JP2023054251A - Prize acquisition game device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a prize acquisition game device capable of adjusting gripping force of a prize gripping part on the basis of an opening/closing angle of each arm.

SOLUTION: A prize acquisition game device 1 includes at least one prize gripping part 40 for gripping a prize. Gripping force of each prize gripping part 40 is adjusted by a control part 61. Each prize gripping part 40 includes a single motor 42, a plurality of arms 43A, 43B, and 43C, and a plurality of angle sensors 44A, 44B, and 44C. The angle sensors 44A, 44B, and 44C detect opening/closing angles α,β,γ of the corresponding arms 43A, 43B, and 43C. The control part 60 controls the drive of the single motor 42 on the basis of a plurality of the opening/closing angles α,β,γ detected by the angle sensors 44A, 44B, and 44C.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

COPYRIGHT: (C)2023,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a prize acquisition game device such as a crane game.

2. Description of the Related Art In amusement facilities and the like, a prize-getting game device that operates a prize-holding unit to carry a prize such as a stuffed toy to a prize payout port has become widespread. Increasing the gripping force of the prize gripper tends to increase the number of prizes to be dispensed, while weakening the gripping force of the prize gripper tends to decrease the number of prizes to be dispensed. Therefore, there has been proposed a prize acquisition game device capable of adjusting the gripping force of the prize gripper (see Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example).

The crane game machine described in Patent Document 1 changes the gripping force of the arm so that the actual prize acquisition rate counted by the control unit approaches a preset prize acquisition rate.
More specifically, if the target prize acquisition rate is below the target prize acquisition rate, the driving time of the motor for opening and closing the arm is extended, and if the target prize acquisition rate is above the target prize acquisition rate, the motor drive time is shortened. When the driving time of the motor is extended, the coil spring of the arm is extended by that amount, and the gripping force is strengthened.

The game device described in Patent Document 2 includes a pair of upper and lower pressing members sandwiching base ends of a plurality of arms, a coil spring that biases the lower pressing member toward the upper pressing member, and an upper pressing member. and a peripheral wall plate that restricts movement of the pressing member. The upper pressing member and the coil spring are vertically moved by a ball screw. The gripping force of the arm is determined by the biasing force of the coil spring that causes the arm to follow the upper pressing member. When the movement of the upper pressing member is restricted and the coil spring approaches the upper pressing member, the coil spring is compressed and the gripping force of the arm increases.

The crane game machine described in Patent Document 1 monitors the winning rate of prizes to adjust the drive time of the motor, and does not refer to the opening/closing angle of each arm at all. Similarly, the game device described in Patent Document 2 detects the positional relationship between the single upper pressing member and the coil spring to adjust the urging force of the coil spring, and does not refer to the opening/closing angle of each arm at all. not In other words, in the prize capturing game devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the gripping force of the prize gripping portion cannot be adjusted based on the opening/closing angle of each arm.

JP 2012-29825 A JP 2016-1430372 A

However, not all arms contact the prize at the same time. An urging member such as a coil spring that determines the gripping force of the arm starts accumulating energy in order from the arm that comes into contact with the prize and stops moving. The opening and closing angle of the arm varies according to the time difference, and the gripping force of the arm also varies depending on the opening and closing angle. Unless the drive time of the drive source is adjusted based on the opening/closing angle of each arm, the gripping force of the arm cannot be preferably adjusted.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a prize-getting game device capable of adjusting the gripping force of a prize gripper based on the opening/closing angle of each arm.

One aspect of the present invention is a prize-getting game device that includes at least one prize gripping unit that grips a prize. The gripping force of each prize gripper is adjusted by the controller. Each prize gripper has a single drive source, multiple arms, and multiple sensors. A driving force supplied from a single driving source is distributed to a plurality of arms. Each arm opens and closes as the driving force is distributed. A sensor is provided for each arm. Each sensor detects the opening/closing angle of the corresponding arm. The controller controls driving of the single drive source based on a plurality of opening/closing angles detected by the sensor.

According to this aspect, even if the opening/closing angles of the arms vary, the opening/closing angles can be detected individually. In a configuration in which a single drive source is driven to open and close a plurality of arms, the opening and closing angles of each arm are individually detected instead of detecting the opening and closing angles of the plurality of arms all together. The gripping force can be suitably adjusted.

In the above aspect, each prize gripping portion includes a spring seat member connected to each arm for rotating the arm in the direction of closing the arm, and a spring seat member attached to each arm that is stored when the spring seat member moves in the direction of closing the arm. and a biasing coil spring.

