JP2013212367A - Game ball polishing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a game ball polishing device capable of preventing a polishing material from being rolled up by a ball conveyed in a polishing area.SOLUTION: A game ball polishing device includes: a polishing material moving means for moving an endless belt-like polishing material in a predetermined polishing area in one longitudinal direction of the polishing material; and a ball conveying means for conveying a ball flowing in out of an ball entrance in a diagonal reverse direction or a diagonal forward direction to the moving direction of the polishing material in a range avoiding both ends in the width direction of the polishing material in the polishing area, polishing the ball by contact with the polishing material during the conveyance, and ejecting the ball from a ball outlet 132.

Description

  The present invention relates to a game ball polishing apparatus used in a gaming machine.

  In recent years, a game ball circulation path of a gaming machine is sealed from the outside of the gaming machine, and a game can be performed without causing the player to touch the ball. And the number of prize balls acquired) is displayed at a predetermined position and subtracted from the number of prize balls obtained each time the ball is fired. Various non-open gaming machines that record and acquire the number of acquisitions on a recording medium are known (Patent Documents 1 to 4).

  Even in non-open type gaming machines, although not as in the case of open type gaming machines, dirt may adhere to the balls due to static electricity, etc., so a ball polishing device for removing dirt and giving gloss to the balls is necessary. is there. Patent Document 1 discloses a non-open type gaming machine provided with a relatively small ball polishing device that polishes a ball in a ball circulation path in the gaming machine.

Utility Model Registration No. 2516345 Japanese Patent No. 2799612 JP-A-5-177050 Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-53188

  However, in the ball polishing apparatus described in Patent Literature 1, a pair of rod-shaped ball passage forming members are parallel to the ball circulation path for collecting the balls launched on the game board surface of the gaming machine with an interval smaller than the diameter of the balls. A screw conveyor having an axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the ball path formed by the ball path forming member is provided so that its head faces the ball path, and the screw conveyor is driven to rotate in a predetermined direction. And a polishing means comprising an abrasive fixed to the mounting plate on the upper side of the sphere passage so as to face the sphere passage, and an elastic member that urges the abrasive toward the sphere passage. The sphere that has entered from the sphere entrance at one end is transferred through the sphere passage by the screw conveyor, and the sphere is polished by the polishing means until it exits from the sphere exit at the other end of the sphere passage.

  Therefore, the abrasive is fixed to the mounting plate, and the mounting plate is fixed to the game machine main body by fixing means such as a screw. With this structure, the effective period of the abrasive is short, and it is not possible to check the degree of contamination of the abrasive during business hall operations. There was a problem that it took a lot of labor and cost to exchange means.

  The present invention has been made in view of this point, and the problem to be solved is to provide a spherical polishing apparatus that can extend the effective period of the abrasive and can easily replace the polishing means. It is in.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a ball polishing apparatus according to the present invention flows from a ball inlet and an abrasive material moving means for moving a long endless belt-shaped abrasive material in one longitudinal direction of the abrasive material in a predetermined polishing region. The sphere is conveyed in an obliquely reverse direction or obliquely forward direction with respect to the direction of movement of the abrasive within a range avoiding both ends in the width direction of the abrasive in the polishing region, and the sphere is brought into contact with the abrasive and polished between them. And a ball conveying means for discharging from the outlet.

  A ball polishing apparatus that realizes the above invention includes (A) a ball transport unit and an abrasive cassette that is detachably attached to the ball transport unit, and (B) the ball transport unit includes an abrasive material cassette. A box-shaped housing having a spherical cassette housing space for housing and a sphere inlet and a sphere outlet opening to the outside; and a sphere conveying means provided in the housing, and (C) a sphere conveying means Is provided in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the screw conveyor, and a spherical passage extending in the axial direction between the screw conveyor and an I-type screw conveyor that is rotatably provided around an oblique axis in the housing, A conveying guide in which one end of the ball passage communicates with the ball inlet and the other end of the ball passage communicates with the ball outlet, and first driving means for rotating the screw conveyor in a predetermined direction (D) The abrasive material cassette is detachably fitted into the ball transport unit, and is stored in a meandering manner in the cassette body, and a part of the abrasive cassette is placed on one side of the cassette body. Between the abrasive outlet provided and the abrasive inlet provided on the other side, the endless belt-like abrasive exposed on the outer surface of the cassette body so as to be movable in the horizontal direction, and the vicinity of the abrasive inlet in the cassette body Provided with an abrasive feed means for drawing the abrasive exposed to the outside from the abrasive inlet into the cassette body, and (E) rotating the abrasive feed means in a predetermined direction to the ball transport unit or the abrasive cassette. And (F) when the cassette body is mounted on the ball transport unit, the ball path of the ball transport unit faces the abrasive exposed on the outer surface of the cassette body, and the ball path And abrasives (G) The sphere that has flowed in from the sphere entrance is conveyed by the screw conveyor toward the sphere exit, and the sphere is obliquely opposite to the moving direction of the abrasive in the polishing area. Alternatively, the rotation direction by the first driving means and the second driving means is set so as to be conveyed in an oblique forward direction.

  Further, the ball polishing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a polishing material moving means for moving a long endless belt-shaped polishing material in one direction in the longitudinal direction of the polishing material in a predetermined polishing region, and a sphere flowing in from the ball inlet in the polishing region. In the range avoiding both ends in the width direction of the abrasive, it is conveyed in the diagonally reverse direction and diagonally forward along the V shape with respect to the moving direction of the abrasive, and the sphere is brought into contact with the abrasive and polished between them. And a ball conveying means for discharging from the outlet.

  A ball polishing apparatus that realizes the above invention includes (A) a ball transfer unit and an abrasive cassette that is detachably attached to the ball transfer unit, and (B) the ball transfer unit includes an abrasive cassette. A box-shaped housing having an abrasive cassette housing space for housing a ball and having a sphere inlet and a sphere outlet opened to the outside, and a sphere conveying means provided in the housing, and (C) a sphere conveying means Is provided in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the screw conveyor, which is provided in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the screw conveyor, and is provided in a V shape between the screw conveyor A ball path that is continuous with the ball path, one end of the ball path is in communication with the ball inlet, the other end of the ball path is in communication with the ball outlet, and a screw conveyor in a predetermined direction. (D) The abrasive cassette is housed in a meandering manner within the cassette body, and the cassette body fitted into the abrasive cassette housing space of the ball transport unit. A long endless portion that is exposed on the outer surface of the cassette body so as to be movable in a horizontal direction between the abrasive outlet provided on one side of the cassette body and the abrasive inlet provided on the other side. (E) Sphere conveyance, having a belt-like abrasive and an abrasive feed means provided near the abrasive inlet in the cassette body and pulling the abrasive exposed on the outer surface from the abrasive inlet into the cassette body The unit or the abrasive cassette is provided with second drive means for rotating the abrasive feed means in a predetermined direction. (F) In a state where the cassette body is mounted on the ball transport unit, the spherical passage is the outer surface of the cassette body. A predetermined polishing region is formed between the ball passage and the abrasive so as to face the exposed abrasive, and (G) the sphere flowing in from the sphere inlet is conveyed by the screw conveyor toward the sphere outlet through the sphere passage. The rotation direction by the first driving means and the second driving means is set so that the sphere is conveyed in the diagonally reverse direction and the diagonally forward direction along the V shape with respect to the moving direction of the abrasive in the polishing region. It is characterized by that.

