover 12 and a casing 13 c of the outer cover 13. The support shaft 26b spanned over the bearing hole 13d is installed in a rotatable state through the shaft holes 26a and 36c.

  The sprocket 25 is disposed in the opening of the guide side wall 17 a so that a part on the right side is located in the ball supply path 17. The distance between the sprocket 25 and the projection 17d of the guide side wall 17b is such that the game ball B passes when the sprocket 25 is rotated clockwise with the game ball B positioned in the ball transport recess 28. The length is set such that the game ball B cannot pass when the sprocket 25 is in a stopped state. Further, the sprocket 25 rotates in the clockwise direction by the weight of the game ball B when the game ball B flowing down from the upstream in the ball supply path 17 enters the ball transport recess 28 located on the right side. To do.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the stopper 30 includes a disk-shaped stopper body 31 and connecting pieces 31 a, 31 b, and 31 c that extend in different directions from the outer periphery of the stopper body 31. The upper engagement portion 32 is provided on the front end surface of the connection piece 31a, the lower engagement portion 33 is provided on the front end front surface of the connection piece 31b, and the connection shaft 34 is provided on the front end of the connection piece 31c. A shaft hole 31 d is formed at the center of the stopper body 31.

  The connecting piece 31a is formed in an elongated plate shape extending obliquely upward to the right from the upper right portion (upper right in the state of FIG. 7) of the outer periphery of the stopper main body 31, and the tip shape is an upper portion as viewed from the front. Is formed in a tapered shape in which the lower portion extends in a straight inclination. And the upper side engaging part 32 which protrudes ahead is formed in the front-end | tip front surface of the connection piece 31a. In the upper engaging portion 32, the length along the longitudinal direction of the connecting piece 31a is slightly longer than the length along the width direction of the connecting piece 31a, and the edge portion of the tip end portion 32a is connected to the connecting portion 31a. It has a shape along the tip of the piece 31a. The edge part of the rear end part 32b on the stopper main body 31 side of the upper engaging part 32 is formed in a V shape in which the center side in the width direction protrudes toward the stopper main body 31 side than both sides.

  The connecting piece 31b is formed in a long and narrow plate shape extending obliquely downward to the right from the lower right portion of the outer periphery of the stopper body 31, and the base end portion thereof is formed to have substantially the same width as the connecting piece 31a. The tip side portion is formed in a tapered shape as viewed from the front. The tapered shape of the tip side portion of the connecting piece 31b is such that the right edge is inclined with respect to the left edge so that the right edge of the connecting piece 31b goes to the tip side, and the left edge The tip part of the left side edge part is inclined with respect to the right side edge part so that the tip part of the part approaches the right side edge part as it goes to the tip side. And the lower side engaging part 33 which protrudes ahead is formed in the front surface of the connection piece 31b.

  The lower engaging portion 33 is formed on the front surface of the connecting piece 31b over substantially the entire portion excluding the base end side portion of the connecting piece 31b. The distal end portion 33a of the lower engagement portion 33 is formed by a top portion where a gentle slope portion on the right side and a sharp slope portion on the left side intersect. Moreover, the edge part of the rear-end part 33b by the side of the stopper main body 31 of the lower side engaging part 33 is formed in the semicircle which protrudes in the stopper main body 31 side in the state seen from the front. The length between the distal end portion 33 a of the lower engagement portion 33 and the central portion of the stopper main body 31 is between the V-shaped top portion of the rear end portion 32 b of the upper engagement portion 32 and the central portion of the stopper main body 31. It is set to the same length.

  The connecting piece 31c is formed in a large plate shape extending from the lower left portion of the outer periphery of the stopper main body 31 toward the diagonally lower left, and the tip shape thereof is formed in a semicircular shape when viewed from the front. . A small-diameter columnar connecting shaft 34 protruding forward is formed on the front end side of the connecting piece 31c. The stopper 30 configured as described above is located between the inner cover 12 and the outer cover 13, and is formed in a bearing hole (not shown) formed in the inner cover 12 and a casing 13 c of the outer cover 13. The support shaft 31e spanned over the bearing hole 13e is installed in a rotatable state through the shaft hole 31d.