According to this aspect, a coil spring can be used as the biasing member interposed between the arm and the drive source. If it is a coil spring, it is easy to grasp the urging force accumulated as a delay of the opening/closing angle of the arm with respect to the movement of the spring seat member. The coil spring may be a torsion coil spring that receives a torsional moment about the central axis from a rotating spring seat member, or a tension coil spring that receives a tensile stress in the expanding and contracting direction from an oscillating spring seat member. may

In the above aspect, each prize gripper may further include a feed screw that converts rotational motion of the screw shaft into linear motion of the nut, and a link mechanism that connects each arm to the nut. A single drive source may rotationally drive the screw shaft, and each arm may rotate in the opening direction or the closing direction in conjunction with the linear motion of the nut.

According to this aspect, the driving force of a single driving source can be distributed to a plurality of arms with a simple configuration in which the feed screw and the link mechanism are combined. Since the prize gripping section can be configured compactly and at low cost, it is particularly suitable for a prize acquisition game device with a small housing.

In the above aspect, the control unit may control driving of the single drive source based on the opening/closing angle of the arm having the largest opening/closing angle in the closing direction.

The arm with the largest opening/closing angle in the closing direction has a weaker gripping force than the other arms. When a prize is gripped by a plurality of arms, even if the gripping force of one of the arms is strong, if the gripping force of the arm supporting from the opposite direction is weak, the prize escapes and cannot be gripped strongly. In other words, an arm with a weak gripping force greatly affects the gripping force of the prize gripping portion as a whole. According to this aspect, the drive of the single drive source can be controlled based on the open/close angle of the arm with the weakest gripping force, and the gripping force of the prize gripping portion can be adjusted favorably.

In the above aspect, when the number of arms is 2n+1, the control unit controls driving of the single drive source based on the opening/closing angle of the arm having the n+1th largest opening/closing angle in the closing direction. When the number of arms is 2n, the control unit selects the opening/closing angle of the arm with the nth largest opening/closing angle in the closing direction, the n+1th largest opening/closing angle of the arm, or the nth largest opening/closing angle of the arm and the (n+1)th arm opening/closing angle. A single driving source is driven based on either one of the large arm opening and closing angle and the average value.

Depending on the shape of the prize and the number of arms, it may be preferable to use other arms instead of the arm with the weakest gripping force. According to this aspect, when the number of arms is, for example, three, the gripping force of the entire prize gripping portion can be preferably adjusted on the basis of the opening/closing angle of the arm with the second gripping force. When the number of arms is, for example, four, the open/close angle of the arm with the third gripping force may be used as the reference, or the open/close angle of the arm with the second gripping force may be used as the reference. may be used as a reference. The gripping force of the prize gripping portion can be suitably adjusted according to the shape of the prize and the number of arms.

In the above aspect, the control unit calculates a weighted average value in which the arm having the largest opening/closing angle in the closing direction is weighted more heavily than the other arms, and based on this weighted average value, the single drive source is operated. Drive may be controlled.

According to this aspect, the opening and closing angles of the plurality of arms, that is, the gripping force, are appropriately considered according to the opening and closing conditions, and the weight of each opening and closing angle is finely set according to the shape of the prize and the number of arms. It is possible to suitably adjust the gripping force of the gripping portion.

The above aspect may further include a prize payout sensor that detects the number of prizes given out. The control unit may obtain a payout index based on the number of prizes paid out, and control driving of the single drive source based on this payout index.

An example of the payout index is a payout rate obtained by dividing the purchase amount of the paid-out prize by the amount of money invested. For example, if a prize purchased for 500 yen is acquired for 1000 yen, the payout rate is 50%. According to this aspect, it is possible to further add an adjustment based on the payout rate to the control based on the detection results of the plurality of sensors described above. In an amusement facility, operators do not need to frequently monitor the payout rate or manually adjust the gripping force of the prize gripper. The operator's burden can be reduced. Note that the payout index is not limited to the payout rate, and may be the number of prizes paid out per unit time. The payout index may be calculated by the control unit and acquired by itself, or may be acquired from the outside via a network or the like.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a prize acquisition game device capable of adjusting the gripping force of the prize gripping portion based on the opening/closing angle of each arm.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a prize acquisition game device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a prize gripper according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III shown in FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the proximal end of the arm shown in FIG. 3. FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line VV shown in FIG. 6 is a right side view of the prize gripper shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the prize gripping unit shown in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing an example of a procedure for controlling a single motor based on multiple opening/closing angles. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing an example of field partitions. 10 is a front view showing an example of the coin chute shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 11 is a right side view of the coin chute shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the sliding door and middle field structure shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 13 is an enlarged front view of the lock mechanism shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 14 is a sectional view showing an enlarged gap between the right side plate and the middle field structure shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 15 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of the prize payout opening shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 16 is a sectional view showing a state in which the prize is pushed into the switchback area by the flap shown in FIG. 15. FIG.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, in each figure, the same reference numerals have the same or similar configurations. A prize acquisition game device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention individually detects the opening/closing angles α, β, γ of all arms 43A, 43B, 43C, and based on the plurality of opening/closing angles α, β, γ One of the features is to control the driving of one motor 42 (see FIG. 5).

