JP2017018229A - Ball lifting device for game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a ball lifting device for a game machine capable of simplifying lifting control.SOLUTION: The ball lifting device for a game machine includes: a rotating body 4 having a ball reception part 42 at the outer periphery; a ball reception hole 13 for receiving game balls from a ball storage part 21 and passing them to the ball reception part 42; a ball release hole 14 for passing the game balls from the ball reception part 42 to release them to a ball shooting device; and a drive motor 18 for continuously driving the rotating body 4 in one direction. The ball reception hole 13 includes a ball receiving slope face 131 formed on the bottom face thereof. The ball release hole 14 includes: a ball release slope face 141 inclined in a ball release direction, formed on the bottom face thereof; and a ball jamming prevention part 34 that, when game balls B aligned in a column receive pushing pressure, allows parts B2 thereof to retract from the column, formed at a ball supply passage 3 in a downstream side thereof 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a ball lifting device for a gaming machine.

  When supplying a game ball from a ball storage unit such as a ball tray to the ball launching device, if the supply position to the ball launching device is higher than the storage unit, A feeding device is used. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a ball lifting device having a structure in which a spiral member is rotated around an axis, and a game ball is stored in a spiral valley and sent in the axial direction.

JP2014-128564

  However, in the conventional ball lifting device, it is necessary to intermittently control the rotation of the spiral member so that the game balls are pumped one by one in synchronization with the ball launching device, so that the control is complicated. There was a problem.

  Therefore, the present invention solves such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a ball lifting device for a gaming machine that can simplify the lifting control.

  In order to solve the above problems, in the first invention, a ball lifting device (1) disposed in a ball supply passage (3) for supplying game balls stored in a ball storage unit (21) to a ball launching device. A rotating body (4) having a ball receiving portion (42) on the outer periphery, and a ball receiving port (13) that receives a game ball from the ball storing portion (21) and passes it to the ball receiving portion (42). ), A ball discharge port (14) through which a game ball from the ball receiving unit (42) passes and releases it toward the ball launching device, and the rotating body (4) are continuously rotated in one direction. Rotation drive means (18), and the sphere receiving port (13) has a sphere receiving inclined surface (131) formed on the bottom surface thereof, and the sphere discharge port (14) is inclined on the bottom surface in the sphere discharging direction. The sphere supply inclined surface (141) is formed, and the sphere supply downstream of the sphere discharge port (14) is provided. The road (3), to form a spherical Gami preventing portion (34) to the retractable part (B2) on the outside of the column when the column state game ball (B) is subjected to pressing force.

  In the first aspect of the present invention, even when the rotating body is continuously rotated, the game ball is reliably received from the ball storage portion into the ball receiving portion of the rotating body by the ball receiving inclined surface and the ball discharge inclined surface, and the ball It is reliably discharged from the receiving part to the downstream sphere supply passage. Even if the game balls stay in a tandem state in the ball supply passage on the downstream side due to the suspension of the ball launching device, etc., some of the game balls that have received the pressing force are retracted out of the row by the ball anti-slip portion. Therefore, the game ball in the ball receiving portion and the game ball in the ball discharge port are not in a ball-gummy state, and continuous rotation of the rotating body is guaranteed. As a result, the drive mechanism can be made simple and inexpensive by simply rotating the rotating body.

  In the second aspect of the invention, the acting force pushing the ball receiving portion (42) toward the ball discharge port (14) on the rear side wall with respect to the rotation direction of the rotating body (4) of the ball receiving portion (42) is the gaming ball (B). A sphere release promoting portion (43) to be imparted to is formed.

  In the second aspect of the present invention, the game ball is more reliably pushed from the ball receiving portion to the ball discharge port side and discharged to the ball supply passage on the downstream side by the ball discharge promoting portion without stagnation.

  The reference numerals in the parentheses refer to the correspondence with specific means described in the embodiments described later.