  It is preferable that a cushion material that is recessed by pressing a ball against the exposed abrasive material is provided on the outer surface of the cassette body of the abrasive material cassette.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the cushion material is comprised by the raising | fluff raising which stands up in the moving direction of an abrasive | polishing material diagonally on the surface of a flat base material.

  According to the present invention, a portion is exposed on the outer surface of the cassette body between the abrasive outlet provided on one side of the cassette body and the abrasive inlet provided on the other side, and moved in the horizontal direction. Since the abrasive cassette in which the endless strip-like abrasive material is stored in a meandering manner is used, the effective period of the abrasive material can be extended. In addition, the polishing means can be easily replaced. Further, the abrasive is moved in one direction in the longitudinal direction in the predetermined polishing area, and the sphere is in the reverse direction or in the diagonal order with respect to the moving direction of the abrasive in the range where the sphere avoids both ends in the width direction of the abrasive in the polishing area. Since the conveyed ball does not contact the edge of the abrasive and does not generate large friction with the abrasive, the edge of the abrasive is beaten or the width of the abrasive It is possible to prevent the twist from occurring at the intermediate position.

  In addition, the abrasive is moved in one direction in the longitudinal direction in the polishing region, and the sphere is inclined along the V shape with respect to the moving direction of the abrasive in a range avoiding both ends in the width direction of the abrasive in the polishing region. Since it is fed back and forward, the conveyed ball does not come into contact with the edge of the abrasive and there is no significant friction with the abrasive, so the edge of the abrasive is beaten or the width of the abrasive It is possible to prevent the twist from occurring at the intermediate position in the direction.

  When a cushion material that is recessed by pressing a ball against the exposed abrasive material is positioned on the outer surface of the cassette body of the abrasive cassette, the contact area between the ball and the abrasive material increases, so it is efficient at a short distance. Good ball polishing.

  In addition, if the cushion material is configured with raised hairs that stand obliquely in the direction of movement of the abrasive material on the surface of the flat base material, a small load is applied in the abrasive feed direction, and the abrasive material is fed. Since a large load is applied in the direction opposite to the direction, curling and twisting of the abrasive is further prevented.

It is a front view of an example of the game device which attached the ball polish device concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a perspective view which extracts the ball | bowl grinding | polishing apparatus of the game device of FIG. 1, and shows the front side. FIG. 3 is a front view of the ball polishing apparatus of FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a sphere conveyance unit in a state where an abrasive cassette is pulled out from the sphere polishing apparatus of FIG. 2. It is a front view of the ball conveyance unit of FIG. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views of the ball conveying unit, in which FIG. 5A is a view of the XX direction in FIG. 5 and FIG. 5B is a view of the YY direction in FIG. 3. It is drawing which shows the abrasives cassette of the state which removed the abrasives, (a) is the perspective view seen from the back side, (b) is a front view, (c) is a bottom view. It is a top view of the state which removed the upper box body of the abrasives cassette. It is a perspective view of the abrasive material cassette of FIG. It is a perspective view explaining the positional relationship of the conveyance path | route of a ball | bowl and abrasive | polishing material in the sphere grinding | polishing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the relationship between the conveyance direction of the sphere in the sphere grinding | polishing apparatus of FIG. 10, and the moving direction of an abrasive | polishing material. It is a perspective view similar to FIG. 10 which shows the ball | bowl grinding | polishing apparatus by other embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the relationship between the conveyance direction of a sphere in the sphere grinding | polishing apparatus of FIG. 12, and the moving direction of an abrasives. It is sectional drawing which shows the state by which the cushion material was provided in the front wall of the abrasive material cassette. It is sectional drawing which shows the other example of a cushion material. It is a figure which shows an example of a removal-type ball | bowl discharge | emission mechanism, (a) is before removal, (b) shows the state after removal. It is a figure which shows an example of a slide type ball | bowl discharge | emission mechanism, (a) is before a slide, (b) shows the state after a slide. It is a front view which shows roughly the non-opening type game machine which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the entrainment prevention means of an abrasives, (a) is the figure which extracted the abrasive material exit side part of the abrasive material cassette of FIG. 8, (b) is an enlarged view of the exit part inside (a). It is. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion on the abrasive inlet side of the abrasive cassette of FIG. 8. It is a perspective view which shows another example of the abrasive | polishing material feeding means of an abrasive material cassette, (a) is a disassembled perspective view of each component, (b) is a perspective view in the state which combined the component, (c) is grinding | polishing. It is a perspective view explaining the effect | action when feeding a material.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Recently, due to the complexity of the load of the ball polishing equipment and its supply control, and maintenance problems such as the trouble and cost of changing the abrasive material, the size of the amusement island has one or two or three game machines. A small gaming island has been developed that can successfully reuse a limited number of balls within that range. Here, the gaming machine is a pachinko machine that uses steel balls as balls.

  The first embodiment of the present invention is a case where one ball polishing apparatus is installed for one or two or three gaming machines. Of course, the ball polishing apparatus is a small-scale game island composed of one game machine or two game machines arranged side by side or back to back, or a normal-scale game island composed of several game machines. Any of the above can be used.

  FIG. 1 shows an example in which a ball polishing apparatus B according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided when a gaming apparatus A constituting a small game island is composed of two gaming machines 1A and 1B arranged side by side. .

  The ball polishing apparatus B is attached to the lower part of either one of the gaming machines 1A and 1B or the lower part of the boundary between both. The mounting position of the ball polishing apparatus B is not limited to the lower part of the gaming machine, but may be the upper part or the inside of the gaming machine.

  The two gaming machines 1A and 1B constituting the gaming apparatus A each have a glass door 2 and a front plate 3 that are pivotally supported on the main body on one side so as to be openable and closable. A board 4 is provided. The front plate 3 is provided with an operation unit 5 for inputting a ball launch command to a known ball launcher (not shown) and adjusting the ball launch speed.

  Each gaming machine 1A, 1B is provided with a ball lending machine 8 on one side. The ball lending machine 8 is well known and has a display lamp 8a, a bill slot 8b, a coin slot 8c, a coin return slot 8d, and a card slot 8e. The ball lending machine 8 is provided with a ball lending pipe 15 for supplying a ball to an adjacent gaming machine.