  The stopper 30 is installed in the vicinity of the sprocket 25 with the stopper main body 31 and the connecting pieces 31a, 31b, 31c positioned behind the sprocket 25. And the position of the front-rear direction of the upper side engaging part 32 and the lower side engaging part 33 is made the same position as the sprocket 25, and the upper side engaging part 32 and the lower side engaging part 33 are the sprocket 25. It is installed so that it may be located in the outer peripheral side. The stopper 30 can be reciprocally rotated with the sprocket 25 sandwiched between the upper engaging portion 32 and the lower engaging portion 33, and the upper engaging portion 32 and the lower engaging portion 33 are alternately turned by the rotation. The sprocket 25 is installed so as to advance and retreat with respect to the inside of the ball conveyance recess 28.

  For this reason, when at least one of the upper engagement portion 32 and the lower engagement portion 33 is located outside the movable range of the sprocket 25, the sprocket 25 causes the tooth portion 27a to be moved to the upper engagement portion 32. And can be rotated through the position of the lower engaging portion 33. Further, a pawl 37 as a rotation preventing portion according to the present invention is installed at the front portion of the stopper 30 in the support shaft 31e. As shown in FIG. 8, the pawl 37 includes an annular rotation base 37a whose axis is directed in the front-rear direction, and a rod-shaped claw 37b that extends to the right from the outer periphery of the rotation base 37a. A shaft hole 37c is formed at the center of the rotation base 37a, and a triangular wall 37d is formed at the front of the portion from the lower part of the rotation base 37a to the center of the claw portion 37b in the left-right direction.

  The pawl 37 is rotatably attached to the support shaft 31e with the tip of the pawl portion 37b facing the ratchet gear 36. The tip of the claw portion 37b extends to a position where it can contact the engagement groove 36a of the ratchet gear 36, and is biased downward by its own weight. Therefore, the pawl portion 37b of the pawl 37 is located on the outer peripheral side of the ratchet gear 36 when the ratchet gear 36 rotates in the clockwise direction, and the engaging groove 36a when the ratchet gear 36 rotates in the counterclockwise direction. The rotation of the ratchet gear 36 is stopped. As described above, the pawl 37 and the ratchet gear 36 constitute the reverse rotation prevention mechanism 35 according to the present invention, and the reverse rotation prevention mechanism 35 is installed in the casing 13c. The claw portion 37b of the pawl 37 is restricted from moving upward at the upper part of the peripheral wall of the casing 13c, and can only move upward slightly from the state where the engagement with the ratchet gear 36 is released.

  The stopper 30 is arranged so as to be interlocked with the push bar 23 b of the hitting device 20 via the interlocking mechanism 40, and rotates in conjunction with the operation of the hitting device 20. The interlocking mechanism 40 includes a solenoid lever 41 and a relay lever 42. The solenoid lever 41 is formed with a plate-like action piece 41b extending rightward and downward at the right end of a rhombus portion 41a that is elongated to the left and right when viewed from the front, and a connecting shaft portion 41c protruding forward at the front end of the left end. A shaft portion 41d that protrudes forward and backward is formed at the center in the left-right direction of the portion 41a and at the upper side portion. Further, on the rear surface of the rhombus portion 41a, a cylindrical convex portion 18 is formed coaxially with the shaft portion 41d and integrally with the rhombus portion 41a. The convex portions 18 are provided to prevent the distance between the diamond-shaped portion 41a and the substrate 11a from becoming a predetermined value or less.

  The solenoid lever 41 is rotatably supported by inserting the shaft portion 41d into the bearing portion 18a of the inner cover body 12a. The action piece 41b is located on the lower end side of the push bar 23b, and when the push bar 23b moves downward, the solenoid lever 41 rotates in the clockwise direction. The rhombus 41a and the action piece 41b of the solenoid lever 41 are disposed in the base 11, but the connecting shaft portion 41c projects through the hole 12e of the inner cover body 12a and protrudes to the front side of the inner cover body 12a. ing. The connecting shaft portion 41c is composed of a stepped shaft portion having a large rear portion and a small front portion.