If α>β>γ, for example, the driving of the motor 42 may be controlled based on the largest opening/closing angle α among the opening/closing angles α, β, and γ. For example, the drive of the motor 42 may be controlled based on the second largest open/close angle β. For example, the driving of the motor 42 may be controlled based on a weighted average value (w1×α+w2×β+w3×γ)/(w1+w2+w3) having weights w1>w2>w3.

Since the gripping force of the arms 43A, 42B, and 42C varies depending on the opening/closing angles α, β, and γ, even if the gripping force of any one of the arms 43C is strong, the gripping force of the arms 43A, 43B that support it from the opposite direction. If is weak, the prize escapes and cannot be gripped strongly. According to this embodiment, the drive of the motor 42 is controlled based on the opening/closing angles α, β, γ of the respective arms 43A, 43B, 43C, so the gripping force of the entire prize gripping portion 40 can be adjusted favorably. Hereinafter, each configuration will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 16. FIG.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a prize acquisition game device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the prize acquisition game device 1 includes a housing 2 formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Note that the housing 2 may have other shapes such as a substantially cylindrical shape. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the prize acquisition game device 1 is configured in two stages, upper and lower, the first game device 3 is arranged in the lower stage of the housing 2, and the second game device 4 is arranged in the upper stage of the housing 2. there is It should be noted that the prize acquisition game machine 1 may be configured with one upper and lower tier, or may be configured with three or more upper and lower tiers. It may be configured in two rows on the left and right.

The housing 2 includes front doors 11 and 12, a left side panel 13, a right side panel 14, and a back panel 15 which are made of translucent material such as acrylic resin or glass. Front doors 11 and 12 are attached to the first and second game devices 3 and 4, respectively. The unlocking and locking of the front doors 11, 12 will be described later in detail with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. FIG. The left board 13, the right board 14, and the back board 15 are composed of a single board over the first and second game devices 3,4. A gap is ensured between the left side plate 13, the right side plate 14, the back plate 15 and the first and second game devices 3,4. This will be explained in more detail later with reference to FIGS. 12 and 14. FIG.

The first game device 3 includes the lower field structure 5 and the bottom plate of the middle field structure 6 in addition to the front door 11 , the left side plate 13 , the right side plate 14 and the back plate 15 described above. The second game device 4 includes most of the middle field structure 6 and a top plate 7 in addition to the front door 12 , left side plate 13 , right side plate 14 and back plate 15 described above.

The lower field structure 5, the middle field structure 6, and the top plate 7 are arranged from the bottom to the top with a space between them, and are fixed to a pair of left and right support columns 8.例文帳に追加The struts 8 stand between the left plate 13 and the back plate 15 and between the right plate 14 and the back plate 15, respectively.

A space between the lower field structure 5 and the middle field structure 6 is defined as a prize storage section 16 of the first game device 3 . A space between the middle field structure 6 and the top plate 7 is defined as a prize storage section 17 of the second game device 4 . The gift storage sections 16 and 17 are surrounded by translucent front doors 11 and 12, a left side panel 13, a right side panel 14 and a back panel 15 and can be visually recognized from the outside.

The top surface of the lower field structure 5 is configured as the field 18 of the first game device 3 , and the top surface of the middle field structure 6 is configured as the field 19 of the second game device 4 . Prizes are placed on the fields 18 and 19 . Fields 18 and 19 are described in greater detail below with reference to FIG.

Each of the prize storage units 16 and 17 is provided with a prize gripping unit (prize catcher) 40 that can move between the fields 18 and 19 to grip a prize. A front panel of the lower field structure 5 is provided with a first operating section 31 for operating the lower prize gripping section 40 and a prize payout opening 33 through which the conveyed prize drops. Similarly, the front panel of the middle field structure 6 is provided with a second operating section 32 for operating the upper prize gripping section 40 and a prize payout opening 34 through which the conveyed prize drops.