  In FIG. 1, 16 is an upper plate, 17 is a lower plate, 18 is a funnel, and 19 is a tray. Reference numeral 20 denotes a display unit for displaying the number of remaining balls and the number of winning balls provided on the game board 4. The position where the display unit 20 is provided is not limited to the game board 4 and may be an arbitrary position that is easy for the player to see. The upper plate 16 and the lower plate 17 can see through from the outside the sphere accommodated therein.

  In the gaming apparatus A of FIG. 1, the function of collecting the falling balls from the respective gaming machines 1A and 1B, the function of polishing the balls, and the function of supplying the balls to the gaming machines are completed in these two gaming machines. That is, the balls that have come off the game board 4 of each gaming machine 1A, 1B and entered the ball collection opening h1 and the winning opening h2 are received by the lowest funnel 18 of each gaming machine, and from the funnel 18 through the ball collection path 30. Then, after being temporarily stored in the lower tank 31, it flows into a sphere inlet 129, which will be described later, of the sphere polishing apparatus B, and the sphere conveyed and polished in the sphere polishing apparatus B as described later is stored in the sphere polishing apparatus B. The ball is discharged from a ball outlet 132, which will be described later, to the lower end of the ball lifting means 32, and is lifted to the upper tank 33 by the ball lifting means 32.

  The balls accommodated in the upper tank 33 are connected to the trays 19 of the respective gaming machines 1A and 1B via the first ball supply pipe 34 and to the upper end of the ball lending machine 8 via the second ball supply pipe 35. Each is supplied with a controlled quantity.

[Ball polishing equipment]
Next, the ball polishing apparatus B will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the sphere polishing apparatus B includes a sphere conveyance unit 100 and an abrasive material cassette 200.

[Ball transport unit]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the spherical transport unit 100 includes a box-shaped housing 110 that opens to the front side. In the housing 110, a ball conveying means 120 that is continuous from the lower part on one side to the upper part on the other side is provided. An abrasive material cassette housing space 111 in which the abrasive material cassette 200 can be fitted and fixed is formed on the front side (front side) of the ball conveying means 120.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the ball conveying means 120 includes, as main components, a conveying guide 121, a screw conveyor (hereinafter simply referred to as a conveyor) 122, and a first driving means that rotationally drives the conveyor in a predetermined direction. And a rotation detection sensor 124 for detecting the rotation of the conveyor 122.

  The conveyance guide 121 is formed of a vertically long member having a U-shaped or arcuate cross-sectional shape, and is fixed to the housing 110 in an obliquely continuous state from the lower part on one side to the upper part on the other side of the abrasive material cassette housing space 111. Further, the transport guide 121 has an opening continuous in the axial direction on the front side. The opening has a width slightly larger than the diameter of the sphere C, and as shown in FIG. 5, the mutually opposing end edges 121a and 121b forming the opening meander in parallel. The opening of the conveyance guide 121 may have a width slightly smaller than the diameter of the sphere C.

  The conveyor 122 is rotatably supported with bearings (not shown) attached to the left and right support members 112 fixed to the inner surface of the housing 110 so that the rotation shaft 122a is aligned with the center of the conveyance guide 121. The conveyance guide 121 concentrically surrounds the conveyor 122, and a spherical passage P that continuously snakes in the axial direction of the conveyor 122 is formed between the meandering edge of the opening of the conveyance guide 121 and the conveyor. Yes. The conveyor 122 has an outer diameter in which a spiral outer peripheral surface is close to the inner surface of the conveyance guide 121, and the interval between the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 122 a of the conveyor 122 and the inner surface of the conveyance guide 121 is larger than the diameter of the sphere C. The pitch of the screw is set slightly larger than the diameter of the sphere C.

  The motor 123 is mounted in a case 113 protruding on the right side in FIG. 4 on the back of the housing 110, and the conveyor force is transmitted through a plurality of gears 125a, 125b, and 125c in which the rotational force of the motor 123 serves both as deceleration and transmission. It is configured to be transmitted to 122.

  Mounted in the housing 110 is a motor 223 which is a second driving means for driving an abrasive moving means 207 of an abrasive cassette 200 described later. 225 in FIGS. 4 and 5 is a gear fixed to the rotating shaft of the motor 223. The motor 223 may be attached to the abrasive cassette 200.

  A lower end portion of the first communication path 128 is connected to one end side portion (the right end side portion in FIG. 5) of the transport guide 121. The upper end portion of the first communication path 128 is connected to a ball inlet 129 that is open to the outside on the upper wall of the housing 110. Thereby, the sphere C entering from the sphere inlet 129 flows down through the first communication path 128 and enters one end of the sphere passage P. As shown in FIG. 6 (a), the lower part of the first connecting path 128 is so arranged that the impact of the sphere falling on the vertical portion 128a at the upper part of the first connecting path 128 can be alleviated and smoothly entered into the ball path P. A rib 128b protruding inward is formed, and a lower portion 128c of the first connecting path 128 is slightly curved. Thereby, the sphere C falling to the first connection path 128 from the sphere inlet 129 is reliably guided to the spiral conveyance start position by the conveyance guide 121 and the conveyor 122.

  The upper end portion of the second communication path 130 is also connected to the other end portion (the left end portion in FIG. 5) of the transport guide 121. A lower end portion 131 of the second communication path 130 is bent toward the side wall of the housing 110, and a tip thereof is connected to a ball outlet 132 that is open to the outside on the side wall of the housing 110. Thereby, the sphere C passing through the sphere passage P is discharged from the sphere outlet 132 through the second communication path 130.

  A lower end portion of a sphere supply pipe 31a of the lower tank 31 of FIG. The ball outlet 132 is coupled to the ball lifting means 32 of the gaming apparatus A of FIG.

  The motor 123 and the gear trains 125a to 125c constitute driving means (first driving means) for rotating the conveyor 122 of the ball conveying means 120 in a predetermined direction. The conveyor 122 is rotated so that the balls are conveyed from the lower end portion to the upper end portion of the oblique ball passage P.

  Although not shown, the rotation detection sensor 124 includes, as an example, a known photoelectric sensor attached to the housing 110 and an encoder fixed to a lower extension portion of the rotation shaft of the conveyor 122. The rotation detection sensor 124 is used for operation confirmation. If necessary, the number of balls discharged from the ball outlet 132 can be counted based on the rotation angle of the conveyor 122. The ball number counting sensor for counting the number of balls may have another configuration or may be provided at another position. Further, the signal from the rotation detection sensor 124 is used for performing control for stopping the operation of the ball polishing apparatus.

