JP2015123208A - Passage formation member and game machine island - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a passage formation member that can suppress a trouble caused by foreign matter that mingled in, and also provide a game machine island whose game ball feeding passage is composed of such a passage formation member.SOLUTION: A passage formation member 18 for recovering game balls to a prescribed position is provided, the member 18 having a structure composed of an upper passage formation member 27 and a lower passage formation member 28. Moreover, a filter part 30 for catching foreign matter that mingled in is provided to the upper passage formation member 27. Also, the filter part 30 can change its posture between a normal posture and an open posture in which the bottom part is opened wider than the normal posture. In this structure, when accumulated objects on the filter part 30 become more than a fixed amount, the filter part 30 changes to the open posture.

Description

  The present invention relates to a passage forming member for forming a transport path through which game balls are transported in a gaming machine island in which a plurality of ball game machines are formed in parallel. The present invention also relates to a gaming machine island provided with such a passage forming member.

  In game halls where pachinko machines (ball ball game machines) are installed, there are generally provided gaming machine islands in which a plurality of pachinko machines are formed in parallel. In this gaming machine island, a transport path for transporting game balls is provided inside, and the game balls are supplied to each pachinko machine, and the game balls discharged from each pachinko machine are supplied to a polishing device, a storage tank, etc. It is being transported.

  As such a gaming machine island, for example, a gaming machine island disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. In the gaming machine island disclosed in Patent Document 1, a circulation channel through which game balls circulate is formed inside, and this circulation channel extends through a storage tank. The game balls are supplied from the circulation passages to the respective pachinko machines, and the game balls discharged from the respective pachinko machines are caused to flow into the circulation passages.

JP 2006-6856 A

  Here, when a circulation channel is formed inside the gaming machine island, foreign matter such as dust may be mixed into the circulation channel.

More specifically, in amusement halls, in general, the pachinko machine on the gaming machine island is frequently replaced with a new one (so-called new stand replacement), the existing pachinko machine is replaced, etc. It is trying to acquire customers and keep existing customers.
However, in such operations, when the pachinko machine is attached to or detached from the gaming machine island, foreign matter such as nails, cigarette butts and garbage may be mixed inside the gaming machine island. In particular, such foreign matter is mixed in the flow path of the game ball located below the pachinko machine, that is, the transport path (hereinafter also referred to as the outrail) for transporting the game ball discharged from the pachinko machine. There were many cases.

  Then, foreign matters are mixed into the outrail, so that the foreign matters flow into the inside of the polishing device, the lifting device, etc. together with the game balls flowing through the outrail, causing a failure of these devices.

  Then, this invention makes it a subject to provide the channel | path formation member which can suppress the malfunction resulting from the foreign material mixed in the internal conveyance path in view of the problem of the above-mentioned prior art. It is another object of the present invention to provide a gaming machine island in which a game ball transport path is formed by such a passage forming member.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventor prototyped an outrail having a filter portion for removing foreign matter.
More specifically, in the prototyped outrail, a game ball transport path located on the upper stage side and a game ball transport path located on the lower stage side are provided, and the filter section is provided at the boundary between the two flow paths. Arranged. In the filter part, by providing a large number of through-holes slightly larger than the diameter of the game ball, the game ball that has flowed to the filter part passes through the through-hole and flows into the conveyance path located on the lower stage side.

  That is, in the prototyped outrail, the game ball that has flowed through the upstream conveyance path reaches the filter section, and flows into the lower-stage conveyance path by passing through the through hole formed in the filter section. On the other hand, the foreign matter that has flowed along with the game ball on the upstream conveyance path reaches the filter unit, but does not pass through the through-hole formed in the filter unit, and accumulates on the filter unit.

  For this reason, foreign matter does not flow into the downstream conveyance path, and foreign matter does not reach the inside of other equipment built in the gaming machine island, so it is possible to prevent equipment failure caused by foreign matter being mixed in. Can do.

  However, in this prototype outrail, in rare cases, the accumulated foreign matter interferes with the game ball that has flown later, so that the game ball cannot enter the through hole and the filter portion is clogged. There was a case. That is, a problem has arisen that the game balls that have flown later do not flow into the lower-stage transport path and remain on the filter portion.

  As described above, when the game balls accumulate on the filter portion, the remaining game balls further inhibit the flow of the game balls flowing later, and a lot of game balls accumulate on the filter portion. There is a fear. In other words, there is a possibility that the flow of game balls in the gaming machine island will stagnate in the filter section. This can cause a larger problem than foreign substances are mixed into the polishing apparatus or the lifting apparatus.

  Therefore, the invention according to claim 1 completed based on such knowledge is a transport path for collecting a game ball at a predetermined position in a gaming machine island formed by arranging a plurality of ball game machines in parallel. The upper passage forming member is located on the upstream side of the conveying path, and the lower passage forming member is located on the downstream side of the upper passage forming member. Is at least partially located above the lower passage forming member, and further includes a filter unit for collecting mixed foreign matter, and deposits of a certain amount or more are deposited on the filter unit. In such a case, the passage forming member is characterized in that the deposit can be forcibly moved to eliminate clogging of the balls.

In the passage forming member of the present invention, the upper passage forming member is provided with a filter portion, and can prevent the foreign matter from flowing into the lower passage forming member in a normal state. As a result, it is possible to prevent foreign matters from entering the polishing apparatus and the lifting apparatus.
Furthermore, when a certain amount or more of deposits are deposited on the filter portion, the deposits can be forcibly moved. Therefore, even if the filter unit is clogged and the game ball is accumulated on the filter unit, the game ball can be moved. That is, since it is possible to prevent accumulation of a large amount of game balls in the filter unit, the flow of game balls does not stagnate in the filter unit.