  As described above, according to the ball lifting device of the gaming machine of the present invention, the lifting control can be made simple and inexpensive simply by continuously rotating the rotating body.

It is the top view which looked at the front board provided with the ball lifting device from the upper part. It is a front view of a ball lifting device. It is the perspective view which looked at the ball lifting device from the front with the cover plate removed. It is sectional drawing of the ball lifting apparatus installation part cut by the horizontal surface which passes a ball | bowl receiving port. It is sectional drawing of the ball | bowl lifting apparatus installation part cut by the vertical surface which passes a ball | bowl receiving port. It is sectional drawing of the ball | bowl lifting apparatus installation part cut with the horizontal surface which passes a ball | bowl discharge port. It is sectional drawing of the ball | bowl lifting apparatus installation part cut by the vertical surface which passes a ball | bowl discharge | release port. It is an expanded horizontal sectional view of the vicinity of a sphere discharge port. It is an expanded horizontal sectional view of the vicinity of the ball discharge port in a state where game balls stay in the ball supply path. It is an expanded horizontal sectional view of the vicinity of the ball discharge port in a state where game balls stay in the ball supply path. It is an expanded horizontal sectional view of the vicinity of the ball discharge port in a state where game balls stay in the ball supply path.

  The embodiment described below is merely an example, and various design improvements made by those skilled in the art without departing from the gist of the present invention are also included in the scope of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a front plate 2 provided with a ball lifting device 1 of the present invention located below a glass frame of a pachinko gaming machine as viewed from above. From the front surface of the left end portion of the front plate 2, the ball storage portion 21 protrudes forward. The ball storage unit 21 bulges while curving forward, and a game ball discharged from a prize ball port (not shown) provided on the front plate 2 is moved forward on the storage surface as indicated by a white arrow in the figure. After flowing down, the direction is changed backward in a substantially U shape in a plan view, and guided into the sphere flow passage 31 constituting the sphere supply passage 3 in a line in a row. A ball return path 33 for returning a game ball from an upper ball supply path 32 constituting the ball supply path 3 as shown by a black arrow in the drawing communicates with a downstream portion of the ball flow path 31. The ball return path 33 can scrape the game ball on the ball supply path 3 toward the ball launching device toward the ball storage unit 21 by the player's intention. In addition, even if the passage from the ball flow passage 31 of the ball storage unit 21 to the ball launching device becomes longer, the game ball can be touched directly in the middle of the passage, so there is a trouble related to the ball flow in the middle of the ball supply passage 3. Even if it occurs, it can be dealt with immediately. The ball lifting device 1 is provided on the back surface of the front plate 2 and is positioned between the ball flow passage 31 and the ball supply passage 32 as will be described later. The ball supply path 32 communicates with a ball feeding device (not shown) that supplies a game ball to the ball launcher, and causes the game ball to flow down as indicated by a black arrow.

  FIG. 2 shows a front view of the ball lifting device 1. The ball lifting device 1 includes a cover plate 11 on the front surface. The cover plate 11 is formed with a circular convex region 12 occupying most of the plate surface, and a rectangular ball receiving port 13 and a ball discharge port 14 are opened at the bottom and top of the region 12, respectively. The cover plate 11 is bolted to the back surface of the front plate 2 by mounting holes 111 provided at three locations on the periphery. The ball receiving port 13 communicates with the ball flow passage 31 (FIG. 1) of the ball storage portion 21 provided on the front plate 2, and the ball discharge port 14 communicates with the ball supply path 32 provided on the front plate 2.

  FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the ball lifting device 1 as seen from the front with the cover plate 11 removed. A substrate 15 having substantially the same shape as the cover plate 11 is provided with a concave region 16 having substantially the same shape as the convex region 12 at a position corresponding to the circular convex region 12 of the cover plate 11. A rotating body 4 that is rotatably supported by the substrate 15 and has an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the concave region 16 (and the convex region 12) is provided (see FIG. 2). The rotating body 4 is rotated in a direction indicated by an arrow in FIG. 2 by a driving motor 18 serving as a rotation driving means via a gear in a gear box 17 provided on the back side of the substrate 15. A plurality of protrusions 41 protruding radially outward at equal intervals in the circumferential direction are formed on the outer periphery of the rotating body 4, and a U that is slightly opened outward in the radial direction between the protrusions 41. A character-shaped recess is formed to form a ball receiving portion 42.

