JP2896309B2 - Game ball supply 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 ball supply device for supplying game balls to a game board in a game machine using game balls such as ping-pong balls on the game board.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a game ball supplying apparatus of this type has a ball discharge passage having a ball discharge port at one end and a slit in a longitudinal direction, and an endless track along the ball discharge passage. It has been known to have a chain and a transport pin that projects perpendicularly from the chain and that passes between the slits of the ball discharge passage and conveys the inside of the ball discharge passage.

In this conventional game ball supply device, the chain moves along the ball supply passage, and the transport pin moves in the passage, so that the transport pin pushes the game ball in the passage, and the ball moves. Game balls were being discharged from the outlet.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional game ball supply device, the chain must be conveyed along the ball supply passage, which complicates the device and causes problems. There is a problem that downsizing is difficult because the device is easy and the device becomes large. The invention according to claim 1 has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology, and an object of the invention is to allow a game ball itself to push out another game ball to form a chain or the like. It is an object of the present invention to provide a game ball supply device which does not require an accessory structure, reduces the occurrence of defects with a simple structure, and can reduce the size of the device.

In addition, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the game balls can be arranged alternately left and right in the ball discharge passage depending on the shape of the ball discharge passage, and the game balls discharged from the discharge port can be distributed to the left and right. It is an object of the present invention to provide a game ball supply device capable of supplying the game ball.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is to achieve the above-mentioned object, and its contents will be described below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. According to the invention of claim 1, the game balls (22) flow down in a line, and the game balls (2)
Ball supply passage having ball supply ports (31) for supplying 2) one by one
(30) and a ball supply port (31) of the ball supply passage (30), a ball having a ball discharge port (41) that has a ball discharge port (41) for discharging game balls (22) one by one at one end. Slide in the discharge passage (40) and the ball discharge passage (40), face the ball supply port (31) of the ball supply passage (30),
A receiving position for receiving the game balls (22) supplied from the ball supply port (31), and sending out the received game balls (22) from the receiving position toward the ball discharge port (41) of the ball discharge passage (40). A piston (50) that can assume a delivery position, and a biasing means (60) that biases the piston (50) from the receiving position toward the delivery position
And a motor (8) for moving the piston (50) from the delivery position to the receiving position against the biasing force of the biasing means (60).
0), and a stopper (42) that protrudes into the ball supply passage (30) and prevents backflow of the game ball (22) sent out by the piston (50). Features.

[0007] The second aspect of the present invention is the first aspect of the present invention.
In addition to the features described, the ball discharge passage (40) has a rectangular cross section, and the front-rear length of the ball discharge passage (40) is equal to the diameter of the game ball (22). The length in the left-right direction of (40) is set to be larger than the diameter of the game ball (22), and the ball discharge port
On the left and right of (41), there is a pair of left and right inclined surfaces (43, 44) inclined downward and left and right about the ball discharge port (41).

[0008]

[Operation] Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention,
First, when the game ball (22) is supplied into the ball discharge passage (40), the eccentric rotating cam (70) is rotated by the rotational driving force of the motor (80). Then, the rotating cam (70) slides the piston (50) inside the ball discharge passage (40) against the urging force of the urging means, and pushes the piston (50) from the sending position to the receiving position.

At this time, at the delivery position, the ball supply port (31) closed on the outer peripheral side surface of the piston (50) is moved to the piston (5).
0) moves to the receiving position, so that it is opened. As a result, of the game balls (22) arranged in a line so as to be able to flow down into the ball supply passage (30), one of the game balls (22) at the lower end of the flow is supplied to the ball supply port (3).
It becomes possible to enter the ball discharge passage (40) from 1).

The game ball (22) located at the lower end of the stream is 1
Only one ball enters the ball discharge passage (40) from the ball supply port (31),
The game ball (22) is in a state where only one game ball rides on the head of the piston (50). Next, the rotational drive force of the motor (80) further rotates the eccentric rotating cam (70),
If you rotate further from the position where (50) is pushed in, the piston
(50) becomes movable to the ball discharge port (41) side.

