JP2591467Y2 - Game machine ball delivery device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a game machine, and more particularly to a ball feeding device used for a ball game machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A basketball game machine is known as a ball game machine. In this basketball game machine, one of a plurality of balls sent to a ball take-out position is taken out, and the ball is thrown toward a basket placed at a position appropriately away from the player, and the ball is successfully thrown. Competition is made to enter the basket. In this basketball game machine, while the game is being played, the balls are successively sent to the ball take-out position. On the other hand, while the game is not performed, the sending of the ball to the ball take-out position is prohibited. In order to send out such a ball and to prohibit such sending out, a ball sending device is usually installed in this type of ball game machine.

[0003] As such a ball feeding device, a device having a structure as shown in FIG. 7 is conventionally known. This ball feeding device has a ball guide plate 1 for rolling and moving a ball toward a ball take-out position, and a ball stopper bar 2 for stopping the ball from rolling. While the game is being played, the ball stopper bar 2 is raised to an upper position, and the ball 3 is allowed to roll as indicated by an arrow A toward a ball take-out position (not shown). On the other hand, while the game is not performed, the ball stopping bar 2 is lowered to the lower position, and the rolling movement of the ball 3 is prohibited.

As a conventional ball feeding device,
A structure as shown in FIG. 8 is also known. In this conventional device, a turning plate 4 is provided at an appropriate position on the ball guide plate 1, and during the game, the turning plate 4 is lowered and set to be flush with the ball guide plate 1. When the game is not being played, the rotating plate 4 is lifted upward and the ball 3
Rolling movement is prohibited.

[0005]

However, in the conventional ball feeding device shown in FIG. 7, when the ball stopper bar 2 moves, the ball 3 is moved to the ball stopper bar 2.
Between the ball guide plate 1 and the ball guide plate 1. Further, in the conventional ball feeding device shown in FIG. 8, when the rotating plate 4 is lifted upward, the ball 3 is caught between the rotating plate 4 and a ceiling plate (not shown). There was a problem.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and reliably prevents the ball from being clogged when a ball stopper such as a ball stopper is moved into a ball moving path. The purpose is to do.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a ball feeding device according to the present invention has a ball guide plate for rolling and moving a ball toward a ball take-out position, and stops the ball from rolling. And a bar moving means for moving the ball stopper bar in parallel between a projecting position where the ball stopper bar projects above the ball guide plate and a retracted position where the ball stopper bar is retracted below the ball guide plate. The bar moving means temporarily stops the ball stopper bar at the intermediate position when the ball stopper bar moves from the retracted position to the projecting position.
Another ball feeding device according to the present invention is characterized in that a rotatable rotating member is mounted on the ball stopper bar instead of temporarily stopping the ball stopper bar.

[0008]

When the ball stopper bar moves parallel to the position above the ball guide plate in order to stop the rolling movement of the ball, the ball may be caught between the ball stopper bar and the ceiling plate. However, in the present invention, since the ball stopper bar temporarily stops at the intermediate position, the ball always falls in front of or behind the ball stopper bar when the ball stopper bar stops. Therefore, the ball does not get caught between the ball stopper bar and the ceiling plate. In addition, when a rotating member is mounted on the ball stopper bar, the ball is not lifted by the action of rolling contact between the rotating member and the ball, so that the ball is located between the ball stopper bar and the ceiling plate. Pinching can be reliably prevented.

[0009]

FIG. 5 shows an example of a ball game machine using the ball feeding device according to the present invention. This ball game machine is made to imitate a basketball, and has a housing 5, an inclined field board 6 installed on the upper surface of the housing 5, and a horizontal field board 6 also installed on the upper surface of the housing 5. 7 are provided. The inclined field board 6 is provided with two baskets 8a and 8b. A ball take-out opening 9 is provided at a position in front of the horizontal field board 7, that is, at a ball take-out position. While the game is being played, a plurality of balls 3 are sent out of the housing 5 into the ball taking-out opening 9. The player takes out one of the balls 3 and throws it at the baskets 8a, 8b.