A first coin slot 21 is provided next to the first operation portion 31 . When playable credits are inserted into the first coin slot 21, an operation is input to the first operation section 31, and the prize holding section 40 on the lower stage can be operated. Similarly, a second coin slot 22 is provided next to the second operation section 32 . When playable credits are inserted into the second coin slot 22, an operation is input to the second operation section 32, and the prize holding section 40 on the lower stage can be operated. Note that the coin insertion slots 21 and 22 may be provided with a bill insertion machine or an electronic money input device.

The first and second operation units 31 and 32 used in the game are, for example, buttons and levers. When a prize is dropped into the prize payout openings 33 and 34 by operating the prize gripper 40, the player can take out the prize from the prize payout openings 33 and 34. - 特許庁Prize payout sensors 35 and 36 for detecting the number of putout prizes are provided at the prize payout openings 33 and 34, respectively. The internal structure of the prize payout openings 33 and 34 will be described later in detail with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16. FIG.

Coin selectors 23 and 24 are attached to the first and second coin slots 21 and 22, respectively. Coin selectors 23 and 24 detect the type and number of coins inserted into the first and second coin slots, respectively. Note that the coin selectors 23 and 24 may have the function of temporarily holding coins and withdrawing the coins from the coin withdrawal port when a withdrawal operation is received.

Only the lower field structure 5 has a built-in cash box 26. - 特許庁A coin inserted into the first coin slot 21 drops into the cash box 26 . Coins inserted into the second coin slot 22 on the upper level are guided by a coin chute 25 and dropped into a cash box 26 common to the first and second coin slots 21 and 22 .

The coin chute 25 and cash box 26 will be described later in detail with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. Note that the first and second game devices 3 and 4 have substantially the same shape and function except for the coin chute 25 and the cash box 26. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the first game device 3 will be described in detail as a representative, and redundant description of the second game device 4 will be omitted.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of the prize gripper 40 according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2 , the prize gripper 40 has a plurality of arms 43 . In the example shown in FIG. 2, the prize gripper 40 has three arms 43A, 43B, and 43C. The number of arms 43 may be two, or four or more. The prize gripper 40 further includes a bracket 41 and a control board 60 fixed to the bracket 41 .

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the prize gripper 40 further includes a single motor 42 attached to the bracket 41, a feed screw (screw shaft 53 and nut 54) and an angle sensor 44. As shown in FIG. The motor 42 is, for example, a DC brush motor with a gearhead, and is an example of a drive source. Instead of the motor 42, the prize gripping unit 40 may be configured with a pneumatic or hydraulic drive source. A motor shaft gear 51 is attached to the output shaft of the motor 42 via a gear head.

The feed screw is a slide screw, a ball screw, or the like, and converts the rotational motion of the screw shaft 53 into the linear motion of the nut 54 . A screw shaft gear 52 is attached to the screw shaft 53 . The screw shaft gear 52 meshes with the motor shaft gear 51 . The nut 54 and arm 43 are connected by a link mechanism composed of first and second parts 55 and 56 . The first part 55 is fixed to the nut 54 . The center of rotation of the second part 56 is rotatably supported by the proximal end portion 58 of the arm 43 . One end of the second part 56 is connected to a slot formed in the first part 55 .

In the example shown in FIG. 3, the link mechanism is a swing slider crank, and when the first part 55 moves up and down, one end of the second part 56 slides in a slot formed in the first part 55 to move the second part 55 upward. Part 56 swings. More specifically, when the first part 55 moves upward, the second part 56 rotates the arm 43 in the closing direction D1. When the first part 55 moves downward, the second part 56 rotates the arm 43 in the opening direction D2.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the proximal end portion 58 of the arm 43. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the arm 43 is provided with a biasing member. The biasing force of the biasing member determines the gripping force with which the arm 43 presses the prize. In the example shown in FIG. 4, coil springs 57L and 57R are provided as urging members at the base end portion 58 of the arm 43 .

The coil springs 57L and 57R are torsion coil springs, and are attached to the arm 43 so that the central axis of the coil coincides with the rotation axis 581 of the base end portion 58. As shown in FIG. Note that the biasing member of the arm 43 is not limited to the torsion coil spring, and may be a spring such as an extension coil spring or other elastic member. One end arm portions of the coil springs 57L and 57R are bent and fixed to the base end portion 58 .

A coil spring (close direction spring) 57L urges the arm 43 toward the prize to give a grasping force with which the arm 43 presses the prize. In addition, when the large arm 43 and a small prize are combined, the weight of the arm 43 may act as a grasping force that presses the prize. A coil spring (opening direction spring) 57R biases the arm 43 in the opening direction D2 to balance the weight of the arm 43.