  The relay lever 42 is formed by a long rod, and connecting cylinder portions 42a and 42b having a short axial length are formed at the lower end and the upper end, respectively, and the upper portion of the left edge portion is formed at the upper portion of the left edge portion. A hook 42c that is bent from the left side and extends upward is formed. And the small diameter part of the front part of the connection shaft part 41c is rotatably inserted in the connection cylinder part 42a, and the connection shaft 34 of the stopper 30 is rotatably inserted in the connection cylinder part 42b. A spring 43 that urges the relay lever 42 downward is stretched between the hook 42c and the spring support portion 19 of the inner cover body 12a.

  Therefore, when the push bar 23b moves downward, the stopper 30 rotates in the clockwise direction to engage the upper engagement portion 32 with the sprocket 25 as shown in FIGS. When the spring 23b moves upward, the stopper 30 rotates counterclockwise by the biasing force of the spring 43, and the lower engagement portion 33 is engaged with the sprocket 25 as shown in FIGS. . Then, the engagement between the upper engagement portion 32 and the sprocket 25 is released, and the lower engagement portion 33 is engaged with the sprocket 25, and the lower engagement portion 33 and the sprocket 25 are engaged. The sprocket 25 is rotated in the clockwise direction by the weight of the game ball B until it is released and the upper engaging portion 32 is engaged with the sprocket 25.

  When using a pachinko machine equipped with a launching ball supply device A configured in this way, first, a predetermined amount of game balls B are placed in a ball tray. Thereby, the ball supply path 17 flows down in order from the game ball B that has entered the ball tray first. Then, as shown in FIG. 11, the leading game ball B travels between the ball transport recess 28 and the projection 17d located in the ball supply path 17 in the sprocket 25. In this case, the elastic portion 23 is lowered, the relay lever 42 is raised against the elasticity of the spring 43, the stopper 30 is rotated in the clockwise direction, and the upper engaging portion 32 is a tooth located on the upper portion of the sprocket 25. It is in the state engaged with the part 27a.

  Next, the ball striking device 20 is operated by rotating the operation unit (not shown). As a result, when the coil of the solenoid body 21 is energized and the plunger is sucked, the elastic portion 23 moves upward, from the state of FIGS. 3 and 4 to the state of FIG. It becomes a state. That is, FIG. 10 shows that when the elastic portion 23 is raised, the relay lever 42 is lowered by the elasticity of the spring 43, and the stopper 30 is rotated counterclockwise, so that the upper engaging portion 32 is positioned on the upper side. This shows a state in which the lower engaging portion 33 is about to engage with the tooth portion 27a located on the lower side away from the tip portion of the tooth portion 27a. 9 and 12 show a state in which the lower engagement portion 33 is engaged with the tooth portion 27a located on the lower side.

  During this time, the sprocket 25 rotates in the clockwise direction depending on the weight of the game ball B, and the first game ball B passes through the supply port 17c of the ball supply path 17 from the inside of the ball transport recess 28 to the launch position 16a. Head. In the state shown in FIG. 12, since the first game ball B has not yet reached the launch position 16a, the projecting unit 23 is in an idle state. When the energization to the coil of the solenoid main body 21 is stopped, the elastic portion 23 is lowered by the biasing force of the spring. Meanwhile, the first game ball B reaches the launch position 16a, and the next game ball B enters the ball transport recess 28. When the coil of the solenoid body 21 is energized again and the bullet portion 23 moves upward, the first game ball B is hit by the hit portion 23 c of the bullet portion 23.

  The hit game ball B passes through the launch rail 16 and the lower guide wall 14 and enters the game board provided on the surface of the pachinko machine body. In the meantime, the next game ball B reaches the launch position 16a, and the next game ball B enters the ball transport recess 28. By repeating such an operation, the game balls B are sent one by one from the supply tray to the ball supply path 17 and supplied to the launch position 16a through the sprocket 25 arranged in the ball supply path 17. Then, the game ball B that has reached the launch position 16 a is hit by the hitting portion 23 c of the bullet emitting portion 23. During this time, the sprocket 25 repeats a state in which the sprocket 25 rotates clockwise and a state in which the rotation is stopped by the upper engagement portion 32 or the lower engagement portion 33.