  The invention according to claim 2 is a passage forming member that forms a transport path for collecting game balls at a predetermined position in a gaming machine island formed by arranging a plurality of ball game machines in parallel. The upper passage forming member is located on the upstream side of the conveying path, and the lower passage forming member is located on the downstream side of the upper passage forming member. At least a part of the upper passage forming member is the lower passage. It is located above the forming member, and further includes a filter unit for collecting mixed foreign matter, and the filter unit can be changed in posture between a normal posture and an open posture, and is shifted to an open posture. Thus, when the load is received from the deposit deposited on the filter portion becomes more than a certain level, the filter portion is in an open posture. And the above A path forming member, characterized in that it is possible to move the product was downward.

Also in the passage forming member of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the foreign matter from flowing into the lower passage forming member by providing the filter portion on the upper passage forming member. That is, it is possible to prevent foreign matters from being mixed into the polishing apparatus or the lifting apparatus.
Moreover, when the load received from the deposit deposited on the filter portion becomes a certain level or more, the filter portion shifts to the open posture and the bottom portion is largely opened. That is, it is possible to remove deposits deposited on the filter unit with a simple structure and operation, and it is possible to prevent the flow of game balls from being delayed in the filter unit.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the elastic member for urging the filter unit is provided, and the deposit resists the urging force of the elastic member when a load received from the deposit becomes a certain level or more. The passage forming member according to claim 2, wherein the filter portion is pressed to shift to the open posture.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the filter portion is provided with a plurality of game ball passage holes which are holes penetrating the filter portion in the thickness direction, and the respective opening diameters of the game ball passage holes are The passage forming member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the passage forming member is larger than a diameter of the game ball, and the game ball can move downward through the game ball passage hole. It is.

  According to these structures, since a filter part can be made into a simpler structure, manufacture at low cost is attained.

  A fifth aspect of the present invention is a gaming machine island comprising the passage forming member according to any one of the first to fourth aspects.

  Since the gaming machine island of the present invention also includes the above-described passage forming member, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the downstream side of the filter portion. Even if the filter unit is clogged, the game balls accumulated on the filter unit can be forcibly dropped to the downstream side. In other words, it is possible to prevent foreign matters from entering the polishing apparatus and the lifting apparatus, and it is possible to prevent the stagnation of game balls that may occur when the filter unit is clogged.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an informing means capable of informing the outside of the internal situation when a predetermined amount or more of deposits are deposited on the filter portion. It is the gaming machine island described.

  According to such a configuration, when a certain amount or more of deposits are deposited on the filter unit and the filter unit is clogged, this can be notified to the outside. For this reason, employees of the game hall can quickly find out that the filter section is clogged, that is, foreign matter contamination in the gaming machine island. As a result, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a serious problem caused by contamination. In other words, the situation where the gaming machine island cannot be operated for a long time can be avoided, so that the influence of foreign matters on the business of the game hall can be reduced.

  According to the present invention, since the inflow of foreign matter to the downstream side of the filter unit can be suppressed, it is possible to suppress the entry of foreign matter into equipment installed on the downstream side of the filter unit, such as a polishing apparatus or a lifting device. Further, when a large amount of game balls are accumulated on the filter portion, the game balls can be forcibly moved, so that the retention of the game balls due to clogging of the filter portion can be prevented.

1 is a side view showing a gaming machine island with a built-in outrail according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the internal structure of the gaming machine island of FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the outrail and the foreign matter collection container of FIG. 2 in a partially broken state. It is a perspective view which shows the outrail seen from the direction different from FIG. It is a partially broken perspective view which fractures | ruptures and shows a part of outrail of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the flow of the game ball and the foreign material in the outrail of FIG. In the outrail of FIG. 2, it is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the deposit on a filter part falls with the attitude change of a filter part, (a) shows the state where the filter part has taken the normal posture, (B) shows the state in which the filter portion is in the open posture. It is a perspective view which shows the outrail which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. In the outrail of FIG. 8, it is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the deposit on a filter part falls with the attitude change of a filter part, (a) shows the state where the filter part has taken the normal posture, (B) shows the state in which the filter portion is in the open posture. It is a perspective view which shows the outrail which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. In the outrail of FIG. 10, it is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the deposit on a filter part falls with the posture change of a filter part, (a) shows the state where the filter part has taken the normal posture, (B) shows the state in which the filter portion is in the open posture. It is a perspective view which shows the outrail which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. In the outrail of FIG. 12, it is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the deposit on a filter part falls with the attitude change of a filter part, (a) shows the state where the filter part has taken the normal posture, (B) shows the state in which the filter portion is in the open posture. It is a perspective view which shows the outrail which concerns on 5th Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, although each embodiment of the present invention is described in detail, the present invention is not limited to these examples. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the positional relationship between the top, bottom, left, and right is described based on the normal installation position shown in FIG.

  The gaming machine island 1 of the first embodiment is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box-shaped structure, and as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of pachinko machines 2 (ball game machines) ) Are installed in parallel.

  The gaming machine island 1 is formed by attaching various plate materials to a skeleton member (not shown). On the long side surface of the gaming machine island 1, a frame-shaped gaming machine mounting portion 5 is provided in the vicinity of the approximate center in the height direction. The gaming machine mounting portions 5 are provided in parallel along the longitudinal direction of the gaming machine island 1, and the pachinko machine 2 is mounted on each gaming machine mounting portion 5. For this reason, the pachinko machine 2 is in a parallel state along the longitudinal direction of the gaming machine island 1.

  A data lamp 7, a ball lending machine 8, and each counter 9 are provided at positions adjacent to each pachinko machine 2. More specifically, a data lamp 7 is provided above the pachinko machine 2, and a ball lending machine 8 and each counter 9 are provided on the side of the pachinko machine 2. The pachinko machine 2 is associated with a data lamp 7 located above, a ball lending machine 8 located on the side, and a counter counter 9 respectively. In other words, one pachinko machine 2 is associated with one data lamp 7, ball lending machine 8, and each counter 9.