  The ball transport unit 100 is housed in the gaming machine with the abrasive cassette housing space 111 of the housing 110 facing the front of the gaming machine, and is integrally formed at the four corners of the opening surface of the housing 110. In 133, it is detachably attached to a predetermined position by fixing means such as screws. Therefore, the ball polishing apparatus B can be easily attached to the gaming apparatus A. Note that the mounting direction of the ball transport unit 100 is arbitrarily determined based on restrictions due to the number and configuration of gaming machines.

[Abrasive cassette]
On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, the abrasive material cassette 200 has a cassette body 201 formed in a sealed, substantially horizontally long box shape, and has an endless belt shape in the abrasive material accommodation space 202 of the cassette body 201. Abrasive material 203 is accommodated in a meandering manner. The abrasive 203 is composed of an abrasive material that can be repeatedly deformed into an accordion shape again from an accordion shape to a flat shape, for example, a long strip-like polishing cloth.

  The abrasive 203 is a one end (right end in FIGS. 8 and 9) of the front wall of the cassette body 201 (the wall facing the abrasive cassette housing space 111 of the housing 110 of the ball transport unit 100) 204. The other end of the front wall 204 along the outer surface of the front wall 204 of the cassette body 201 (the left end in FIGS. 8 and 9). ) To cover the front wall 204 and is again drawn into the abrasive material receiving space 202 from the abrasive material inlet 206 formed of a vertical slit formed at the other end of the front wall 204. That is, the abrasive 203 is exposed to the front side of the cassette body 201 and is maintained in a vertically tensioned state by the front wall 204. A rectangular portion 203a having a certain area exposed on the front side of the cassette body 201 of the abrasive 203 provides a spherical polishing region PF as will be described later.

  In the abrasive material accommodation space 202, an abrasive material feeding means 207 for feeding the abrasive material 203 in a predetermined direction is provided inside the abrasive material inlet 206. The abrasive material feeding means 207 has two gear rollers 208 and 209 having the same gear pitch with the rotation axis perpendicular to the inside of the abrasive material inlet 206, one gear roller 208 at a fixed position, and the other gear roller 209 at one gear roller 208. In a state of being biased so as to be accessible, each of them is provided so as to be rotatable and meshed with each other, and the shaft 208a of one gear roller 208 extends downward through the bottom wall 210 of the cassette body 201, A gear 211 for receiving a rotational force from the outside is fixed to the extension portion. Then, the abrasive 203 is passed between the gear rollers 208 and 209, and is pressed between the gear rollers 208 and 209 by a force that does not cause permanent deformation of the abrasive 203 by the biased gear roller 209.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the cassette body 201 is divided into upper and lower boxes 201a and 201b at a substantially intermediate position in the height direction. In addition, the division | segmentation structure of a box is not necessarily equal, and the form of a container and a lid may be sufficient. 8 and 9 are diagrams showing the upper and lower boxes of FIG. 7 separated at the boundary surface, and the abrasive 203 and the gear rollers 208 and 209 being cut at the boundary surface. The upper and lower box bodies 201a and 201b are brought into contact with the peripheral edges of the opening surfaces and joined with screws 212 or the like at the tongue pieces formed at the four corners of the peripheral edges of both box bodies 201a and 201b. It is integrally formed. Since normal work can be replaced as a single body, maintenance is easy. Then, in the state divided into two, the abrasive 203 in the abrasive accommodating space 202 can be replaced. Therefore, the recyclability of the abrasive 203 and the abrasive cassette 201 is excellent.

  The abrasive cassette housing space 111 formed in the middle of the housing 110 of the ball transport unit 100 has a back shape substantially the same as the back shape of the cassette body 201 of the abrasive cassette 200. Therefore, the abrasive material cassette 200 can be closely fitted into the abrasive material cassette housing space 111 of the ball transport unit 100 as shown in FIGS. 10, 2, and 3. The housing 110 of the ball transport unit 100 is provided with known catch means 134 (see FIG. 4) for capturing and fixing the abrasive cassette 200 fitted in a predetermined position of the abrasive cassette housing space 111.

When the abrasive material cassette 200 is fitted and fixed in the abrasive material cassette housing space 111 of the sphere conveyance unit 100, the oblique sphere passage P formed by the conveyance guide 121 and the conveyor 122 of the sphere conveyance unit 100 becomes the abrasive material cassette 200. This is close to the abrasive 203 (203a) exposed outside the cassette body 201. In this case, the range in which the sphere passage P is close to the abrasive 203 is a polishing region PF in which the sphere conveyed through the sphere passage P is in contact with the abrasive 203. The polishing region PF is indicated by a chain line in FIG. In addition, it is an oblique band-like range near the diagonal of the rectangular portion 203a exposed to the outside of the cassette body of the abrasive 203, the upper end is located at a position lower than the upper side 203b of the rectangular portion 203a, and the lower end is a rectangular shape The dimensions of the rectangular portion 203a and the inclination angle of the spherical passage P are set so as to exist at a position higher than the lower side 203c of the portion 203a.
In this case, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, ribs 204 a and 204 b that slightly protrude in the front direction are provided at the upper and lower ends of the front wall 204 of the abrasive cassette 200, so that the vertical vibration of the abrasive 203 is increased. If it is prevented, the sphere is conveyed in a diagonally reverse direction or a diagonally forward direction in the polishing area in a range avoiding both ends of the abrasive in the width direction, so that the edge of the abrasive is beaten or the width of the abrasive is intermediate It is reliably prevented that twisting occurs at the position.
Further, when the ribs 204a and 204b are provided, foreign matter can be prevented from entering between the abrasive 203 and the front wall 204, so that the abrasive 203 is damaged or deformed by the foreign matter, and the abrasive outlet 205 or The abrasive 203 is not caught at the abrasive outlet 206.

  Further, when the abrasive cassette 200 is fitted into the abrasive cassette housing space 111 of the ball transport unit 100, the gear 211 of the abrasive moving means meshes with the gear 225 of the second drive means provided in the ball transport unit 100. .

[Operation and effects during operation]
Next, the operation during operation will be described. When the first driving means (123) and the second driving means (223) are operated, the conveyor 122 is rotated in a predetermined direction, and the ball of the housing 110 is shown as shown by thick lines in FIGS. The sphere that has flowed down from the inlet 129 to the starting end of the spherical passage P through the first communication path 128 is conveyed obliquely upward through the spherical passage P, and the abrasive 203 exposed to the outside of the abrasive cassette 200 is the spherical C. It is moved in the horizontal direction opposite to the conveying direction. That is, the abrasive is moved in the horizontal direction in the polishing region PF, whereas the sphere C is conveyed obliquely upward in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the abrasive in the polishing region PF, and the sphere C is in the meantime. Polished in contact with.

  An example of the conveying speed of the sphere is 88.0 m / sec. An example of the moving speed of the abrasive is 14.6 mm / sec. However, these are all changed according to required specifications and various conditions. It is desirable that it can be easily set.

