JP2023102476A - Winning ball put-out device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a winning ball put-out device which is high in reliability and capable of reliably holding balls in a passage.SOLUTION: A case 11 includes: a supply port 11a of balls 25; a first exhaust port 11b exhausting the balls; a second exhaust port 11c exhausting the balls; a first passage 11d connecting the supply port and the first exhaust port; and a second passage 11e connecting the middle of the first passage and the second exhaust port 11c. The operator 13 is slidably provided in the case. The operator 13 is provided with a switch member 13a which is arranged at an entrance 11f of the second passage in the middle of the first passage and switches the first passage and the second passage.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The embodiment of the present invention relates to a prize ball payout device for a gaming machine, for example, a pachinko machine.

For example, a prize payout device is provided between adjacent pachinko machines. The prize ball payout device has a function of counting and paying out the number of balls when a banknote is inserted into a banknote slot provided between adjacent pachinko machines, or when a win occurs on the pachinko machine. A payout mechanism for putting out balls includes, for example, a passage for storing balls, a rotating body for putting out the balls in the passage to a payout port, a motor for driving the rotating body, a switching valve for switching between guiding the balls accumulated in the passage to the discharge passage and the state for guiding the balls to the supply passage, and an operating member for operating the switching valve. The switching valve has a structure in which one end is rotatably held by a shaft and the other end hangs down due to its own weight.

Japanese Patent No. 4530430

Since one end of the switching valve is rotatably held by a shaft, an operating member is required to regulate the operation of the switching valve. However, since each part of the switching valve and the operating member has a tolerance, there is a possibility that each part may rattle when assembled. Moreover, since the weight of the plurality of balls in the passage is applied to the switching valve, it may be difficult for the switching valve to reliably hold the balls in the passage.

The present embodiment provides a highly reliable prize ball dispensing device capable of reliably holding balls in the passage.

The prize ball payout device of the present embodiment comprises a case having a ball supply port, a first discharge port for discharging the balls, a second discharge port for discharging the balls, a first passage connecting the supply port and the first discharge port, and a second passage connecting the middle of the first passage and the second discharge port, and an operator slidably provided in the case, the operator being located in the middle of the first passage and at the entrance of the second passage. and a switching member for switching between the first passage and the second passage.

The perspective view which shows an example of the prize ball payout apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the cover of FIG. 1 removed; FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a plurality of gears removed from FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the substrate removed from FIG. 3 ; FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an operating state different from FIG. 4;

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same parts are given the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a prize ball payout device 10 according to this embodiment. The prize ball payout device 10 is detachably installed, for example, between adjacent pachinko machines (not shown). The prize ball payout device 10 has a case 11 and a cover 12 attached to the case 11. - 特許庁An operator 13 is provided on the front surface of the case 11 . The manipulator 13 is operated to forcibly discharge the balls accumulated in the later-described passage of the prize ball payout device 10 when, for example, the pachinko machine is replaced or repaired. An opening 14 is provided on the side surface of the cover 12 . A fourth gear 19 , which will be described later, is exposed from the opening 14 . The function of the fourth gear 19 will be described later.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the cover 12 shown in FIG. 1 is taken out. The case 11 has a substrate 15 , and the substrate 15 covers the inside of the case 11 . A first gear 16 , a second gear 17 , a third gear 18 , a fourth gear 19 , a sensor 20 and a connector 21 are arranged on the surface (first surface) of the substrate 15 . The first gear 16 , the second gear 17 and the fourth gear 19 mesh with the third gear 18 .

The first gear 16 is driven by a motor 22 arranged on the back surface (second surface) of the substrate 15 to drive the third gear 18 . The second gear 17 is rotated in accordance with the rotation of the third gear 18, and drives a cam 24 as a rotating body, which will be described later.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the second gear 17, the third gear 18 and the fourth gear 19 are removed from FIG. The surface of the substrate 15 is provided with an opening 15a, a shaft 15b, and a shaft 15c. The opening 15 a is provided at a position corresponding to the center of the second gear 17 . The shaft 15b holds the third gear 18 rotatably. The shaft 15c rotatably holds the fourth gear 19. As shown in FIG.

A first connecting portion 24b provided on a cam 24, which will be described later, protrudes to the surface of the substrate 15 through the opening 15a. The first connecting portion 24 b is connected to a second connecting portion provided at the center of the second gear 17 , and the cam 24 is rotated by the second gear 17 .

FIG. 4 shows a state in which the substrate 15 of FIG. 3 is removed. The case 11 includes a supply port 11a for supplying the balls 25, a first discharge port 11b for discharging the balls 25, a second discharge port 11c, a first passage 11d connecting the supply port 11a and the first discharge port 11b, through which the balls 25 flow, and a second passage 11e connecting the middle of the first passage 11d and the second discharge port 11c, through which the balls 25 flow.

A switching member 13a and a cam 24 as a rotating body are provided at the entrance 11f of the second passage 11e in the middle of the first passage 11d. A sensor 20 for detecting passage of the ball 25 is arranged downstream of the cam 24 in the first passage 11d, that is, between the cam 24 and the first discharge port 11b. Sensor 20 is, for example, a magnetic sensor. Sensor 20 is electrically connected to connector 21 shown in FIG.

The switching member 13a switches between the first passage 11d and the second passage 11e at the entrance 11f of the second passage 11e. As shown in FIG. 4, the switching member 13 prevents the ball 25 in the first passage 11d from entering the second passage 11e when it enters the entrance 11f of the second passage 11e.

The switching member 13a does not necessarily have to have a length sufficient to completely block the entrance 11f of the second passage 11e, but only needs to have a length sufficient to prevent the balls 25 in the first passage 11d from entering the second passage 11e.