  The data lamp 7 is similar to a known one, and includes an information display operation for displaying information related to the operating status of the corresponding pachinko machine 2 on the liquid crystal screen, and a call operation for calling the game hall employee by turning on the lamp. It is an executable device.

  The ball lending machine 8 is the same as that known in the art, and is a device for lending a game ball as a game medium to a player. More specifically, it accepts a player's recording medium (so-called prepaid card, not shown) in which cash is input by the player and information on the balance as a value that can be used for the game is received, and a predetermined amount of game balls are paid out. It is a device to put out. Then, the ball lending machine 8 pays out the game balls to the player, so that the game with the pachinko machine 2 corresponding to the ball lending machine 8 becomes possible.

  Each counter 9 is also a device similar to that known in the art, and is a device for measuring the number of game balls held by the player. That is, the number of game balls of the player who plays with the pachinko machine 2 corresponding to each counter 9 can be measured, and the measurement result can be displayed.

  In addition, inside the gaming machine island 1, as shown in FIG. 2, the island tank 12, supply rail 13, overflow rail 14, ball hose 15, overflow hose 16, island tank 17, and outrail 18 (passage) Forming member), polishing device 19 and lifting device 20 are provided.

The island tank 12 is a member attached near the center in the longitudinal direction of the gaming machine island 1 and above the pachinko machine 2, and the game ball lifted from the lifting device 20 described later is temporarily stored in detail. It functions as a storage means for storing automatically.
This island tank 12 has a function of sending game balls stored therein to the pachinko machine 2 as necessary, and a function of discharging game balls to the outside when a certain amount of game balls flow into the tank. . When the stored game balls are sent out to the pachinko machine 2, the game balls are supplied to the pachinko machine 2 via the supply rail 13. When the amount of game balls inside exceeds a certain amount, the game balls are discharged to the outside mainly through the overflow rail 14.

  The replenishment rail 13 is a member that forms a transport path for transporting game balls toward each pachinko machine 2, and has a downward slope from the portion where the island tank 12 is located toward the longitudinal end of the game machine island 1. It is provided to become. More specifically, the gaming machine island 1 of the present embodiment is provided with two supply rails 13, one extending toward one end side in the longitudinal direction of the gaming machine island 1, and the other being a gaming machine. It extends toward the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the island 1.

  Further, a replenishment chute (not shown) is attached to the replenishment rail 13 in the middle of the extending direction. More specifically, a plurality of replenishment chutes are attached to the replenishment rail 13, and are arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval in the extending direction of the replenishment rail 13. Each supply chute is a member that forms a transfer path that branches off from the supply rail 13, that is, a supply path for supplying game balls to the pachinko machine 2 and the ball lending machine 8 (see FIG. 1).

  The overflow rail 14 is provided slightly below the supply rail 13, and, like the supply rail 13, has a downward slope from the portion where the island tank 12 is located toward the longitudinal end of the gaming machine island 1. It has become. The overflow rail 14 is a member for forming a transport path for transporting a game ball that has reached a certain amount or more inside the island tank 12 and a game ball overflowing from the supply rail 13.

  Thus, the supply rail 13 and the overflow rail 14 form a transport path for transporting the game ball in the horizontal direction (lateral direction) above the pachinko machine 2.

The ball removal hose 15 is disposed at a position from the longitudinal end of the gaming machine island 1 and forms a conveyance path for conveying the game ball downward. That is, the ball removal hose 15 is connected to the vicinity of the downstream end of the supply rail 13 and is hung from the connection portion, and forms a conveyance path extending in the height direction (vertical direction).
In addition, the conveyance path formed by this ball removal hose 15 is a conveyance path for forcibly discharging the ball staying on the replenishment rail 13, and normally the game ball flows inside this ball removal hose 15. There is nothing.

  The overflow hose 16 is also disposed at a position from the longitudinal end portion of the gaming machine island 1 and forms a transport path for transporting the game ball downward. The overflow hose 16 is connected to the vicinity of the downstream end of the overflow rail 14, is suspended from the overflow rail 14, and forms a conveyance path extending in the height direction (vertical direction).

The in-island tank 17 is a member that can temporarily store game balls inside and functions as a storage unit for game balls. This island tank 17 has a size smaller than the capacity of a normal tank, and has a capacity about one-third to one-half the capacity of a normal tank. Yes.
Here, the gaming machine island 1 of the present embodiment is the gaming machine island 1 provided with the respective counters 9 as described above. For this reason, it is not necessary to pay out the game balls inside as prize balls, and the total amount of game balls stored in the island tank 17 can be reduced. That is, the gaming machine island 1 of the present embodiment can suitably employ the island tank 17 having a small capacity.

  The polishing device 19 is the same as that known in the art, and is a device that polishes the game ball and removes adhered dirt. The polishing device 19 is disposed below the portion of the gaming machine island 1 that is substantially in the center in the longitudinal direction, and has a function of transporting the polished game ball to the adjacent lifting device 20.

  The lifting device 20 is the same as that known in the art, and is a device for lifting the game ball upward.

  The outrail 18 that is a characteristic member of this embodiment will be described in detail below.

  The outrail 18 is a member that forms a transport path for transporting game balls discharged from the pachinko machine 2 (so-called out balls) and game balls discharged from the island tank 17. The outrail 18 is disposed at a lower position than the pachinko machine 2 and is installed so as to have a downward slope from the end in the longitudinal direction of the gaming machine island 1 toward the polishing device 19.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the outrail 18 of the present embodiment includes an upper rail 27 (upper passage forming member) and a lower rail 28 (lower passage forming member) which are divided into two stages in the vertical direction. I have.