  The sphere C conveyed to the end of the sphere passage P is discharged from the sphere outlet 132 to the outside of the sphere conveyance unit 100 through the second connection path 130.

  Since the sphere is conveyed obliquely upward in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the abrasive in the polishing region, the contact distance with the abrasive can be increased, and the polishing efficiency is improved. Further, since the spherical passage P is slightly meandered, the entire spherical surface of the sphere C is uniformly contacted with the abrasive 203, so that it is more efficiently polished. In addition, since the contact range of the sphere C with the abrasive 203 is limited to a range that avoids the upper and lower ends of the abrasive, the sphere does not particularly come into contact with the lower end of the abrasive. Furthermore, since the sphere is conveyed obliquely upward, the abrasive is also prevented from being twisted at the intermediate position in the width direction.

[Other embodiments]
In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the sphere is conveyed obliquely upward in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the abrasive, but as another embodiment, the sphere is polished. The material may be conveyed obliquely downward in the opposite direction to the moving direction of the material, or the sphere may be conveyed obliquely upward or obliquely downward in the forward direction with respect to the moving direction of the abrasive. . By adjusting the rotational speed of the conveyor 122 and / or the abrasive moving speed, the polishing effect of the sphere can be changed.

  Further, in order to achieve the object of preventing the abrasive from curling, in the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the contact range of the sphere with respect to the abrasive is oblique with respect to the moving direction of the abrasive. However, as another embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the contact range of the sphere C with the abrasive 203 is formed in a substantially V shape with respect to the moving direction of the abrasive 203. You can also. Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described.

  In this embodiment, the abrasive material cassette 200 is the same as that of the previous embodiment, but in the ball conveyance unit 100, the moving direction of the abrasive material 203 is between the first conveyance guide 121A and the first conveyor 122A. The first spherical passage PA in the diagonally opposite direction is formed, and the second spherical passage PB in the oblique forward direction with respect to the moving direction of the abrasive 203 is formed by the second conveyance guide 121B and the second conveyor 122B. The other end portion (downstream end portion) of the first ball passage PA and one end portion (upstream end portion) of the second ball passage PB are connected by the third communication path 135. Thus, the first spherical passage PA, the communication passage 135, and the second spherical passage PB form a spherical passage that is continuous in a rollover V shape.

  One end portion (upstream end portion) of the first spherical passage PA is communicated with a spherical inlet 129 that is opened on the upper surface of the housing 110 via the first connection path 128. Further, the other end portion (downstream end portion) of the second spherical passage PB communicates with a spherical outlet 132 opened on the side surface of the housing 110 via the second communication path 130.

  Gears 126 that mesh with each other are provided at adjacent ends of the first conveyor 122A and the second conveyor 122B, and a gear that is fixed to a motor (not shown) attached to the housing 110 is meshed with either of the gears 126. Has been. In FIG. 12, the gear on the housing 110 side that meshes with the gear 211 of the abrasive cassette 200, which is a part of the second drive means, is omitted.

  With this configuration, when this spherical polishing apparatus is operated with the abrasive cassette 200 fitted in the abrasive cassette housing space 111 of the spherical transport unit 100, as shown in FIG. While the abrasive 203 is moved in one horizontal direction (leftward in FIG. 13), the sphere flowing in from the sphere inlet 129 is the first sphere in the range excluding the upper and lower ends of the abrasive 203. After the passage PA is conveyed obliquely downward in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the abrasive 203, the second spherical passage PB is conveyed obliquely downward in the forward direction and the moving direction of the abrasive 203 via the third connecting path 135. And discharged to the ball outlet 132. In other words, the sphere is conveyed along a substantially roll-over V-shape, and is in contact with the abrasive 203 and polished during that time.

  According to this embodiment, in the same area as the exposed area of the abrasive in the previous embodiment, the length of the ball passage can be twice as long as the ball path in the previous embodiment. Therefore, it is possible to improve the sphere polishing effect. From another point of view, the length of the spherical passage is half and the same spherical polishing effect can be obtained.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the spherical passage is formed in a substantially roll-shaped V shape that opens in the direction of movement of the abrasive, and the sphere is conveyed obliquely downward in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the abrasive in the first spherical passage PA. In the second ball path PB, the abrasive material is conveyed obliquely downward in the forward direction with respect to the moving direction of the abrasive. However, the ball path is formed in a substantially rollover V shape that opens in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the abrasive material, The position of the ball outlet 132 is changed, and the first ball passage PA is conveyed obliquely downward in the forward direction and the moving direction of the abrasive, and the second ball passage PB is obliquely downward in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the abrasive. You may make it convey.

  In any case, since the sphere is conveyed obliquely downward in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the abrasive and in the forward direction in a range excluding the upper and lower ends of the abrasive, the sphere on which the upper and lower ends of the abrasive are conveyed. And the intermediate portion is not twisted, and the ball polishing efficiency is improved.

  In order to increase the length of the spherical passage, the spherical passage may be formed into a deformed Z shape or a W shape in addition to the above-mentioned rollover V shape.

  In the preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, the ball C conveyed by the conveyor 122 on the surface of the front wall 204 of the abrasive cassette 200 that supports the abrasive 203 is more appropriately than the force applied to the abrasive 203. A recessed cushioning material 213 is provided.

  By using such a cushioning material 213, the contact area of the ball to be conveyed with the abrasive 203 is widened by the depression of the cushioning material 213, so that a better polishing effect can be obtained.

  In a more preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15, the cushion material 213 is configured by arranging raised 213b standing obliquely in the moving direction of the abrasive 203 on the surface of a flat base material 213a. Since the raised 213b stands obliquely in the moving direction of the abrasive 203, it has a small load with respect to the feed direction of the abrasive 203 and a large load in the opposite direction, and therefore has an effect of preventing the abrasive 203 from curling. Play.

  In this case, the raised hair 213b is preferably made of an elastic material that satisfies the relationship of Y> X, where Y is the length of the raised hair 213b and X is the amount of sinking of the raised hair 213b due to the ball pressure.

[Still another embodiment]
(1) Prevention of entrainment of abrasive material at the abrasive material outlet of the abrasive material cassette The abrasive material 230 accommodated in the abrasive material cassette 200 is pulled out from the abrasive material outlet 205 of the cassette body 201, and the front wall of the cassette body 201 204 is stretched along the outer surface of 204, enters the abrasive cassette 200 again from the abrasive inlet 206 on the opposite side to the abrasive outlet 205 of the cassette body 201, is drawn by the abrasive feeding means 207, and has a bellows shape. In the preferred embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 19 (a), an abrasive accommodating space 202 is formed on the inner side of the abrasive outlet 205. Among the walls, the pair of walls on the abrasive outlet 205 side (terminal walls 2051, 2052) are inclined so that the tip side is tapered, and the tip is folded back in parallel with the abrasive containing space 202 direction, At the folded tip, FIG. 19 (b) Expanded as shown, circular rods 2051a, Yes and 2052a are formed, the pair of circular rods 2051a, during 2052a, are formed as it were inside the abrasive outlet 205 '.