  On each side surface of the protruding portion 41 on the rear side of the rotating body 4 of each of the ball receiving portions 42, the ball receiving portion 42 gradually expands from the bottom of the ball receiving portion 42 toward the radially outward opening direction, and the ball discharge port. 14 (also facing the ball receiving port 13 in this embodiment) is formed as an inclined surface 43 (FIG. 3). Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the ball receiving port 13 is provided to be shifted rearward with respect to the rotation direction of the rotating body 4 with respect to the vertical line L passing through the center of the rotating body. Reference numeral 14 is provided to be shifted to the front side with respect to the rotation direction of the rotating body 4.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the ball lifting device 1 installation section cut along a horizontal plane passing through the ball receiving port 13. The spherical flow passage 31 of the spherical reservoir 21 is curved to the right in plan view and communicates with the spherical receiving port 13. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the ball lifting device 1 installation section cut along a vertical plane passing through the ball receiving port 13. As is clear from FIG. 5, the bottom surface of the ball receiving port 13 formed in the cover plate 11 of the ball lifting device 1 descends inward (leftward in FIG. 5) from the opening of the ball receiving port 13. An inclined ball receiving inclined surface 131 is formed. The sphere receiving inclined surface 131 substantially matches the inclination of the bottom surface of the spherical flow passage 31 leading to the sphere receiving port 13.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the ball lifting device 1 installation section cut by a horizontal plane passing through the ball discharge port 14, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the ball lift device 1 installation portion cut by a vertical plane passing through the ball discharge port 14. It is. 6 and 7, the ball supply path 32 located on the downstream side of the ball discharge port 14 has a large upstream portion immediately after the ball discharge port 14 so as to bend and bulge forward of the gaming machine to form a ball anti-slip portion 34. ing. As shown in FIG. 7, the bottom surface of the ball discharge port 14 formed in the cover plate 11 of the ball lifting device 1 is inclined downward from the inside (left side of FIG. 6) of the ball discharge port 14 toward the opening. The sphere discharge inclined surface 141 is formed.

  Then, the upstream end of the ball supply path 32 following the ball discharge inclined surface 141 is inclined downward toward the front of the gaming machine in the same direction as the ball discharge inclined surface 141 (right side in FIG. 7), and then the gaming machine It is continuous with the main part of the ball supply path 32 extending linearly in the left-right direction. Here, as shown in FIG. 7, the ball biting prevention part 34 formed in the upstream part of the ball supply path 32 curves and bulges forward of the gaming machine (to the right in FIG. 7) and flows through the ball supply path 32. While expanding the width as a whole, the bottom surface of the ball biting prevention part 34 is inclined upward from the road surface of the main part of the ball supply path 32 toward the front of the gaming machine.

  In the ball lifting device 1 having such a structure, the rotating body 4 has, for example, a constant rotational speed such that the ball receiving portion 42 passes through the ball discharge port 14 (and hence the ball receiving port 13) 125 times per minute. Can be rotated continuously. This is because the ball firing frequency in the ball launching device of the pachinko gaming machine is 100 shots / minute, and in the arrangement type gaming machine or the like, the ball launching frequency in the ball launching device is about 120 shots / minute. Thereby, regardless of the type of gaming machine (pachinko gaming machine or arrangement type gaming machine), the gaming ball can be reliably supplied to the launching device without being insufficiently supplied by the common ball lifting device. A plurality of types of ball lifting devices may be provided according to the specifications of the gaming machine. In that case, for the pachinko gaming machine, the ball receiving part 42 of the rotating body 4 is used for the arrangement type game machine in which the ball receiving part 42 of the rotating body 4 passes through the ball discharge port 14 105 times per minute, for example. For example, the ball discharge port 14 is continuously rotated at a constant rotation speed such that it passes 125 times per minute.