The switching member 13a and the operating element 13 are integrally formed of, for example, a resin material. Specifically, the switching member 13 a is integrally formed on the back side of the manipulator 13 . In other words, the manipulator 13 has a switching member 13 a , and the switching member 13 a is movable together with the manipulator 13 .

The manipulator 13 is arranged to be slidable in the vertical direction of the case 11 (directions of arrows A and B in the figure), and the switching member 13a is movable together with the manipulator 13 in the vertical direction. Specifically, when the operator 13 is moved in the direction of arrow B, the switching member 13a closes the entrance 11f of the second passage 11e, and when the operator 13 is moved in the direction of arrow A, the switching member 13a opens the entrance 11f of the second passage 11e.

The cam 24 is rotatably provided at the entrance 11f of the second passage 11e. The cam 24 has a first connecting portion 24b on the shaft 24a. The first connecting portion 24b protrudes from the surface of the substrate 15 through the opening 15a provided in the substrate 15 and is connected to the second connecting portion of the second gear 17, as described above.

The stopped state of the cam 24 is maintained by the detent torque of the motor 22, for example.

Cam 24 has, for example, four corners and four curved portions located between adjacent corners. As shown in FIG. 4, when the cam 24 is stopped, the first ball 25a upstream of the cam 24 in the first passage 11d comes into contact with the tip of one corner of the cam 24 and the switching member 13a and is stopped. Further, the second ball 25b located downstream of the first ball 25a in the first passage 11d is stopped by being brought into contact with one curved portion of the cam 24 and the side wall of the first passage 11d. In this state, the first ball 25a and the second ball 25b are in a non-contact state, and there is a gap between the first ball 25a and the second ball 25b.

When the motor 22 is driven, the cam 24 rotates clockwise as the first gear 16, the third gear 18 and the second gear 17 rotate. As the cam 24 rotates, the ball 25 in the first passage 11d moves inside the first passage 11d and is discharged from the first discharge port 11b.

On the other hand, when all the balls 25 in the first passage 11d need to be removed due to trouble or inspection of the prize ball payout device 10, the manipulator 13 is moved in the illustrated arrow A direction. Along with this, the switching member 13a is also moved in the direction of the illustrated arrow A, and the entrance 11f of the second passage 11e is opened.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the entrance 11f of the second passage 11e is opened, a plurality of balls 25 upstream from the cam 24 in the first passage 11d pass over one curved portion of the cam 24, are guided into the second passage 11e, and are discharged from the second discharge port 11c.

When the operating force of the manipulator 13 is released, the manipulator 13 and the switching member 13a move in the direction of arrow B due to their own weight, and the switching member 13a closes the entrance 11f of the second passage 11e.

The second ball 25b held by one curved portion of the cam 24 and the first passage 11d is ejected by rotating the fourth gear 19 clockwise as indicated by the arrow in FIG. Specifically, when the fourth gear 19 is rotated, the cam 24 is rotated clockwise by the third gear 18 and the second gear 17, and the second ball 25b passes through the first passage 11d and is discharged from the first discharge port 11b.

(Effect of Embodiment)
According to the above-described embodiment, the switching member 13a is configured integrally with the manipulator 13 and moves integrally with the manipulator 13 . Therefore, compared to the case where the switching member 13a and the manipulator 13 are separate bodies, the influence of the tolerance between parts can be eliminated, and the entrance 11f of the second passage 11e can be reliably closed. Therefore, it is possible to provide the prize ball payout device 10 with high reliability.

Moreover, since the switching member 13a is integrally formed with the operator 13, the rigidity of the switching member 13a can be increased. Therefore, in a state where the entrance 11f of the second passage 11e is closed, the closed state can be reliably maintained against the total weight of the plurality of balls 25 positioned upstream from the cam 24 .

In addition, since the switching member 13a moves linearly with respect to the entrance 11f of the second passage 11e, it is possible to shorten the moving distance and close the entrance 11f of the second passage 11e at high speed, compared with the case where the switching member is rotatably held by a shaft, for example.

Furthermore, since the switching member 13a is integrally formed with the operator 13, the number of parts can be reduced and the assembly work can be facilitated.

The manipulator 13 may be urged in the direction of arrow B by an elastic body (not shown) such as a torsion spring. With such a configuration, when the operating force applied to the manipulator 13 is released, the manipulator 13 and the switching member 13a can be moved at high speed by the biasing force of the spring, and the entrance 11f of the second passage 11e can be closed at high speed.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments as they are, and can be embodied by modifying constituent elements without departing from the gist of the present invention at the implementation stage. Also, various inventions can be formed by appropriate combinations of the plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be omitted from all components shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, components across different embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

Reference Signs List 11 Case 11a Supply port 11b First discharge port 11c Second discharge port 11d First passage 11e Second passage 11f Entrance 13 Manipulator 13a Switching member 24 Cam (rotating body) 25 Ball.

Claims (3)

a case comprising a ball supply port, a first discharge port for discharging the balls, a second discharge port for discharging the balls, a first passage connecting the supply port and the first discharge port, and a second passage connecting the middle of the first passage and the second discharge port;
an operator slidably provided on the case;
and
The prize ball payout device, wherein the manipulator is arranged at the entrance of the second passage in the middle of the first passage and has a switching member for switching between the first passage and the second passage. 2. A prize ball payout device according to claim 1, wherein said manipulator and said switching member are integrally formed of a resin material. 2. A prize ball payout device according to claim 1, wherein said switching member is configured to move linearly with respect to the entrance of said second passage.

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