  When the end walls 2051 and 2052 on the abrasive outlet 205 side are inclined so that the tip side is tapered, and the tip is folded back in parallel with the abrasive accommodating space 202, the abrasive in the abrasive accommodating space 202 It is possible to prevent the abrasive 203 from being caught when the 203 is pulled out to the abrasive outlet 205. Further, when the circular rods 2051a and 2052a are formed at the folded ends of the end walls 2051 and 205, and the inner abrasive outlet 205 ′ is formed between the pair of circular rods 2051a and 2052a, the abrasive 203 Entrainment at the time of drawing out can be better prevented.

(2) Prevention of uneven distribution of abrasives in the polishing region And the abrasive 203 drawn from the inner abrasive outlet 205 ′ to the end wall 2052 on the abrasive outlet 205 side is connected to the abrasive outlet 205 side of the cassette body 201. The tip of a biasing member 213 formed of a thin metal plate or synthetic resin plate that is fixed to the outer wall surface is pressed toward the end wall 2052. As a result, an appropriate tension is applied to the abrasive 203 stretched along the outer surface (polishing region) of the front wall 204 of the cassette body 201. Therefore, the abrasive 203a is prevented from being unevenly distributed due to the force when the conveyed ball C contacts the abrasive 203a in the polishing region.

  When the urging member 213 is conductive, it can function as a ground for removing static electricity that may occur due to other causes when the abrasive 203 is subjected to ball polishing. This contributes to improvement of the sphere polishing efficiency.

(3) Prevention of Entrainment of Abrasive Material at Abrasive Material Entrance of Abrasive Material Cassette FIG. 20 is an enlarged view of the left portion of FIG. In FIG. 20, 2010A is an abrasive guide for preventing the abrasive 203 drawn into the abrasive accommodating space 202 from being caught in the gear roller 208, and 2010B shows that the drawn abrasive 203 is caught in the gear roller 209. It is an abrasive guide for preventing. The screws are fixed to the bottom wall of the cassette body 201 by screws 2010a and 2010b, respectively.

  However, in the above-described embodiment, both of the abrasive guides 2010A and 2010B are slightly spaced outward from the outer peripheral surface of the gear rollers 208 and 209, and there are gaps 2011a and 2011b therebetween. There is a possibility that the wound abrasive 203 is caught in the gap 2011a.

  FIG. 20 shows an example in which such entrainment of the abrasive 203 drawn into the abrasive accommodating space 202 can be reliably prevented. The members corresponding to those in FIG. 20 are denoted by the same reference numerals. A pair of gear rollers 208 and 209 that sandwich the abrasive 203 by rotation and draw it into the abrasive accommodating space 202 of the abrasive cassette 201 from the abrasive inlet 126, and the teeth 208a and 209a on the outer periphery thereof are preferably at an equal distance in the axial direction. Are formed into slits 208b and 209b by notching in an annular shape at a plurality of equidistant positions.

  The abrasive guides 2010A and 2101B in the preferred embodiment have the same basic shape as that shown in FIG. 20, but are close to part of the outer peripheral surface of the gear rollers 208 and 209 of the abrasive guides 2010A and 2101B. The surfaces of the arc walls 2012a, 2012b facing the gear rollers 208, 209 are fitted into the slits 208b, 209b of the gear rollers 208, 209, and the gaps 2011a, 2011b between the gear rollers 208, 209 and the ends of the arc walls 2012a, 2012b are set to the gear rollers 208, 209. Gap closing members 2013a, 2013b that close at a plurality of positions in the axial direction of, for example, baffle pieces 1015a, 1015b having arc-shaped cutouts 1014a, 1014b for fitting the shafts 208c, 209c of the gear rollers 208, 209 are concave surfaces of the arc walls 2012a, 2012b. Projected to

  With the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 21B, the abrasive guides 2010A and 2101B are installed close to each other on the opposite sides of the gear rollers 208 and 209, and the gap closing members 2013a and 2013b of the abrasive guides 2010A and 2101B are installed. Is fitted into the slits 208b and 209b of the gear rollers 208 and 209, the gap 2011a between the gear roller 208 and the abrasive guide 2010A and the gap 2011b between the gear roller 209 and the abrasive guide 2101B on the abrasive accommodating space 202 side. The ends are closed by gap closing members 2013a and 2013b, respectively.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 21 (c), the abrasive 203 drawn into the abrasive accommodating space 202 by the two gear rollers 208, 209 is the gap 2011a between the gear roller 208 and the abrasive guide 2010A or between the gear roller 209 and the abrasive guide 2010B. It is surely prevented from being caught in the gap 2011b.

(4) Reduction of damage to abrasive material at the abrasive material inlet of the abrasive material cassette The width (height dimension) of the abrasive material 203 that is held by the length of the gear rollers 208 and 209 and drawn into the abrasive material accommodation space 202 of the abrasive material cassette 201 If the length of the abrasive is longer than), damage at both ends of the abrasive 203 sandwiched between the gear rollers 208 and 209 during feeding of the abrasive is large, and there is a risk of fraying. In order to prevent this, in the preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 21C, the length of the gear rollers 208 and 209 is slightly shorter than the width of the abrasive 203 so that both end portions of the abrasive 203 are gear rollers 208 and 209. It is made not to be caught in. Therefore, the life of the abrasive 203 is extended.

(5) Improvement of Sphere Conveyance Accuracy As shown in FIGS. 5 and 10, the conveyance guide 121 has an attachment plate 121 c for fixing it to the housing 110. The mounting plate 121c is provided with a plurality of ribs 121d, and the lower ends of the ribs 121d are fixed to the upper surface of the conveyance guide 121. By providing the rib 121d, the conveyance guide 121 is reinforced, and an unnecessary spread of the spherical passage P is prevented. In the illustrated example, the mounting plate 121c is provided on the upper portion of the transport guide 121, and the rib 121d is formed on the convex portion on the upper portion of the transport guide 121. However, the positions where the mounting plate 121c and the rib 121d are provided are not particularly limited. . Since the rib 121d prevents the ball passage P from being unnecessarily widened, the accuracy of ball transportation is improved, and if a player uses an illegal ball having a large diameter, the illegal ball reaches the game area. This can be prevented.

  The above first embodiment is an example in which a ball polishing apparatus is installed in the gaming machine of FIG. 1, but as a second embodiment, the ball polishing apparatus may be installed in a non-open type gaming machine. .