  In this state, the game balls that have reached the ball receiving port 13 in a tandem state through the ball flow passages 31 of the ball storing unit 21 (FIG. 1) arrive at the ball receiving port 13 at the ball receiving unit 42 of the rotating body 4. Each time they face each other, they roll inward on the ball receiving inclined surface 131 through the ball receiving port 13 and are securely accommodated in the ball receiving portion 42.

  At this time, the inner surface 15a (FIG. 5) of the substrate 15 facing the rotating body 4 is separated from the side surface of the rotating body 4 in the vicinity of the ball receiving port 13 (in other words, the inner surface 11a of the cover plate 11 facing the rotating body 4). Is close to the side surface of the rotating body 4 in the vicinity of the ball receiving port 13), the entire game ball can be satisfactorily entered into the ball receiving portion 42 of the rotating body 4. Further, the rotating body 4 is close to the cover plate 11 so that the distance between the inner surface 15a of the substrate 15 and the front surface of the rotating body 4 (the surface facing the cover plate inner surface 11a) is about one game ball. Thus, the protrusion 41 (see FIG. 2) of the rotating body 4 can restrict the movement of the subsequent game ball flowing in from the ball storage unit 21 toward the ball receiving unit 42 and is accommodated in the ball receiving unit 42. Even when a rotating game ball faces the ball receiving port 13, there is no possibility that the rotation of the rotating body 4 is prevented by the subsequent game ball flowing from the ball storage unit 21 (see FIG. 1). . Further, a passage structure similar to the spherical debris prevention portion 34 formed in the vicinity of the above-described ball discharge port 14 (see FIG. 7) may be formed on the upstream side of the ball receiving port 13 (downstream end of the ball storage portion 21). . As described above, the ball receiving port 13 is provided so as to be shifted rearward in the rotation direction of the rotating body 4 with respect to the vertical line L (FIG. 2) passing through the center of the rotating body 4. The protrusion 41 at the rear in the rotational direction comes into contact with the game ball that has entered the ball while descending to the lowest point, and the game ball is reliably captured.

  The game ball accommodated in the ball receiving portion 42 is transported upward as the rotating body 4 rotates (arrow in FIG. 2). When the ball receiving portion 42 arrives at the ball discharge port 14 and faces it (FIG. 8), the game ball B in the ball receiving portion 42 rolls outward on the ball discharge inclined surface 141 and moves to the ball discharge port 14. It is quickly discharged outside (dashed line in FIG. 8). At this time, since the inner surface 15a of the substrate 15 facing the rotator 4 is close to the side surface of the rotator 4 in the vicinity of the ball discharge port 14, the game ball B is inserted into the ball discharge port 14 from the ball receiving portion 42. Extruded into the opening. The axial width of the rotating body 4 is formed such that the rotating body 4 is in contact with the top of the spherical surface of the game ball B regardless of whether the rotating body 4 is close to the substrate 15 or the cover plate 11.

  At the same time, the game ball B receives an acting force from the inclined surface of the ball discharge promoting portion 43 (FIG. 3) of the rotating body 4 and is pushed out toward the ball discharge port 14, and is discharged from the ball discharge port 14 to the ball supply path 32. Is more promoted. Further, since the ball discharge port 14 is provided so as to be shifted to the front side with respect to the rotation direction of the rotating body 4 (arrow in FIG. 2) with respect to the vertical line L (FIG. 2) passing through the center of the rotating body 4 as described above. The protrusion 31 at the rear in the rotation direction comes into contact with the game ball B accommodated in the ball receiving portion 42 while descending from the uppermost point, and the game ball B is more reliably discharged from the ball discharge port 14.