A second component 56 of the link mechanism is composed of a pair of spring seat members 56L and 56R that sandwich a base end portion 58 therebetween. The rotation center of the spring seat members 56L, 56R coincides with the rotation axis 581 of the base end portion 58. As shown in FIG. Spring seats for supporting the other ends of the coil springs 57L and 57R are formed at the rotation centers of the spring seat members 56L and 56R, respectively.

When the spring seat member 56L rotates in the closing direction D1 of the arm 43 via the coil spring 57L while the arm 43 is in contact with the prize and hardly moves, the arm portion on the other end side of the coil spring 57L moves to the spring seat. , the biasing force of the coil spring 57L increases. When the spring seat member 56L reversely rotates in the direction D2 to open the arm 43, the biasing force of the coil spring 57L is reduced.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line VV shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, one of the features of the prize gripper 40 according to the present invention is that angle sensors 44 (44A, 44B, 44C) are provided on all the arms 43 (43A, 43B, 43C). is. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the angle sensor 44 is a volume that outputs a voltage corresponding to the rotation angle. Note that the angle sensor 44 may be a photointerrupter or the like. The angle sensor 44 meshes with a gear portion 582 formed around a rotation shaft 581 of the base end portion 58 of the arm 43 . A control unit 61, which will be described later, controls driving of the single motor 42 based on the opening/closing angles α, β, and γ of the angle sensors 44, respectively.

FIG. 6 is a right side view showing the prize gripper 40. FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the prize gripper 40 further includes a vertical sensor 45 that detects the vertical position of the nut 54 . A vertical sensor gear 59 is attached to the rotating shaft 581 of the base end portion 58 . The vertical sensor 45 has the same volume as the angle sensor 44 and meshes with the vertical sensor gear 59 . The prize gripping unit 40 further includes a lower limit sensor 46 (shown in FIG. 7) that detects the lower limit position and an upper limit sensor 47 (shown in FIG. 7) that detects the upper limit position. The lower limit sensor 46 and the upper limit sensor 47 use, for example, a photointerrupter, and a sensor dog (not shown) attached to the nut 54 of the feed screw (shown in FIG. 3) blocks the light, thereby allowing the nut 54 to move to the end of the movable range. Detect movement. Incidentally, the contact of the sensor dog may be detected by a pressure-sensitive sensor.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the prize gripper 40. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7 , the control board 60 includes a control section 61 and a storage section 62 . Note that the control unit 61 and the storage unit 62 are not limited to the control board 60 mounted on the prize gripping part 40, and may be provided with a board mounted on the lower field structure 5 or the middle field structure 6.

The storage unit 62 has a function of storing various programs and an operating system. The storage unit 62 also functions as a work area in which various data are temporarily stored during processing by the control unit 61 . The storage unit 62 is implemented by, for example, a ROM. In addition, RAM etc. may be sufficient. Various programs and data necessary for controlling the driving of the motor 42 are stored in the ROM. ROM is, for example, volatile memory typified by DRAM, non-rewritable non-volatile memory typified by mask ROM, and rewritable non-volatile memory typified by flash memory, or an appropriate combination thereof. Configured.

The control unit 61 can be implemented by the functions of a CPU mounted on the control board 60, for example. The CPU develops and executes programs stored in the ROM on the memory of the storage unit 62, and causes devices constituting the prize gripping unit 40 to realize various functions, thereby cooperating with other hardware units and components. a gripping force control means 611 that functions to adjust the gripping force of the prize gripping portion 40; . The control unit 61 may further include payout index calculation means 613 for calculating a payout index based on the number of prizes paid out.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing an example of a procedure for controlling driving of a single motor 42 based on a plurality of opening/closing angles α, β, γ. When the player's operation is input to the first operation unit 31, the prize gripping unit 40 moves according to the player's operation (step S1). When all the player's operations are completed, the prize gripper 40 descends and starts closing the arms 43 (step S2). The arm 43 stops when it comes into contact with the prize or when it closes to the limit angle. If the arm 43 has not stopped, the controller 61 returns to step S2 and repeats the closing operation of the arm 43 (step S3).

On the other hand, if the arms 43 are stopped, the opening/closing angle of each arm 43 is detected (step S3). The control unit 61 (adjustment index determining means 612) applies the detected opening/closing angle to a condition set by the operator (for example, the opening/closing angle is the largest) and determines an adjustment index for the gripping force (step S5). The gripping force adjustment index is not limited to the opening/closing angle α of the arm 43A having the largest opening/closing angle in the closing direction D1, and conditions can be appropriately selected according to the shape of the prize and the number of arms 43.