  In the non-open gaming machine, as illustrated in FIG. 18, one ball polishing apparatus B is installed for one gaming machine 1C, and a ball is pre-enclosed in the gaming machine. The ball guided to the predetermined launch position is launched toward the game area on the surface side of the game board, and the ball that has flowed down the game area is collected and led again to the predetermined launch position. A player launches a ball based on possession data that is a game value possessed by a player stored in a gaming machine or a ball lending machine provided for each gaming machine or a storage medium such as a member card or a visitor card. And play a game. The ball holding data for each gaming machine may be stored in a host computer that can communicate with the ball lending machine. In addition, when a player performs a ball lending operation using a ball lending machine attached to the gaming machine, the data on the number of balls lent according to the operation is added to the ball holding data. When the ball data is subtracted corresponding to the number of winning balls and winning is made in various winning holes, the number of winning balls is added to the number of balls held.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 18, the gaming machine 1C is launched into the game area of the game board 4 and comes off the ball that has flowed down the game area, through various winning ports such as the ball collecting port h1 or the winning port h2, The balls C collected in the ball collecting unit 31 (upper tank) provided on the back side of the game board 4 and the balls C collected in the ball collecting unit 31 are balls of the ball polishing apparatus B provided below the ball collecting unit 31. The sphere that has flowed into the inlet 129, conveyed and polished in the sphere polishing apparatus B, flows out from the sphere outlet 132 of the sphere polishing apparatus B, and is guided to a predetermined launch position 37 of the launch apparatus 36 by the sphere lifting means 32. It is configured. The launch position 37 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 18 and can be provided at any other position.

(6) Sphere Ejecting Mechanism of Sphere Polishing Device (Sphere Transport Unit 100) Before the sphere transported and polished in the sphere polishing device B is discharged from the sphere outlet 132, the sphere polishing device is not led to the launch position. It is preferable to provide a ball discharge mechanism for forcibly discharging the ball outside B. As examples of the ball discharge mechanism, there may be a “removal type” and a “slide type”. The purpose of forcibly discharging the sphere is to replace, repair, or inspect the sphere polishing apparatus B (sphere transport unit 100).

  16 and 17 show an example of the ball discharge mechanism. In either case, the attachment members 132A and 132B provided at the ball outlet 132 of the ball transport unit 100 are operated to connect the end of the ball passage P to the ball outlet 132 and to connect the end of the ball passage P in the ball discharge direction. It is.

  FIG. 16 shows a detachable type ball discharge mechanism. As shown in FIG. 16A, while the attachment member 132A is mounted at a predetermined position near the ball outlet 132 of the ball transport unit 100, the hole 132C formed immediately before the ball outlet 132 is closed, The end of the ball passage P communicates with the ball outlet 132. As shown in FIG. 16B, when the attachment member 132A is removed, the hole 132B is opened downward. Therefore, when the ball conveying means is operated in the state of FIG. 16B, the ball is discharged from the end of the ball passage P to the outside downward. 16A and 16B are fixing members for detachably fixing the attachment member 132A to the housing 110 of the ball transport unit 100.

  FIG. 17 shows a slide-type ball discharge mechanism. The attachment member 132B can be moved up and down by a pair of spaced apart and parallelly provided holders 132c on the lower side of the ball outlet 132, and can be fixed to both the raised position and the lowered position. . Also, the attachment member 132B has a discharge path 132d that opens to one side surface, then curves downward, and then opens downward, and when the attachment member 132B is lowered above the curved portion, the ball outlet It has a tapered fin 132e that forms the bottom surface of the passage 132 and has the curved surface of the discharge passage 132d.

  As shown in FIG. 17 (a), while the attachment member 132B is held in the lowered position, the end of the ball passage P is communicated with the ball outlet 132 by the fin 132e, but as shown in FIG. 17 (b). In addition, when the attachment member 132B is slid upward, the end of the ball passage P is opened downward via the discharge passage 132d. Accordingly, when the ball conveying means is operated in the state of FIG. 17B, the ball is discharged from the end of the ball passage P to the outside downward.

  When such a ball discharge mechanism is provided, in addition to replacement, repair, or inspection of the ball polishing device B (ball transfer unit 100), or when an error occurs in the ball transfer means due to the mixing of illegal balls. In order to discharge all the balls in the gaming machine, or when a tank is provided upstream of the ball inlet 129, only the balls in the ball transport unit 100 are closed after closing the ball outlet of the tank. Can be discharged.

(7) Countermeasures against illegality of the ball discharge mechanism An illegal sphere detecting means (not shown) for detecting an illegal sphere different from a regular sphere may be provided at a predetermined location of the ball passage P from the ball inlet 129 to the ball outlet 132. . Specifically, the illegal sphere detecting means is a material detecting means capable of discriminating a sphere made of a magnetic material (the material detecting means is based on the premise that a sphere made of a nonmagnetic material is a regular sphere. ), Or a different diameter sphere detecting means for detecting a small diameter sphere smaller than a regular sphere or a large diameter sphere larger than a regular sphere.

  When the illegal sphere detecting means detects an illegal sphere different from the regular sphere, the driving of the sphere polishing apparatus B is forcibly stopped (the motors 123 and 223 are stopped), and the illegal sphere passes through the sphere outlet 132 to a predetermined launch position. By preventing them from being guided, fraudulent acts by illegal spheres can be prevented in advance. In this case, the ball discharge mechanism is opened and all the balls enclosed in the gaming machine are discharged and replaced with regular balls.

  A ball inflow adjusting member 133 that restricts or allows the inflow of the sphere from the sphere collecting unit 31 to the sphere inlet 129 may be provided in front of the sphere inlet 129. The ball inflow adjusting member 133 may be, for example, a shutter that is coupled to a solenoid plunger and slides in accordance with ON / OFF of the solenoid to open and close the ball inlet 129. If the spheres are discharged from the sphere discharge mechanism in a state where the sphere inflow from the sphere collection unit 31 to the sphere inlet 129 is regulated by the sphere inflow adjusting member 133, only the spheres in the sphere polishing apparatus B are discharged. Since the time required for the forced discharge of the spheres from the sphere polishing apparatus B can be shortened, the replacement and maintenance work of the sphere polishing apparatus B (the sphere transport unit 100) can be started in a short time.

  The sphere inflow adjustment member 133 may be configured to regulate the inflow of the sphere from the sphere collection unit 31 to the sphere inlet 129 in conjunction with the forced discharge of the sphere by the sphere discharge mechanism. By doing in this way, the effort which operates the ball | bowl inflow adjustment member 133 can be saved, and only the ball | bowl in the ball grinding | polishing apparatus B can be discharged | emitted reliably. For example, when the “slide type” ball discharge mechanism is opened, the “slide type” ball inflow adjusting member is closed.