As shown in FIG. 6, a basket elevating device 10 for moving baskets 8a and 8b reciprocally obliquely up and down along the inclined field board 6 is provided inside the housing 5.
Are arranged. The basket lifting / lowering device 10 is constituted by, for example, a wire transport device in which an endless wire is rotated and rotated by a motor, or any other transport device. The ball guide plate 1 is disposed below the horizontal field panel 7 and substantially parallel to the horizontal field panel 7. This ball guide plate 1
The ball 3 which is slightly inclined so that the left portion of the figure is lowered, and rolls and moves to the right portion, is guided to the ball taking-out opening 9.

A ball delivery device 11 is provided at a position slightly upstream of the ball take-out opening 9 with respect to the moving direction of the ball 3 rolling on the ball guide plate 1, that is, at a position slightly to the right of the ball take-out opening 9. ing.

FIG. 1 shows a configuration of the ball feeding device 11 viewed from the side, and FIG. 2 shows a configuration of the ball feeding device 11 viewed from the front along the line II-II. As shown in FIG. 2, plate-like frames 12, 12 are disposed on both left and right sides of the ball guide plate 1, and the shafts 1
3 is supported rotatably but not axially. The shaft 13 is provided slightly below the ball guide plate 1 and parallel to the ball guide plate 1. The shaft 13 is driven by a stepping motor 25 to rotate reversibly.

Rotating plates 14 and 14 rotatably supported on a shaft 13 are disposed slightly inside each frame 12. As shown in FIG. 1, these rotating plates 14 are formed in a substantially fan shape about the shaft 13. As shown in FIG. 2, a round bar-shaped ball stopper bar 2 is stretched between both rotating plates 14, and a plurality of cylindrical rotating members 15 are provided on the outer periphery of the ball stopper bar 2. The ball stopper bar 2 is fitted so as to be rotatable at an appropriate distance from each other, but not to move in the axial direction of the ball stopper bar 2. Also,
A shielding plate 16 fixed to the inner side surfaces of both rotating plates 14 extends downward of the ball stopper bar 2. This shielding plate 16
As shown in FIG. 1, the rotating plate 14 is curved along the outer peripheral edge.

A prism projection 17 having a square cross section and extending rightward in the figure is fixed to one of the two rotating plates 14, for example, at the approximate center of the right rotating plate 14 in FIG.
An upper end of a gas damper 18 is rotatably connected to a right end of the prismatic projection 17, and a lower end of the gas damper 18 is rotatably connected to the frame 12, as shown in FIG. The gas damper 18 is a well-known force generating device, and in the present embodiment, acts to push the prism projection 17 upward. When the prismatic projection 17 is pushed upward, the rotating plate 14 integral therewith rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 1 around the shaft 13 and stops at a position where it contacts the stopper 19 integral with the frame 12. doing.

At a position above the prismatic projection 17, a stop claw 21 is attached to a pin 20 projecting from the outer surface of the frame 12.
Is rotatably mounted. This stop claw 21
A rectangular notch 22 is formed at the lower part of the rectangular projection 17, and the outer peripheral surface of the prismatic projection 17 is fitted into the notch 22. A tension spring 23 is provided between the upper portion of the stop claw 21 and the frame 12. By the action of the spring force of the spring 23, the stop claw 21 is urged to rotate in the counterclockwise direction around the pin 20 in FIG. 1, and is stationary in a state of contact with the stopper pin 24. Also,
Roller 26 is placed on stop claw 21 positioned above notch 22.
Is provided.

In FIG. 2, the pressing plate 2 is provided on a portion of the shaft 13 located outside the right frame 12a (right side in the figure).
7 is fixed. As shown in FIG. 1, the pressing plate 27 has a pressing portion 27a and a detecting piece 27b. The pressing plate 27 rotates integrally with the shaft 13 when the shaft 13 rotates. However, three sensors, namely, a protruding position sensor 28, an intermediate position sensor 29, A retreat position sensor 30 is provided. Each of these sensors is configured by, for example, a transmission type optical sensor, and is arranged integrally with the frame 12 by a bracket 31 as shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, the operation of the ball feeding device having the above configuration will be described.

(State While No Game is Played = Standby State) As shown in FIG. 1, the rotation of the stepping motor 25 is stopped in a state where the detecting piece 27 b of the pressing plate 27 is detected by the projecting position sensor 28. ing. In this state, the prismatic projection 17 is urged upward by the gas damper 18, and as a result, stops at the position where the rotating plate 14 contacts the stopper 19. At this time, the ball stopper bar 2 supported by the pair of rotating plates 14 is at the projecting position E projecting above the ball guide plate 1, and the ball 3 rolls out to the ball taking-out position, that is, the ball taking-out opening 9. To block. Further, the distance between the ball stopper bar 2 and the ceiling plate, that is, the horizontal field board 7 is narrow, so that the ball 3 cannot be taken out from the ball taking-out opening 9.