  The discharged game balls B flow down the ball supply path 32, but as shown in FIG. 9, the game balls B stay in a tandem state in the ball supply path 32 due to the suspension of ball launching, etc. The gaming ball B1 at the most upstream end of B may remain in the ball discharge port 14. Also in this case, since the rotating body 4 continues to rotate without stopping, the front side surface of the game ball B accommodated in the ball receiving portion 42 of the game ball B1 in the ball discharge port 14 as shown in FIG. Collides with the rear side.

  As a result, a pushing force to the outside of the ball discharge opening 14 acts on the game ball B1, but this pushing force is transmitted to the game ball B2 in the ball supply path 32 near the ball anti-ball portion 34 on the downstream side, The game ball B <b> 2 is pushed up and retracted onto the inclined bottom surface of the ball scratch prevention portion 34. As a result, the game ball B1 in the ball discharge port 14 is pushed outward and moved to a position where it does not collide with the game ball B in the ball receiving portion 42 (FIG. 11). Thereby, even if the rotator 4 is continuously rotated, no stagnation occurs, and continuous rotation of the rotator 4 is guaranteed. The ball discharge promoting unit 43 not only pushes out the game ball B to the ball discharge port 14 side at normal times, but also plays a role of preventing the occurrence of ball debris near the ball discharge port 14. Specifically, even when the game ball B is sandwiched between the ball release promoting portion 43 and the opening corner portion of the ball release port 14 on the front side in the rotational direction of the rotating body 4, Since the inclined surface is formed so as to face the ball discharge port 14 (so as to have an angle smaller than 45 ° with respect to the side surface of the rotating body 4), the acting direction of the force applied to the game ball B is the ball supply path. It becomes suitable for 32, and it becomes difficult to produce a ball bit.

  In the above embodiment, the ball receiving port and the ball discharging port are provided on the same direction side in the front-rear direction of the gaming machine, but may be provided on different sides. Moreover, in the said embodiment, if a case of a ball lifting apparatus and a ball feeding apparatus is made into an integral thing, compactization is realizable. Further, the drive motor 18 as the rotation drive means may be a general DC motor in addition to a stepping motor. In addition, the ball lifting device of the present invention is not limited to pachinko gaming machines, and can be widely applied to other ball game machines such as arrange ball game machines, jade ball game machines, enclosed game machines, and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Sphere lifting apparatus, 13 ... Sphere receiving inlet, 131 ... Sphere receiving inclined surface, 14 ... Sphere discharge | emission port, 141 ... Sphere discharge | emission inclined surface, 18 ... Drive motor (rotation drive means), 2 ... Front plate, 21 ... Sphere storage part, 3 ... Sphere supply passage, 31 ... Sphere flow passage, 32 ... Sphere supply path, 34 ... Sphere flaw prevention part, 4 ... Rotating body, 42 ... Sphere reception part, 43 ... Sphere release promotion part, B, B1 , B2 ... a game ball.

Claims (2)

A ball lifting device arranged in a ball supply passage for supplying a game ball stored in a ball storage unit to a ball launcher, a rotating body having a ball receiving unit on the outer periphery, and a game ball from the ball storage unit A ball receiving port through which the ball is received and passed to the ball receiving unit, a ball discharge port through which the game ball from the ball receiving unit passes and discharges toward the ball launching device, and the rotating body continuously in one direction A rotation receiving means for rotating the sphere, a sphere receiving inclined surface is formed on a bottom surface of the sphere receiving port, a sphere discharging inclined surface inclined in a sphere discharging direction is formed at the sphere discharging port, and A ball lifting device for a gaming machine in which a ball debris prevention portion is formed in the ball supply passage on the downstream side of the ball discharge port so that a part of the game balls in a tandem state can be withdrawn from the row when receiving a pressing force. . The gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein a ball discharge promoting portion is provided on a side wall of the ball receiving portion on a rear side with respect to a rotation direction of the rotating body to impart an acting force to the game ball to be pushed toward the ball discharge port side. Ball lifting device.

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