  Further, when the sprocket 25 rotates in the clockwise direction, the pawl 37 is in a state in which the tip of the pawl portion 37 b gets over the outer peripheral upper portion of the ratchet gear 36 without preventing the ratchet gear 36 from rotating. Then, when the sprocket 25 is about to rotate counterclockwise with a fly, such as when the game ball B is not in the ball transport recess 28 of the sprocket 25, the tip of the claw portion 37b is engaged with the engagement groove of the ratchet gear 36. Engage with 36a to stop the rotation of the ratchet gear 36 in the counterclockwise direction. For this reason, a plurality of game balls B pass through the sprocket 25 at once, or the game balls B are sandwiched between the tooth portions 27a of the sprocket 25 and the projections 17d of the ball supply path 17 so that the sprocket 25 cannot rotate. It is prevented that it will be in the state of.

  As described above, in the launch ball supply device A according to the present embodiment, the game ball B is positioned in the ball transport recess 28 and rotated in the clockwise direction by the weight of the game ball B. A sprocket 25 to be passed is installed with a part protruding into the ball supply path 17. Then, by reciprocatingly rotating in the vicinity of the sprocket 25, an upper engaging portion 32 that alternately engages with the convex curve portion 28a of the spherical conveying recess 28 of the sprocket 25 and stops the clockwise rotation of the sprocket 25; A stopper 30 having a lower engagement portion 33 is provided. For this reason, when the weight of the game ball B is added to the sprocket 25 when the engagement of the upper engagement portion 32 and the lower engagement portion 33 with the convex curve portion 28a of the ball conveyance recess 28 is switched, the sprocket 25 is Rotates and passes the game balls B one by one.

  Further, a reverse rotation prevention mechanism 35 is provided that is hung on the sprocket 25 and the stopper 30 to prevent the sprocket 25 from rotating counterclockwise. Therefore, when the weight of the game ball B is not applied to the sprocket 25, even if the sprocket 25 tries to rotate counterclockwise due to vibration or the like, the anti-reverse mechanism 35 causes the sprocket 25 to move counterclockwise. The rotation is restrained. As a result, a plurality of game balls B pass through the sprocket 25, or the game balls B are sandwiched between the tooth portions 27a of the sprocket 25 and the projections 17d of the ball supply path 17 so that the sprocket 25 cannot rotate. Further, it is possible to prevent the sprocket 25 and the stopper 30 from being entangled and locked.

  Further, since the reverse rotation preventing mechanism 35 is constituted by the ratchet gear 36 formed integrally with the sprocket 25 and the rod-shaped pawl 37 provided coaxially with the stopper 30, the structure can be made relatively simple. , Installation space will be small. Further, the interlocking mechanism 40 is connected to a solenoid lever 41 that rotates and moves according to the advancement and retraction of the projecting portion 23, a lower end rotatably connected to the left end of the solenoid lever 41, and an upper end rotatably connected to the connecting piece 31c of the stopper 30. Since the link mechanism includes the relay lever 42, the operation of the hitting device 20 and the operation of the stopper 30 can be linked with a simple configuration.

  Further, the launching ball supply device according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate. For example, in the above-described embodiment, a plunger solenoid is used as the ball striking device 20, but a rotary solenoid can be used instead. In this case, a rod-shaped launcher having a striking part provided on the surface facing the launching position at the tip is used as the projecting part. The interlocking mechanism is provided between the launcher and the stopper, and the biasing means for rotating the stopper so that the lower engagement portion approaches the sprocket, and the stopper resists the biasing force of the biasing means. Thus, it can be constituted by pressing means for causing the upper engaging portion to rotate so as to approach the sprocket by following the retraction of the launching rod from the launch position. Further, the reverse rotation prevention mechanism is constituted by a ratchet gear and a pawl as in the above-described embodiment, and can be installed over the sprocket and the stopper.