  The upper rail 27 is a structure in which an upstream conveyance path forming portion 29 and a downstream filter portion 30 are integrally formed. That is, most of the upstream side of the upper rail 27 is the conveyance path forming portion 29, and the portion that falls within a predetermined range from the downstream end toward the upstream side is the filter portion 30.

As shown in FIG. 3, the transport path forming unit 29 includes two side wall portions 33, 33 and a bottom plate portion 34 that connects the vicinity of the lower ends of the two side wall portions 33, 33. A plurality of partition wall portions 35 are provided between the two side wall portions 33 and 33. Here, the plurality of partition wall portions 35 are arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval in the width direction of the upper rail 27, and define a space formed between the two side wall portions 33 and 33. Each partitioned small space is a groove portion 36, and a plurality of groove portions 36 are arranged in parallel along the width direction (short direction) of the upper rail 27 between the two side wall portions 33, 33. Yes.
In consideration of the visibility of the drawings, all the partition wall portions 35, the groove portions 36, and the game ball passage holes 42 (details will be described later) are not denoted in the following drawings, and some symbols are omitted. ing.

  The two side wall portions 33 and 33 are both upright, substantially rectangular flat plates, and are spaced apart from each other with a predetermined interval.

  The bottom plate portion 34 is a substantially rectangular flat plate-like portion that connects a portion on the lower end side of one side wall portion 33 and a portion on the lower end side of the other side wall portion 33.

  The partition wall portion 35 is a substantially rectangular flat plate portion having an upright outer shape, protrudes upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 34, and extends along the longitudinal direction of the upper rail 27.

  The groove part 36 is a space formed between the side wall part 33 and the partition wall part 35, or between the two partition wall parts 35, 35, and has a substantially “concave” cross section. It extends along the longitudinal direction of the upper rail 27. The groove portion 36 is a space through which the game ball flows toward the filter portion 30, and its length in the width direction is slightly larger than the diameter of the game ball. That is, the width of each groove portion 36 is a length that allows one game ball to be accommodated with a slight gap, and two or more game balls are not arranged in parallel in the width direction inside the groove portion 36. Yes.

  The filter unit 30 has a structure including a pair of side wall portions 40, 40 arranged at intervals, and a door plate-like portion 41 attached to each of the side wall portions 40. An open / close detection switch 44 is attached to the inner side surface of one side wall 40.

  The side wall portion 40 is a substantially rectangular flat plate having an upright outer shape, and extends along the longitudinal direction of the upper rail 27. The side wall 40 of the filter unit 30 extends integrally and continuously with the side wall 33 of the transport path forming unit 29.

One of the side wall portions 40 is provided with a protective wall portion 47 for preventing the game ball from colliding with the open / close detection switch 44. The protective wall portion 47 is an upright plate-like portion and protrudes inward from the inner surface of the side wall portion 33. In other words, it is a direction inclined with respect to the inner surface of the side wall portion 33 and extends so as to cross the upper rail 27 (filter portion 30) in an oblique direction.
The protective wall portion 47 is disposed at a position slightly away from the open / close detection switch 44 on the upstream side in the flow direction of the game ball (on the conveyance path forming portion 29 side). The opening / closing detection switch 44 extends to cover the upstream side of the game ball in the flow direction.

  The door plate-like portion 41 is a member having a substantially rectangular flat plate shape. The door plate-like portion 41 is provided with a large number of game ball passage holes 42 penetrating the door plate-like portion 41 in the member thickness direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the door plate-like portion 41 is attached to a position away from the upper end of the side wall portion 40 by a predetermined distance via a spring hinge 43 (elastic member). It is ready to move.
More specifically, the door plate-like portion 41 can be switched between a horizontal posture in which the upper surface is substantially perpendicular to the inner side surface of the side wall portion 40 and a posture in which the upper surface is inclined. And the door-plate-shaped part 41 will maintain a horizontal attitude | position in a natural state (state which external force does not apply) by being urged | biased by the spring hinge 43. FIG.

  The game ball passage hole 42 is a through hole having a circular opening shape, and the opening diameter of the game ball passage hole 42 is slightly larger than the diameter of the game ball. More specifically, the opening diameter of the game ball passage hole 42 is about 1.1 to 2 times the diameter of the game ball.

  The spring hinge 43 is a hinge formed by incorporating an elastic member such as a coil spring between both pieces that are rotatably connected to each other. The spring hinge 43 is a hinge that is biased in a direction in which both pieces open to each other.

The open / close detection switch 44 includes a square switch body 48 and a substantially rectangular flat plate-like detection piece 49, and the plate-like detection piece 49 is attached to the lower side of the switch body 48.
In the open / close detection switch 44, as will be described in detail later, a plate-shaped detection piece 49 is attached to the switch body 48 so as to be rotatable. The plate-like detection piece 49 is rotated downward, and a signal is transmitted to an external device on condition that a part of the plate-like detection piece 49 is separated from the lower surface of the switch body 48. ing.

  Like the upper rail 27, the lower rail 28 is a member for forming a transport path for game balls, and a plurality of protrusions 51 are provided between a pair of side wall portions 50, 50 arranged at intervals. Is provided. As shown in FIG. 4, the upstream end portion of the lower rail 28 is located below the filter portion 30.

  The protrusion 51 is a protrusion that extends along the longitudinal direction of the lower rail 28, has a substantially trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, and has a cavity formed therein. And the groove part formed between this projection part 51 becomes the space for a game ball to flow downstream.

Next, the filter unit 30 will be described in more detail.
As shown in FIG. 4, in the region A occupying a part of the upstream side in the filter portion 30, a pair of side wall portions 40, 40 and a bottom plate portion 45 provided between the side wall portions 40, 40. Thus, a transport path for game balls is formed.
On the other hand, in the region B occupying most of the downstream side of the filter unit 30, a transport path for game balls is formed by the lower pair of side wall portions 40, 40 and the two door plate-like portions 41 arranged in parallel. .