For example, when the number of arms 43 is 2n+1, the opening/closing angle of the arm 43 in the closing direction D1 may be the n+1th largest opening/closing angle. For example, when the number of arms 43 is 2n, it may be the n+1th largest opening/closing angle of the arm 43 or the nth largest opening/closing angle of the arm 43 . It may be the n+1th largest open/close angle of the arm 43 . An average value thereof may be used.

For example, a weighted average value (w1×α+w2×β+w3×γ)/(w1+w2+w3) in which the arm 43A having the largest opening/closing angle in the closing direction D1 is weighted more than the other arms 43B and 43C is calculated, and this weight It may be an average value with . The control unit 61 (gripping force control means 611) controls driving of the single motor 42 based on the gripping force adjustment index determined in step S5 (step S6).

The control unit 61 can also add a correction value such as a payout index to the main adjustment index. The control unit 61 (payout index calculation means) acquires a payout index based on the number of prizes paid out. An example of a payout index is a payout rate obtained by dividing the number of prizes paid out by the amount of money invested. Note that the payout index is not limited to the payout rate, and may be the number of prizes paid out per unit time. The payout index may be calculated by the control unit and acquired by itself, or may be acquired from the outside via a network or the like.

When adjusting the gripping force of the prize gripping unit 40 based on the payout index, the fields 18 and 19 are divided into a plurality of fields, the payout rate is counted for each field, and the gripping force of the prize gripping unit 40 is adjusted. You may FIG. 9 is an example of dividing the field 18 into a plurality of areas. As shown in FIG. 9, the field 18 may be divided into two areas, areas 181-182 and areas 183-184.

Although not shown, the field 18 may be divided into areas 181 to 183 and an area 184. FIG. The field 18 may be divided into two areas, an area 181 and areas 182-184. Field 18 may be divided into three areas, area 181, areas 182-183, and area 184. FIG. It may be further divided into smaller pieces. For example, if the area for arranging a given prize is reduced according to the number of prizes in stock, and other prizes are added to the empty space, the fewer prizes can be arranged in a more attractive manner.

In the example shown in FIG. 9, additional physical partitions may be placed at the boundaries of field 18 . Setting up physical partitions makes it easier to understand visually. In addition, since it is possible to prevent the prizes in adjacent areas from being mixed, the types of prizes can be clearly divided. Furthermore, if the grasping force is adjusted for each area as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8, the payout rate of prizes with different unit prices for each divided field can be considered and handled appropriately. becomes possible. The position of the prize gripper 40 in the partitioned area can be determined from a sensor provided in the horizontal movement mechanism of the prize gripper 40 (not shown) or the number of steps of the stepping motor for horizontal movement.

The prize acquisition game device 1 of this embodiment configured as described above distributes the driving force of the single motor 42 to the plurality of arms 43 . Since the prize gripping portion 40 can be configured compactly and at a low cost, it is suitable for the prize acquisition game device 1 which is divided into upper and lower two stages and whose prize storage portions 16 and 17 are small. As shown in FIG. 5, since the angle sensors 44 are provided for all the arms 43, even if the opening/closing angles of the arms 43A, 43B, and 43C vary, the opening/closing angles α, β, and γ can be detected individually. Therefore, the gripping force of the prize gripping portion 40 can be preferably adjusted.

If α>β>γ, for example, the driving of the motor 42 is controlled based on the largest opening/closing angle α among the opening/closing angles α, β, and γ. When a prize is gripped by a plurality of arms 43A, 43B, 43C, even if the gripping force of any one arm 43C is strong, if the gripping force of the arms 43A, 43B supporting from the opposite direction is weak, the prize escapes and is strongly gripped. Can not do it. Therefore, if the open/close angle of the arm 43A with the weakest gripping force is used as a reference, the drive of the single motor 42 can be controlled and the gripping force of the prize gripping portion 40 can be suitably adjusted.

Depending on the shape of the prize and the number of arms 43, it may be preferable to use the other arms 43B and 43C instead of the arm 43A with the weakest gripping force. For example, the drive of the motor 42 is controlled based on the weighted average value (w1×α+w2×β+w3×γ)/(w1+w2+w3) having weights of w1>w2>w3, and the number of arms 43 is adjusted according to the shape of the prize and the number of arms 43. By finely setting the weight of each opening/closing angle, the gripping force of the prize gripper 40 can be adjusted appropriately. For example, the drive of the motor 42 may be controlled based on the arm 43 with medium gripping force. Conditions for determining the adjustment index are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately selected according to the shape of the prize and the number of arms 43 .