Since the urging means (60) constantly urges the piston (50) from the receiving position to the sending position,
This urging force pushes the piston (50) from the receiving position toward the delivery position. That is, the piston (50) slides and moves in the ball discharge passage (40) toward the ball discharge port (41).

With the movement of the piston (50), the piston (50)
The game ball (22) located at the upper end of the ball is also pushed by the upper part of the piston (50) and moves toward the ball discharge port (41). At this time, the stopper (42) protruding into the ball discharge passage (40) pushes the outer peripheral surface of the game ball (22) by the movement of the game ball (22) riding on the upper part of the piston (50). Then, the ball is pushed out of the ball discharge passage (40).

Then, the game ball (22) once riding on the upper part of the piston (50) passes over the stopper (42) and passes through the ball discharge passage.
When the stopper (42) enters between the stopper (42) and the ball discharge port (41), the stopper (42) projects again into the ball discharge passage (40). After the game ball (22) has passed over the stopper (42), the force applied to the game ball (22) is
In this case, the stopper (42)
There is no force to push the game ball outside the ball discharge passageway (40), and the game ball (22) that has exceeded the stopper (42) is caught by the stopper (42) and does not flow back to the receiving position side.

Then, the piston (50) is connected to the stopper (42).
Game ball (22) in the ball discharge passage (40) between the ball discharge port (41) and
, One by one, the game balls (22) arranged in a line in the ball discharge passage (40) are sequentially pushed from the stopper (42) side toward the ball discharge port (41) side, The game ball (22) moves toward the ball discharge port (41) by the length of substantially one diameter. Thereby, only one game ball (22) located immediately below the ball discharge port (41) is pushed out from the ball discharge port (41).

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a ball discharge passage is provided.
The cross section of the (40) is rectangular, and the ball discharge passage (40)
Is set equal to the diameter of the game ball (22), but the length of the ball discharge passageway (40) in the left-right direction is
It is set larger than the diameter of 2). For this reason, in the left-right direction in the ball discharge passage (40), the game balls (22) are arranged alternately one by one in a zigzag manner.

Thus, the game ball (22) is supplied from the ball discharge port (41).
When the ball is pushed out and discharged one by one, the ball discharge passage (40)
Inside, the game ball (22) located on the right side is pushed to the right side of the ball discharge port (41), and as it is, the ball discharge port (4
Roll down on the right slope (44), which is downhill and sloped to the right of 1). Further, inside the ball discharge passage (40), the game ball (22) located on the left side is pushed to the left side of the ball discharge port (41), and as it is, the downward slope located on the left side of the ball discharge port (41) Rolls down on the left slope (43).

As a result, the game balls (22) discharged from the ball discharge port (41) are distributed left and right, one by one, and roll down the left and right inclined surfaces (43, 44).

[0018]

1 to 8 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a game machine, FIG. 2 is a front view of a game ball supply device in a state where a piston is in a receiving position, and FIG. 3 is a side view thereof, FIG. 4 is a front view of the game ball supply device in a state where the piston is in a delivery position, FIG. 5 is a side view thereof, FIG. 6 is a plan view of a ball discharge passage, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a bottom view, and FIG. 8 is an overall external view of the gaming machine.

In the drawing, reference numeral 10 denotes a game ball supply device. The game ball supply device 10 is provided on a game board 21 arranged on the upper side thereof as shown in FIG. In the gaming machine 20 using the game ball 22 of the above, the game ball 22 stored in advance inside the game
It is a device for supplying on 21. This game ball supply device
10 is a ball supply passage 30 for supplying game balls and a ball discharge passage for discharging game balls 22 onto the game board 21, as shown in FIGS.
40 and a piston that slides inside the ball discharge passage 40
50, biasing means 60 for biasing the piston 50, and a rotating cam 70 for moving the piston 50 against the biasing means 60.
And

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 6, the ball supply passage 30 has one side of a game ball in its cross-sectional shape.
It has a rectangular gutter shape substantially equal to the diameter of 22 and its longitudinal direction is inclined horizontally and obliquely downward.
Are lined up in a line, and a ball supply port 31 for supplying game balls 22 one by one is provided at the lower end thereof. The ball discharge passage
40 is a ball supply port of the ball supply passage 30 as shown in FIGS.
The ball 31 has a ball discharge port 41 for discharging game balls 22 one by one onto the game board 21 at the upper end thereof.