  In the above-described embodiment, the elastic portion 23 is retracted by the urging force of the spring built in the sleeve 22, but a magnet that attracts the elastic portion 23 downward may be used instead of the spring. Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the tip of the claw portion 37b is urged toward the ratchet gear 36 by its own weight, but a biasing member such as a spring that urges the tip of the claw portion 37b toward the ratchet gear 36 is used. May be. According to this, the engagement of the tip of the claw portion 37b with the engagement groove 36a becomes more reliable. Further, the pawl 37 may be attached to the inner cover 12 in a rotatable manner by providing a separate supporting shaft on the inner cover 12 instead of the supporting shaft 31e.

  In the above-described embodiment, the number of the tooth portions 36b of the ratchet gear 36 is five, which is the same as the number of the tooth portions 27a of the sprocket 25. However, the number of the tooth portions 36b is equal to or greater than the number of the tooth portions 27a. May be. According to this, it is possible to prevent the reverse rotation of the sprocket 25 in a smaller range. In addition, the number of the tooth parts 27a can also be plural other than five. In addition, the configuration of the other parts of the launching ball supply device according to the present invention can be implemented with appropriate modifications within the technical scope of the present invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 16 ... Launch rail, 16a ... Launch position, 17 ... Ball supply path, 20 ... Hitting device, 20a ... Drive part, 23 ... Bullet part, 25 ... Sprocket, 28 ... Ball conveyance recessed part, 28a ... Convex curve part, 30 ... Stopper 31, stopper body 32, upper engagement portion 33, lower engagement portion 35, anti-reverse mechanism 36, ratchet gear 36 b, tooth portion 37, pawl 37 a, rotation base 37 b Claw part, 40 ... interlocking mechanism, 41 ... solenoid lever, 42 ... relay lever, A ... launching ball supply device, B ... game ball.

Claims (4)

A ball supply path for supplying a game ball to a launch position provided at the lower end of the launch rail;
A bullet unit provided so as to be capable of advancing and retreating with respect to the launch position, and causing the bullet unit to strike a game ball supplied to the launch position by advancing and retracting the bullet unit with respect to the launch position. A ball striking device comprising a drive unit;
A plurality of ball transport recesses are formed on the outer periphery, and are composed of a rotating body arranged with the outer periphery facing the ball supply path, and are rotated in one direction by the weight of the game ball entering the ball transport recess. A sprocket that allows a game ball to pass from the upstream side of the ball supply path to the launch position side;
A main body installed so as to be capable of reciprocating rotation; and an upper engaging portion and a lower engaging portion that protrude from the upper and lower portions of the main body toward the sprocket side, respectively, By alternately advancing and retreating the lower engagement portion with respect to the sprocket and engaging with the edge of the ball transport recess, the rotation of the sprocket in one direction is stopped, and the upper engagement portion and the A stopper that allows the sprocket to rotate in one direction when the engagement of the lower engagement portion with the edge of the ball conveyance recess is switched;
Interlocking means for reciprocatingly rotating the stopper in conjunction with the advancement and retraction of the projecting part;
A launching ball supply device comprising: a reverse rotation preventing means for preventing the sprocket from rotating in the other direction.   The reverse rotation preventing means includes a ratchet gear that is provided coaxially with the sprocket and rotates integrally with the sprocket, and allows the sprocket to rotate without being engaged with the ratchet gear when the sprocket rotates in one direction. The launching ball supply device according to claim 1, further comprising: a rotation preventing unit that engages with the ratchet gear to stop the rotation of the sprocket when the sprocket tries to rotate in the other direction.   The launching ball supply device according to claim 2, wherein the rotation preventing portion is formed in a rod shape whose base portion is rotatably supported coaxially with the stopper and whose tip portion extends toward a tooth portion of the ratchet gear.   The drive unit is composed of a plunger-type solenoid that moves the plunger forward and backward by the operation of a solenoid, and the interlocking means can be rotated about an axis, and a solenoid lever that has one end rotating as the plunger advances and retracts across the axis, and one end 4. A relay lever that is rotatably connected to the other end of the solenoid bar with the other end being rotatably connected to a portion of the stopper main body opposite to the sprocket side. The launching ball supply device according to any one of the above.

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