  In addition, the ball inflow adjusting member 133 may allow the inflow of the sphere from the sphere collection unit 31 to the sphere inlet 129 in conjunction with the forced discharge of the sphere by the sphere discharge mechanism. In this way, during the forced discharge of the ball, the inflow of the ball from the ball collection unit to the ball inlet 129 remains restricted, the ball is not guided to the launch position, and there is a situation that hinders the game. It can be prevented from occurring. For example, when the “slide type” ball discharge mechanism is closed, the “slide type” ball inflow adjusting member is opened.

  The technical items in the above paragraphs 0081 to 0091 can be applied to the gaming machine of FIG. In that case, in the sphere discharging mechanism, the sphere conveyed and polished in the sphere polishing apparatus B is not discharged from the sphere outlet 132 (without the sphere being guided to the sphere lifting means 32). It is forcibly discharged outside.

A gaming machine 1A, 1B gaming machine B ball polishing machine
100 ball transport unit
120 ball transport means
121 Transport guide
122 conveyor (screw conveyor)
P ball passage
121A 1st transport guide
121B Second transport guide
122A 1st conveyor
122B Second conveyor PA First ball path PB Second ball path
123 Motor (part of the first drive means)
128 First communication path,
129 ball entrance
130 Second connection
132 Ball exit
200 abrasive cassette
201 Cassette body
202 Abrasive storage space
203 abrasive
204 Front wall
205 Abrasive outlet
206 Abrasive inlet
207 Abrasive feed means
223 Motor (part of second drive means)

Claims (6)

  Abrasive material moving means for moving a long endless belt-shaped abrasive material in one longitudinal direction of the abrasive material in a predetermined polishing region, and a sphere flowing from a ball inlet at both ends in the width direction of the abrasive material in the polishing region In a range that is avoided, it is conveyed in an obliquely reverse direction or an obliquely forward direction with respect to the moving direction of the abrasive, and in the meantime, the sphere is brought into contact with the abrasive and polished, and a sphere conveying means for discharging from the sphere outlet A ball polishing apparatus comprising: (A) It consists of a ball transport unit and an abrasive cassette that is detachably attached to the ball transport unit,
(B) The ball transport unit is provided in a box-shaped housing having a polishing material cassette housing space for housing the polishing material cassette and having a ball inlet opening and a ball outlet opening to the outside, and the housing. A ball conveying means,
(C) The ball conveying means is provided in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the screw conveyor and an I-type screw conveyor provided in the housing so as to be rotatable around an oblique axis. A ball path extending in the direction is formed, one end of the ball path communicates with the ball inlet, the other end of the ball path communicates with the ball outlet, and the screw conveyor rotates in a predetermined direction. First driving means for causing
(D) The abrasive cassette is detachably fitted in the abrasive cassette housing space of the ball transport unit, and is accommodated in a serpentine form in the cassette body, and a part of the cassette is accommodated. A long endless strip-shaped abrasive that is exposed to be movable in the horizontal direction on the outer surface of the cassette body between an abrasive outlet provided on one side of the main body and an abrasive inlet provided on the other side; Abrasive material feeding means provided near the abrasive material inlet in the cassette body and pulling the abrasive material exposed outside to the cassette body from the abrasive material inlet,
(E) The ball transport unit or the abrasive material cassette is provided with second driving means for rotating the abrasive material feeding means in a predetermined direction,
(F) In a state where the cassette body is mounted on the ball transport unit, the ball path of the ball transport unit faces the abrasive exposed on the outer surface of the cassette body, and the ball path and the A polishing area is formed between the abrasive and
(G) A sphere flowing in from the sphere entrance is conveyed by the screw conveyor through a sphere passage toward a sphere exit, and the sphere is obliquely reverse or oblique to the abrasive moving direction in the polishing region. The ball polishing apparatus is characterized in that a rotation direction by the first driving means and the second driving means is set so as to be conveyed in a direction.   Abrasive material moving means for moving a long endless belt-shaped abrasive material in one longitudinal direction of the abrasive material in a predetermined polishing region, and a sphere flowing from a ball inlet at both ends in the width direction of the abrasive material in the polishing region In the avoidance range, it is transported in a diagonally reverse direction and a diagonally forward direction along the V shape with respect to the moving direction of the abrasive material, and the sphere is brought into contact with the abrasive material in the meantime to be polished and discharged from a sphere outlet. A ball polishing apparatus comprising a ball conveying means. (A) It consists of a ball transport unit and an abrasive cassette that is detachably attached to the ball transport unit,
(B) The ball transport unit is provided in a box-shaped housing having a polishing material cassette housing space for housing the polishing material cassette and having a ball inlet opening and a ball outlet opening to the outside, and the housing. A ball conveying means,
(C) The ball conveying means is provided in the vicinity of an outer periphery of the screw conveyor, a V-shaped screw conveyor provided rotatably around an axis disposed obliquely along the V-shape in the housing, A conveying guide that forms a V-shaped continuous spherical passage with the screw conveyor, one end of the spherical passage communicates with the spherical inlet, and the other end of the spherical passage communicates with the spherical outlet. The first conveyor means for rotating the screw conveyor in a predetermined direction, and (D) the abrasive material cassette is a cassette main body fitted into the abrasive material cassette housing space of the ball transport unit; The cassette body is accommodated in a meandering manner, and a portion of the cassette body is between the abrasive outlet provided on one side of the cassette body and the abrasive inlet provided on the other side. A long endless strip-shaped abrasive that is exposed on the side surface so as to be movable in the horizontal direction, and the abrasive that is provided in the vicinity of the abrasive inlet in the cassette body and is exposed to the outer surface from the abrasive inlet. Abrasive material feeding means to be pulled into the cassette body,
(E) The ball transport unit or the abrasive material cassette is provided with second driving means for rotating the abrasive material feeding means in a predetermined direction,
(F) In a state where the cassette main body is mounted on the spherical transport unit, the spherical passage faces the abrasive exposed on the outer surface of the cassette main body, and between the spherical passage and the abrasive. A predetermined polishing area is formed on
(G) The sphere that has flowed in from the sphere inlet is conveyed by the screw conveyor through the sphere passage toward the sphere outlet, and the sphere follows the V shape with respect to the moving direction of the abrasive in the polishing region. The rotation direction by the first driving means and the second driving means is set so as to be conveyed in the diagonally reverse direction and the diagonally forward direction,
A spherical polishing apparatus characterized by that.   The ball polishing apparatus according to claim 1 or 3, wherein a cushioning material is provided on the outer surface of the cassette body of the polishing material cassette so as to be recessed by pressing the ball against the exposed polishing material.   6. The ball polishing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the cushion material is configured such that raised hairs that stand obliquely in a moving direction of the abrasive are arranged on the surface of a flat base material.

Images