  That is, in the filter unit 30, the transport paths formed respectively in the region A and the region B are integrated to form a game ball transport path having a substantially “concave” cross-sectional shape. A part of the bottom portion of the conveyance path is formed by the bottom plate portion 45, and the other most portion is formed by the two door plate-like portions 41 arranged in parallel in the width direction.

  Here, the two door plate-like portions 41 are both attached to a position away from the upper end of the side wall portion 40 by a predetermined distance. Therefore, when the two door plate-like portions 41 are both in the horizontal posture, the height of the upper surface is the same (or substantially the same).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the length L 1 in the short direction of the door plate-like portion 41 and the length about one half of the distance L 2 between the two side wall portions 40, 40 are set. Therefore, when the two door plate-like portions 41 are both in the horizontal posture, the end portion in the short direction of one door plate-like portion 41 and the end portion in the short side direction of the other door plate-like portion 41 are both filtered. It is located near the center in the width direction of the portion 30 (width direction of the upper rail 27). In other words, when the two door plate-like portions 41 are both in the horizontal posture, the two door plate-like portions 41 are in parallel with each other in the width direction of the filter portion 30 with no gap (or almost no gap).

  From these facts, when the two door plate-like portions 41 are both in the horizontal posture, the upper surface of the two door plate-like portions 41 is an integrated plane having a planar spread between the pair of side wall portions 40, 40. Form.

  In addition, each upper surface of the two door-plate-shaped parts 41 which take a horizontal attitude | position, and the substantially rectangular flat plate-shaped bottom plate part 45 form the substantially the same plane. That is, a series of conveyance paths without a step (or almost no step) is formed in a region A that occupies a part of the upstream side of the filter unit 30 and a region B that occupies most of the downstream side.

  Next, the operation of the filter unit 30 of this embodiment will be described in detail.

  As described above, game balls discharged from the pachinko machine 2 (so-called out balls) and game balls discharged from the island tank 17 flow into the outrail 18 and flow toward the polishing device 19. It becomes.

  Then, the game ball flowing through the outrail 18 enters the upper rail 27, then flows into the lower rail 28 through the filter unit 30, and flows toward the polishing apparatus 19.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the game ball flowing through the upper rail 27 reaches the filter unit 30.
Here, as described above, the door plate-like portion 41 is rotatably attached to the side wall portion 40 via the spring hinge 43, and in a natural state (a state in which no external force is applied), the horizontal posture is maintained. It becomes. That is, the spring hinge 43 functions as a biasing member that constantly biases the door plate-like portion 41.

  For this reason, the door plate-like portion 41 in a normal state is in a horizontal posture, and the upper end surface or the lower end surface of the door plate-like portion 41 is a surface substantially perpendicular to the height direction of the upper rail 27 or the lower rail 28. (See FIG. 4). In other words, the thickness direction of the door plate-like portion 41 is the same direction (or substantially the same direction) as this height direction. Therefore, when the door plate-like portion 41 is in a horizontal posture, the game ball passage hole 42 penetrating the door plate-like portion 41 in the thickness direction is in a state of extending downward.

  Therefore, the game ball that has reached the filter section 30 passes through the game ball passage hole 42 and falls to the lower rail 28 as shown in FIG. And it will flow through the lower rail 28.

  As described above, the protective wall 47 is provided on the filter unit 30 (see FIG. 3). For this reason, the game ball that has flowed toward the open / close detection switch 44 changes its flow direction by colliding with the protective wall portion 47 and is moved downstream. Thereby, the collision of the game ball with the open / close detection switch 44 can be prevented.

  Incidentally, the outrail 18 may be mixed with foreign matter 55 such as cigarette butts and nails in addition to the game balls. However, the outrail 18 of the present embodiment can suppress entry of the foreign object 55 into the lower rail 28 by the filter unit 30.

  That is, the foreign material 55 that has flowed along the upper rail 27 together with the game ball also reaches the filter unit 30. In the filter unit 30, the game ball passes through the game ball passage hole 42 and falls, but the foreign material 55 does not pass through the game ball passage hole 42 and remains on the filter unit 30. That is, the opening diameter of the game ball passage hole 42 is slightly larger than the diameter of the game ball, and is a size that allows the game ball to pass through. Therefore, the foreign object 55 cannot pass through the game ball passage hole 42 and does not enter the lower rail 28.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, a foreign substance collecting container 56, which is a box having a space inside, is located on the downstream side of the upper rail 27. The foreign material collection container 56 is provided with a foreign material inflow port 57 that is a through hole communicating between the inside and the outside. The outer opening of the foreign material inlet 57 is adjacent to the downstream side of the downstream end of the upper rail 27, and is disposed between the two side wall portions 40 and 40 and above the door plate-like portion 41. . In other words, the foreign substance inflow port 57 is open toward a space located above the door plate-like portion 41, that is, a space in which a game ball on the filter portion 30 flows.

  More specifically, the downstream end of the upper rail 27 and the side surface of the foreign material collection container 56 intersect substantially perpendicularly, and the side wall portion 40 and the door plate portion 41 of the filter unit 30 and the side surface portion of the foreign material collection container 56 Are in contact. That is, the foreign material inflow port 57 is arranged at a position adjacent to the space surrounded by the side wall portion 40 and the door plate-like portion 41 of the filter portion 30, and is in a state continuous with the downstream end of the upper rail 27 (filter portion 30). ing.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the foreign matter 55 that has not fallen on the lower rail 28 by the filter unit 30 flows downstream through the filter unit 30 and is collected through the foreign matter inlet 57. It flows into the container 56.