At this time, the prismatic projection 1 integrated with the rotating plate 14
7 engages with the square notch 22 of the stop claw 21 and cannot move downward. Therefore, even if the player pushes the ball stopper bar 2 from above to below, the ball stopper bar 2 is It does not move downward. That is, the ball stopper bar 2 is locked at the projecting position E.

(Operation When Game Start Is Instructed) When the game starts, for example, when a player inserts a coin or the like, the stepping motor 25 operates in FIG. 1 to drive the shaft 13 to rotate in the counterclockwise direction. Then, the pressing plate 27 rotates in the counterclockwise direction accordingly. As shown in FIG. 3, the pressing portion 27 a of the rotating pressing plate 27 abuts on the outer peripheral side surface of the roller 26 provided on the stop claw 21 from the left side, and further moves the stop claw 21 counterclockwise around the pin 20. Lift a little. Due to this lifting operation, the notch 22 and the prismatic projection 17 are disengaged from each other, and as a result, the rotating plate 14 rotates clockwise about the shaft 13, that is, moves parallel to the lower side of the ball stopper bar 2. Movement is allowed.

Thereafter, the rotation of the pressing plate 27 in the counterclockwise direction by the stepping motor 25 is continuously executed, and the right side surface of the pressing portion 27a abuts on the outer peripheral surface of the prism 17 and further presses it downward. . When the prismatic projection 17 is pressed downward by the pressing portion 27a, the rotating plate 14 rotates downward, ie, rotates clockwise, against the urging force of the gas damper 18. By this rotational movement, the rotating plate 14
The ball stopper bar 2 supported by the ball stopper bar 2 and the shielding plate 16 extending downward from the ball stopper bar 2 are integrally moved downward in parallel. At this time, the shielding plate 16 moves below the ball guide plate 1 through the opening 32 provided in the ball guide plate 1.

Assuming that the shielding plate 16 is not provided,
A space is formed below the ball stopper bar 2. In such a case, when the ball stopper bar 2 moves downward toward the ball guide plate 1, a player or another human hand is pinched between the ball stopper bar 2 and the ball guide plate 1. An unexpected accident may occur. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the shielding plate 16 is provided below the ball stopper bar 2, the hand is not pinched.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the pressing plate 27 is rotated to the position where the detecting piece 27b is detected by the retreat position sensor 30, the rotation of the stepping motor 25 is stopped. At this time, the ball stopper bar 2 retreats below the ball guide plate 1 (reference G), the space between the horizontal field plate 7 and the ball guide plate 1 is largely opened, and the ball 3 rolls into the ball take-out opening 9. It is acceptable to leave.
In this way, as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of balls 3 are sent out to the ball take-out opening 9.

(Operation at End of Game ) When the game is over, the ball stopper bar 2 is projected to the projecting position shown in FIG. 1 by the following operation so that the ball 3 cannot be taken out from the ball taking-out opening 9. I do. First, in the state shown in FIG. 4, the stepping motor 25 starts reverse rotation, and the pressing plate 27 starts rotating and moving counterclockwise. At this time, the rotating plate 14 is pushed up by the gas damper 18 and rotates counterclockwise. By this rotational movement, the ball stopper bar 2 gradually rises above the ball guide plate 1. Actually, the prismatic projection 17 pushed up by the gas damper 18 is
The rotating plate 14 rotates counterclockwise while maintaining the state of contact with the pressing portion 27a of No. 7.

When the detecting piece 27b of the pressing plate 27 is detected by the intermediate position sensor 29 when the pressing plate 27 rotates counterclockwise, the rotation of the stepping motor 25 stops and the ball stopper bar 2 rises. It stops once, and the ball stopper bar 2 stops at the intermediate position F in FIG. If such a stop is not performed, the ball 3 is moved up by the ball stopper bar 2 and the horizontal field board 7 which rise.
May be caught and clogged, and the subsequent delivery of the ball 3 may not be normal. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, when the ball stopper bar 2 temporarily stops at the intermediate position F, the ball 3 moves behind the ball stopper bar 2 (FIG. 1).
(Right side) or forward (left side in FIG. 1), whereby the ball 3 can be reliably prevented from clogging.