Next, with reference to FIGS. 10 to 16, features of the housing 2 of the prize acquisition game machine 1 of this embodiment will be described. First, the coin chute 25 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. As mentioned above, the housing 2 has first and second coin slots 21, 22 corresponding to the upper and lower fields 18, 19 respectively, but the cash box 26 is located in the lower field structure 5. are placed only. The first coin slot 21 is on the left side of the front panel of the lower field structure 5 and the second coin slot 22 is on the right side of the front panel of the middle field structure 6 .

The prize acquisition game machine 1 of the present embodiment includes a coin chute 25 that guides coins inserted into the second coin slot 22 on the upper level to a cash box 26 on the lower level. If the coin chute 25 were configured vertically, there is a risk that the coin chute 25 and the cash box 26 would be damaged by the impact of falling coins. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, all of the first to third inclined portions 251, 252, 253 constituting the coin chute 25 are provided with gradients .delta., .epsilon., .zeta. It is formed to absorb the impact of the In the illustrated example, ε>δ, ζ, and the coin rolls and moves along the gentle gradients δ, ζ on the first and third inclined portions 251, 253, respectively. At the second slope 252, the coin slides down the steep slope ε. By providing the gradients δ, ε, and ζ, it is possible to prevent the coin chute 25 and the cash box 26 from being damaged by the impact caused by the direct drop of the coin.

Next, the locking structure of the front doors 11, 12 will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. FIG. Since the front doors 11 and 12 have substantially the same shape and function, the front door 12 will be described in detail as a representative, and redundant description of the front door 11 will be omitted. If the front doors 11 and 12 are double doors, the front doors 11 and 12 will obstruct pedestrians during replenishment of prizes.

As shown in FIG. 12, in the present embodiment, the front door 12 is constructed as a left and right sliding door type so as not to interfere with pedestrians. In the case of a left and right sliding door type, key cylinders are usually attached to the left and right sliding doors, respectively. However, in the case of the vertically elongated two-stage type with small left and right spaces as in this embodiment, in addition to the key cylinder 27 for locking the left sliding door 12L, it is necessary to secure a space for the key cylinder for locking the right sliding door 12R. Have difficulty. Furthermore, since there are a plurality of fields, if two key cylinders are attached to each field, the cost becomes high.

Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, only the left sliding door 12L is provided with a key cylinder 27 for unlocking and locking from the outside. When replenishing the prize, the key cylinder 27 of the left sliding door 12L is unlocked and the left sliding door 12L is slid to the right. When arranging a prize in a place far from the left sliding door 12L, there is a case where the right sliding door 12R is slid to the left to replenish the prize. For such a case, a lock mechanism 28 that can be unlocked by hand is provided inside the right sliding door 12R.

As shown in FIG. 13, the lock mechanism 28 includes a lock bar 281, a guide 282 that holds the lock bar 281 in an upright position, and a hole 283 into which the lock bar 281 is fitted. By lifting the lock bar 281 and removing it from the hole 283, the right sliding door 12R can be slid to the left. When locking, the right sliding door 12R is slid to the right. When the right sliding door 12R is returned to its original position, the lock bar 281 is guided by the guide 282 and falls into the hole 283 by its own weight, locking the right sliding door 12R.

Next, the gaps secured between the left side plate 13, the right side plate 14, the back plate 15, and the middle field structure 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 14. FIG. As described above, the left board 13, right board 14 and back board 15 are attached across the first and second game devices 3,4. A middle field structure 6 is arranged between the upper and lower fields 18 , 19 .

When fixing the transparent plate such as the right side plate 14 to the middle field structure 6, a gap is left between the middle field structure 6 and the transparent plate to prevent vibration during transportation from a factory to an amusement facility or the like. It is possible to prevent the transparent plate from contacting the intermediate field structure 6 and scratching the transparent plate. As shown in FIG. 14, right side plate 14 is secured to interrupted field structure 6 by shoulder washers 141 and screws 142 . A shoulder washer 141 and a spacer rubber (not shown) are used to hold the clearance.

Next, the internal structure of the prize payout openings 33 and 34 will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16. FIG. Since the prize acquisition game device 1 of the present embodiment is of a two-tiered type, the space is greatly restricted. In this embodiment, a switchback area 38 for rotating the prize is secured so that even if a prize having a large size falls into the prize payout openings 33 and 34, the prize can be taken out. When the flap 37 is pushed up, the prize falls on the floor of the inner space of the prize payout openings 33 and 34. - 特許庁When the flap 37 is further pushed up, the prize moves to a switchback area 38 partitioned on the inner side of the inner space of the prize payout openings 33, 34, and the flap 37 is pushed up to the upper limit to take out the prize. According to the present embodiment, even with a small-sized housing, a large-sized prize can be taken out in the same manner as with a normal-sized housing.