Here, the lower end portion of the foreign material inflow port 57 has substantially the same height as the upper surface of the door plate-like portion 41. That is, the lower part of the inner peripheral surface of the foreign substance inflow port 57 and the upper surface of the door plate portion 41 are continuous without a step (almost no step). For this reason, when the foreign material 55 flows into the foreign material collection container 56, the flow does not stagnate in the vicinity of the foreign material inlet 57, and flows smoothly.
In addition, the opening height of the foreign substance inflow port 57 is smaller than the diameter of the game ball. Therefore, even if the game ball reaches the lower end side of the filter unit 30, the game ball does not flow into the foreign material collection container 56.

  By the way, when the foreign material 55 flows into the upper rail 27, the foreign material 55 and the game ball rarely interfere with each other, and the flow of the game ball flowing later into the game ball passage hole 42 may be inhibited. That is, there is a possibility that the foreign object 55 and the game ball remain on the filter unit 30 and hinder the flow of the game ball.

  Then, when the foreign material 55 and the game ball prevent the game ball from flowing into the game ball passage hole 42, the foreign material 55 and the game ball are accumulated on the filter unit 30 as shown in FIG. There is a possibility. In this case, the game ball flowing through the outrail 18 does not flow downstream from the filter unit 30, and the game ball cannot be circulated in the gaming machine island 1.

  Therefore, in the outrail 18 of the present embodiment, even if a situation occurs in which foreign matter 55 or game balls accumulate on the filter unit 30, the retention of game balls in the filter unit 30 is prevented. It is possible.

  More specifically, when foreign matter 55 and game balls accumulate on the door plate-like portion 41 in the filter portion 30, the load received by the door plate-like portion 41 from these also increases. And when the deposit on the door-plate-like part 41 becomes a certain amount or more and the load received by the door-plate-like part 41 from the upper side becomes a constant upper, the door-plate-like part 41 shifts from a horizontal posture to a posture in which the upper surface is inclined. To do. As a result, the filter unit 30 shifts from a normal posture in which the bottom portion is closed to an open posture in which the bottom portion is open.

  That is, when the load received from the deposit exceeds the urging force of the spring hinge 43, the door plate-like portion 41 rotates and the upper surface of the door plate-like portion 41 is inclined. In other words, in the door plate-like portion 41, the end portion located on the center side in the width direction of the filter portion 30 moves downward. And the filter part 30 will be in the state open | released by the bottom.

  For this reason, when the two door plate-like portions 41 are both shifted to a posture in which the upper surface is inclined, the two door plate-like portions 41 are opened from the center side in the width direction of the filter portion 30. As the posture of the door plate-like portion 41 is changed, the game balls accumulated on the door plate-like portion 41 can be dropped onto the lower rail 28. By forcibly dropping the game balls accumulated on the door plate-like portion 41 in this way, it is possible to prevent the game balls from staying in the filter unit 30.

  Further, when the filter unit 30 shifts to the open posture, as shown in FIG. 7, a part of the door plate-like portion 41 that has supported the plate-like detection piece 49 from the lower side moves downward. For this reason, the plate-like detection piece 49 that is rotatably attached to the switch body 48 also rotates downward. The lower surface of the switch body 48 and a part of the plate-like detection piece 49 are separated from each other, and the open / close detection switch 44 transmits a signal to an external device. That is, a signal is transmitted to an external control device such as a so-called island computer (not shown). The control device that has received this signal transmits a signal for encouraging the notification operation to the terminal device held by the game hall employee and the lamp member (not shown) attached to the gaming machine island 1. Then, the terminal device and the lamp member perform a notification operation of generating sound such as sound or buzzer sound or blinking the light source in a specific pattern. Thereby, the game hall employee can recognize that the filter unit 30 is clogged from the outside of the gaming machine island 1.

  As described above, the gaming machine island 1 of the present embodiment receives the control signal based on the open / close detection switch 44 as the detection means for detecting that the filter unit 30 has shifted to the open position, and the signal from the open / close detection switch 44. It has a notification device including at least a control device to be generated and a notification device (terminal device or lamp member) that performs a notification operation based on the control signal. For this reason, it is possible to notify the outside that the filter unit 30 is clogged.

  Although description is omitted in this embodiment, when the filter unit 30 is shifted to the open posture and the game ball is forcibly dropped, the foreign matter 55 on the filter unit 30 also drops at the same time. Therefore, it is preferable to further provide a mechanism for removing the foreign matter 55 in the middle of the lower rail 28 or on the downstream side.

  Subsequently, each of the outrails of the embodiment different from the first embodiment will be described in detail. In addition, about the part similar to above-mentioned 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted. Explanation of similar structures and operations is also omitted.

In the above-described first embodiment, the example in which the two door plate-like portions 41 perform the double spread from the center side in the width direction of the filter portion 30 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, like the outrail 118 (passage forming member) of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the two door plate-like portions 141 are opened from the center in the flow direction of the sphere of the filter portion 30. Any configuration is acceptable.
Hereinafter, the outrail 118 of the second embodiment will be described in detail.

  In the outrail 118 of this embodiment, the two door plate-like portions 141 forming the bottom portion of the filter portion 130 are attached so as to be arranged in parallel in the flow direction of the sphere, that is, in the extending direction of the upper rail 127 (upper passage forming member). It has been.

These two door plate-like portions 141 are also attached via a spring hinge 43, and are switched between a horizontal posture in which the upper surface is substantially perpendicular to the height direction of the upper rail 127 and a posture in which the upper surface is inclined. It is possible.
And by being always urged | biased by the spring hinge 43, it will be in the state which maintained the horizontal attitude | position in the natural state (state which external force is not added).

  Here, one of the door plate-like portions 141 is attached to a wall surface located on the upstream side of the filter portion 130, and the other is attached to a wall surface located on the downstream side of the filter portion 130.