Particularly, in this embodiment, since a large number of rotatable rotating members 15 are fitted on the outer peripheral surface of the ball stopper bar 2 (see FIG. 2), when the ball stopper bar 2 moves upward, the rotating member 15 and the ball are moved. The balls 3 are in rolling contact with each other, so that the ball 3 is not lifted by the ball stopper bar 2. Therefore, the ball 3 is hardly caught between the ball stopper bar 2 and the field board 7.

After a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the ball stopper bar 2 has once stopped at the intermediate position F, the reverse rotation of the stepping motor 25 is restarted. As a result, the rotating plate 14 is pushed up by the gas damper 18 so that Resume clockwise rotation. Finally, as shown in FIG. 1, the rotation plate 14 stops at a position where it comes into contact with the stopper 19. At this position, the ball stopper bar 2 projects to the projecting position E above the ball guide plate 1 and inhibits removal of the ball 3 from the ball removal opening 9.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to one embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment and can be variously modified within the technical scope described in the claims. For example, the ball delivery device according to the present invention can be applied to any ball game machine other than the basketball game machine having the structure shown in the figure.

In the above embodiment, the bar moving means for moving the ball stopper bar 2 in parallel is provided by the rotating shaft 13 driven by the stepping motor 25 and the prism projection 17.
, And a gas damper 18 for urging the rotating plate 14, etc., but any other structure can be adopted.

[0030]

According to the ball feeding device according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the ball stopper bar rises toward the projecting position, the ball stopper bar temporarily stops, so that the ball stopper bar and the ceiling plate (for example, It is possible to reliably prevent the ball from being caught and clogged between the ball and the field board.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, even if the ball comes in contact with the ball stopper bar when the ball stopper bar rises, the ball is lifted by the rolling contact between the rotating member and the ball. Without
Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the ball from being caught between the ball stopper bar and the ceiling plate.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the ball stopper bar moves parallel to the retracted position, a human hand is prevented from being caught between the ball stopper bar and the ball guide plate. it can.

[0033]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a ball delivery device according to the present invention, particularly showing a state in which delivery of a ball is prohibited.

FIG. 2 is a front sectional view of the ball feeding device according to the line II-II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the ball delivery device has started an operation toward a state in which delivery of a ball is permitted.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the ball delivery device has finished moving to a state in which delivery of a ball is permitted.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a basketball game machine as an example of a game machine in which the ball feeding device according to the present invention is used.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the basketball game machine.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of a conventional ball feeding device.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view schematically showing another example of a conventional ball feeding device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 ball guide plate 2 ball stopper bar 3 ball 9 ball take-out opening (ball take-out position) 13 rotation shaft 14 fan-shaped rotating plate 15 rotating member 16 shield plate 17 prismatic projection 18 gas damper 25 stepping motor 27 pressing plate 28 protrusion position sensor 29 Intermediate position sensor 30 Evacuation position sensor

Claims (3)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A ball feeder for feeding a ball to a ball pick-up position of a game machine or prohibiting the ball from being picked up from the ball pick-up position, comprising: a ball guide plate for rolling the ball toward the ball pick-up position; Ball stopping bar for stopping rolling movement of the ball, and bar moving means for moving the ball stopping bar between a projecting position projecting above the ball guide plate and a retracting position retracting below the ball guide plate. Wherein the bar moving means temporarily stops the ball stopping bar at an intermediate position when the ball stopping bar moves from the retracted position to the protruding position. . 2. A ball feeder for feeding a ball to a ball pick-up position of a game machine or prohibiting the ball from being picked up from the ball pick-up position. Ball stopping bar for stopping rolling movement of the ball, and bar moving means for moving the ball stopping bar between a projecting position projecting above the ball guide plate and a retracting position retracting below the ball guide plate. A ball feeding device for a game machine, wherein a cylindrical rotating member is mounted on the outer periphery of the ball stopper bar so as to be freely rotatable with respect to the ball stopper bar. 3. The ball stopper according to claim 1, further comprising a shielding plate disposed below the ball stopper bar, wherein the shielding plate moves integrally with the ball stopper bar. Ball delivery device.