The embodiments described above are for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit and interpret the present invention. Each element included in the embodiment and its arrangement, materials, conditions, shape, size, etc. are not limited to those illustrated and can be changed as appropriate. Also, it is possible to partially replace or combine the configurations shown in different embodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Prize acquisition game device, 2... Case, 3... First game device, 4... Second game device, 5... Lower field structure, 6... Middle field structure, 7... Top plate, 8... Post, 11 , 12... Front door, 12L... Left sliding door 12L, 12R... Right sliding door, 13... Left side plate, 14... Right side plate, 15... Back plate, 16, 17... Prize storage section, 18, 19... Field, 21... First first Coin slot 22 Second coin slot 23, 24 Coin selector 25 Coin chute 26 Cash box 27 Key cylinder 28 Lock mechanism 281 Lock bar 282 Guide 283 Hole 31... First operation part 32... Second operation part 33, 34... Prize payout opening 35, 36... Prize payout sensor 37... Flap 38... Switchback area 40... Prize grip part 41... Bracket, 42... Motor (an example of drive source), 43, 43A
, 43B, 43C... arms, 44, 44A, 44B, 44C... angle sensors (an example of sensors), 45... vertical sensors, 46... lower limit sensors, 47... upper limit sensors, 51... motor shaft gears, 52... screw shaft gears, 53... screw shaft, 54... nut, 55... first part (part of link mechanism), 56... second part (part of link mechanism), 57L, 57R... coil spring, 58... base end, 59... Upper and lower sensor gears 60 Control board 61 Control unit 62 Storage unit 141 Shoulder washer 142 Screw 181, 182, 183, 184 Areas dividing the field 251 First slope 252 2nd inclined portion 253 3rd inclined portion 581 rotation axis of arm 582 gear portion 611 gripping force control means 612 adjustment index determination means 613 payout index calculation means D1 arm Closing direction, D2... Arm opening direction, n... Natural number, w1, w2, w3... Weight, α, β, γ... Opening/closing angle, δ, ε, ζ... Gradient.

Claims (7)

A prize acquisition game device comprising at least one prize gripping unit for gripping a prize, further comprising a control unit for adjusting gripping force of each prize gripping unit,
Each of the prize grippers includes:
a single drive source;
a plurality of arms that open and close by distributing the driving force supplied from the single driving source;
a sensor provided for each of the arms and detecting an opening/closing angle of the corresponding arm;
The prize capturing game apparatus, wherein the control unit controls driving of the single drive source based on the opening and closing angles detected by the plurality of sensors. Each of the prize grippers includes:
a spring seat member connected to each of the arms to rotate the arms in a closing direction;
2. A prize-taking game apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a coil spring attached to each of said arms and energized when said spring seat member moves in a direction to close said arms. Each of the prize grippers includes:
a feed screw that converts the rotary motion of the screw shaft into linear motion of the nut;
a link mechanism connecting each of the arms to the nut;
The single drive source rotationally drives the screw shaft,
3. A prize-taking game device according to claim 1, wherein each of said arms rotates in an opening direction or a closing direction in conjunction with the rectilinear motion of said nut. 4. The prize capturing game according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit controls driving of the single drive source based on an opening/closing angle of the arm having a largest opening/closing angle in a closing direction. Device. When the number of arms is 2n+1,
The control unit controls driving of the single drive source based on the opening/closing angle of the arm having the n+1th largest opening/closing angle in the closing direction,
When the number of arms is 2n,
The control unit selects the nth largest opening/closing angle of the arm in the closing direction, the n+1th largest opening/closing angle of the arm, or the nth largest opening/closing angle of the arm and the n+1th largest opening/closing angle of the arm. 4. A prize-taking game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said single drive source is driven based on any one of an average value of the opening and closing angles of . wherein the control unit controls driving of the single drive source based on a weighted average value of the opening and closing angles in which the arm having the largest opening and closing angle in the closing direction is weighted more than the other arms. Item 4. A prize acquisition game device according to any one of Items 1 to 3. further comprising a prize payout sensor for detecting the number of given prizes,
7. The control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control unit acquires a payout index based on the number of prizes paid out, and controls driving of the single drive source based on the payout index. The prize acquisition game device described.

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