And the door-plate-shaped part 141 attached to the wall surface located in an upstream is the edge part in the position away from the attachment surface among the both ends of a transversal direction (extension direction of the upper rail 127), and a lower upstream side. It is possible to turn toward.
On the other hand, the door plate-like portion 141 attached to the wall surface located on the downstream side has an end portion located at a position away from the attachment surface in the short side direction (extending direction of the upper rail 127). It can be turned to the side.

  From this, the two door plate-like portions 141 are respectively rotated so that the double-sided opening can be performed from the center side in the flow direction of the sphere.

In the above-described outrail 18 of the first embodiment, the example in which the two door plate-like portions 41 are separately attached to the side wall portions 40 has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, like the outrail 218 (passage forming member) of the third embodiment shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the two door plate-like portions 241 may be attached so as to be rotatable with respect to each other. Good.
Hereinafter, the outrail 218 of the third embodiment will be described in detail.

  In the outrail 218 of the present embodiment, two door plate-like portions 241 forming the bottom portion of the filter portion 230 are attached so as to be parallel in the width direction of the upper rail 227 (upper passage forming member).

At this time, among the end portions of the door plate portions 241 in the short direction, the end portions located on the center side in the width direction of the upper rail 227 are connected to each other.
More specifically, both of the two door-plate-like parts 241 are in a state in which the shaft member 242 is integrally attached at the end located on the center side in the width direction of the upper rail 227. That is, the shaft member 242 is provided at the connecting portion of the two door plate-like portions 241, and each door plate-like portion 241 is rotatable about the shaft member 242 as a rotation shaft.

  Here, the shaft member 242 is a direction substantially perpendicular to the thickness direction of the door plate-like portion 241 and is a substantially round bar-like member extending along the longitudinal direction of the upper rail 227. Of the end portions of the shaft member 242 in the longitudinal direction, one is attached to the wall surface located upstream of the door plate-like portion 241 in the flow direction of the sphere, and the other is attached to the wall flow direction of the door plate-like portion 241. It is attached to the wall surface located on the downstream side.

  For this reason, the edge part in the position close | similar to the side wall part 40 among the edge parts of the transversal direction of the door-plate-like part 241 is a downward side, and can turn toward the direction away from the side wall part 40. Yes.

  Here, a spring member 243 (elastic member) is attached in the vicinity of a portion where the shaft member 242 is located, which is a connecting portion of the two door plate-like portions 241. This spring member 243 always urges each of the two door plate-like portions 241.

  More specifically, the two door plate-like portions 241 are urged so that the angle formed between the upper surfaces (or the lower surfaces) of the two door plate-like portions 241 is approximately 180 degrees. For this reason, the two door plate-like portions 241 are in a state in which a horizontal posture is maintained in which the upper surface is substantially perpendicular to the height direction of the upper rail 227 in a natural state (a state in which no external force is applied).

  And when the load received from the upper side exceeds the urging force of the spring member 243, the door plate-like portion 241 shifts to a posture in which the upper surface is inclined. Thus, when the door plate-like portion 241 changes its posture from the horizontal posture, the filter portion 230 shifts from the normal posture to the open posture.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the filter unit 230 is in communication with the lower side from both ends in the width direction. At this time, the door plate-like portion 241 is inclined so as to have a downward slope toward a portion communicating with the lower side. Therefore, the deposit placed on the door plate-like portion 241 slides down or rolls down along the door plate-like portion 241. And after that, it falls from the part connected with the lower part to the lower part.

In the third embodiment described above, the example in which the shaft member 242 extending along the longitudinal direction of the upper rail 227 is employed is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a shaft member 342 that extends along the width direction of the upper rail 327 (upper passage forming member) is employed like an outrail 318 (passage forming member) of the fourth embodiment shown in FIGS. Also good.
Hereinafter, the outrail 318 of the fourth embodiment will be described in detail.

  In the outrail 318 of this embodiment, the two door plate-like portions 341 forming the bottom portion of the filter portion 330 are attached so as to be juxtaposed in the sphere flow direction, that is, the longitudinal direction of the upper rail 327.

At this time, the lateral direction of each door plate-like portion 341 is the same as the longitudinal direction of the upper rail 327. And the downstream edge part of the door-plate-like part 341 located in the flow direction upstream of a sphere and the upstream edge part of the door-plate-like part 341 located in the flow direction downstream of a sphere are connected.
A shaft member 342 is provided at a connecting portion of the two door plate-like portions 341, and each door plate-like portion 341 can be rotated about the shaft member 342 as a rotation shaft.

  Here, the shaft member 342 is a direction substantially perpendicular to the thickness direction of the door plate-like portion 341 and is a substantially round bar-like member extending along the width direction of the upper rail 327. Then, both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the shaft member 342 are respectively attached to the side wall portions 40 that are opposed to each other.

  Here, a spring member 243 is also attached in the vicinity of a portion where the shaft member 342 is located, which is a connecting portion of the two door plate-like portions 341. The spring member 243 always urges each of the two door plate portions 341.

That is, the two door plate-like portions 341 can also be changed in posture between a horizontal posture in which the upper surface is substantially perpendicular to the height direction of the upper rail 327 and a posture in which the upper surface is inclined. In a state where no external force is applied, the horizontal posture is maintained.
Also in the present embodiment, when the load received from the upper side exceeds the urging force of the spring member 243, the posture is shifted to an inclined upper surface. Thus, when the door plate-like portion 341 changes its posture from the horizontal posture, the filter portion 330 shifts from the normal posture to the open posture.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the filter unit 330 is in communication with the lower side from portions located at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the upper rail 327. Also in this case, the door plate-shaped portion 341 is inclined so as to have a downward slope toward a portion communicating with the lower side.

  In the first embodiment described above, the door plate-like portion 41 is urged from below by the spring hinge 43. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a coil spring 443 (elastic member) is provided on the upper side of the door plate-like portion 41 like an outrail 418 (passage forming member) of the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. It may be provided. That is, not only the urging member that presses the door plate-like portion 41 from the lower side, but also an urging member that causes the load in the pulling direction to act on the door plate-like portion 41 from the upper side may be provided.

In the fifth embodiment, the door plate-like portion 41 is rotatably attached to the side wall portion 40 by a normal hinge (not shown). That is, the operation | movement similar to the door plate-shaped part 41 of above-described 1st Embodiment is possible.
Furthermore, in the fifth embodiment, a coil spring 443 is provided on the upper side of the door plate-like portion 41. One end of the coil spring 443 is fixed to the side wall portion 40, and the other end is fixed to the upper side surface of the door plate-like portion 41.

  Therefore, when the load received by the door plate-like portion 41 from the deposit turns around the pulling load of the coil spring 443, the posture of the door plate-like portion 41 shifts to a posture in which the upper surface is inclined. Thus, when the door plate-like portion 41 changes the posture, the filter portion 430 shifts from the normal posture to the open posture.

As shown in FIG. 14, a game ball passage hole 42 is disposed on the upstream side of the upper surface of the door plate-like portion 41 on the upstream side in the flow direction of the sphere where the end of the coil spring 443 is located. As a result, even if the game ball flows toward the end of the coil spring 443, it falls downward from the game ball passage hole 42, so that the collision of the game ball with the coil spring 443 can be suppressed. Therefore, the stagnation of the flow of the game ball due to the game ball coming into contact with the coil spring 443 can be suppressed.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, an example in which the upright substantially rectangular flat plate-like side wall portion 40 is employed has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the side wall portion may have an upper end bent toward the outside in the width direction of the upper rail. That is, the side wall portion only needs to prevent the spilling of the game ball from the end side in the width direction of the outrail.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the filter portion is provided at the lower end portion of the upper rail. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the filter portion may be provided in the middle portion of the upper rail. That is, the downstream end of the filter unit may be located at a position away from the lower end of the upper rail to the upstream side.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the lower portion of the inner peripheral surface of the foreign material inlet 57 and the upper surface of the door plate-like portion 41 have no step (almost no step), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the lower portion of the inner peripheral surface of the foreign material inlet 57 may be located slightly below the upper surface of the door plate-like portion 41.

In the first embodiment described above, an example in which the plate-shaped detection piece 49 of the open / close detection switch 44 is rotated with the rotation of the door plate-shaped portion 41 and the filter unit 30 is detected to have shifted to the open posture. Indicated. That is, the outside employee was notified that the filter unit 30 was in the open posture.
However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a sensor is provided on the inner wall of the gaming machine island, and the notification operation is performed when the deposit accumulated on the filter unit 30 reaches a certain height. May be.

That is, detection means such as a switch and a sensor are not necessarily attached to the filter unit, and may be fixed to the inner wall of the gaming machine island.
Moreover, you may implement alerting | reporting operation | movement before the filter part 30 transfers to an open attitude | position. That is, when it is predicted that the filter unit 30 will shift to the open posture in the near future, the notification operation may be performed.

  In other words, the notification operation may be performed simultaneously with the transition of the filter unit 30 to the open posture, or may be performed before or after the transition to the open posture.

1 Amusement Machine Island 2 Pachinko Machine (Ball Game Machine)
18, 118, 218, 318, 418 Outrail (passage forming member)
27, 127, 227, 327 Upper rail (upper passage forming member)
28 Lower rail (lower passage forming member)
30, 130, 230, 330, 430 Filter part 42 Game ball passage hole 43 Spring hinge (elastic member)
44 Open / close detection switch 243 Spring member (elastic member)
443 Coil spring (elastic member)

Claims (6)

In a gaming machine island formed by arranging a plurality of ball game machines in parallel, a path forming member that forms a transport path for collecting game balls at a predetermined position,
An upper passage forming member located on the upstream side of the conveying path, and a lower passage forming member located on the downstream side of the upper passage forming member,
The upper passage forming member is at least partially located above the lower passage forming member, and further includes a filter unit for collecting mixed foreign matter,
A passage forming member characterized in that, when a certain amount or more of deposits are deposited on the filter portion, the deposits can be forcibly moved to eliminate clogging of the balls. In a gaming machine island formed by arranging a plurality of ball game machines in parallel, a path forming member that forms a transport path for collecting game balls at a predetermined position,
An upper passage forming member located on the upstream side of the conveying path, and a lower passage forming member located on the downstream side of the upper passage forming member,
The upper passage forming member is at least partially located above the lower passage forming member, and further includes a filter unit for collecting mixed foreign matter,
The filter unit can be changed in posture between a normal posture and an open posture, and by shifting to the open posture, the bottom portion is in a state of being greatly opened than the normal posture,
When the load received from the deposit deposited on the filter portion becomes a certain level or more, the filter portion is shifted to an open posture, and the deposit can be moved downward. A passage forming member.   An elastic member for urging the filter portion, and when the load received from the deposit becomes a certain level or more, the deposit presses the filter portion against the urging force of the elastic member; The passage forming member according to claim 2, wherein the passage forming member shifts to the open posture.   The filter portion is provided with a plurality of game ball passage holes, which are holes that penetrate the filter portion in the thickness direction, and each of the game ball passage holes has an opening diameter larger than the diameter of the game ball. The passage forming member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the game ball is movable downward through the game ball passage hole.   A gaming machine island comprising the passage forming member according to any one of claims 1 to 4.   6. The gaming machine island according to claim 5, further comprising an informing unit capable of informing an outside of an internal situation when a predetermined amount or more of deposits are deposited on the filter unit.

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