The sectional shape of the ball discharge passage 40 is rectangular as shown in FIGS.
Is set equal to the diameter of the game ball 22, and the length of the ball discharge passage 40 in the left-right direction is set to be larger than the diameter of the game ball 22. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the ball discharge passage 40 has a band shape bent in a V-shape in the middle of its length direction, and projects into the ball supply passage.
A stopper 42 for preventing backflow of the game ball 22 sent out by the piston 50, and a ball discharge port 41 for the ball, as shown in FIG.
Is located on the left side of the ball discharge port 41, and has a left slope 43 having a downward slope from the ball discharge port 41, and is located on the right side of the ball discharge port 41, and has a downward slope from the ball discharge port 41 toward the right direction. And a right inclined surface 44.

The piston 50 is located at an upper portion thereof as shown in FIGS.
The piston head 51 has a circular cross-sectional shape having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the game ball 22, and a rod-shaped piston rod 52 extending downward from the lower end of the piston head 51. The piston 50 is shown in FIG.
As shown in ~ 5 and 7, slide inside the ball discharge passage 40,
A game ball 22 facing the ball supply port 31 of the ball supply passage 30 and receiving the game ball 22 supplied from the ball supply port 31, and the game ball 22 received from the reception position toward the ball discharge port 41 of the ball discharge passage 40. Is set to be able to take a sending position for sending

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the piston head 51 has a circular concave portion 53 at the upper end thereof. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the urging means 60 is located between the spring 61 and the piston 50, and transmits the urging force of the spring 61 to the piston 50. L
Shape connecting member 62.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the spring 61 has one end locked to a fixed shaft 63 and the other end locked to an L-shaped connecting member 62. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the L-shaped connecting member 62 has one end locked in the middle of the length direction of the piston rod 52, and a long piece 64 long in the longitudinal direction, and a vertical piece 64 extending from the long piece 64. It is formed to extend downward, and a spring 61 is locked at its tip, and a short piece 65 and a long piece 64 that are short in the longitudinal direction.
And the short piece 65, around which the L-shaped connecting member 62
And a rotation shaft 66 rotatably supporting the rotation shaft 66.

The long piece 64 is, as shown in FIGS.
In the middle of the length direction, there is formed a contact portion 67 made of, for example, resin or the like, having a columnar shape and having a rotation center axis (not shown) arranged substantially parallel to the rotation shaft 66. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 7, the rotating cam 70 has a disk-shaped outer diameter and a motor 80 for applying a rotational driving force to a position deviated from the center of the outer circumferential circle. Motor rotation axis
71 are linked.

Next, the operation of the game ball supply device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, when the piston 50 is in the discharge position as shown in FIG.
Due to the rotation driving force of 80, the rotating cam 70 rotates clockwise. Therefore, the outer peripheral surface of the rotating cam 70 pushes the outer peripheral surface of the contact portion 67 of the L-shaped connecting member 62, and the long piece 64 is pushed downward.

As shown in FIG. 2, the L-shaped connecting member 62 has a rotating shaft against the urging force of the spring 61 of the urging means 60.
Rotates counterclockwise around 66 as the center of rotation. As a result, the piston rod 52 locked at the tip of the long piece 64 is pulled down, and accordingly, the piston head 51
2 and 3 slide downward in the ball discharge passage 40.

Then, in a state where the piston 50 moves from the delivery position to the receiving position, and the rotating cam 70 pushes the contact portion 67 of the L-shaped connecting member 62 at the maximum downward, the piston 50 is moved to the receiving position. Moved. At that time, the sphere supply port 31 in which the piston 50 is closed at the outer peripheral side surface of the piston 50 at the delivery position is opened as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 because the piston 50 has moved to the reception position.

As a result, among the game balls 22 arranged in a line so as to flow down into the ball supply passage 30, one of the game balls 22 at the lower end of the flow can enter the ball discharge passage 40 from the ball supply port 31. . Then, only one game ball 22 located at the lower end of the ball supply passage 30 enters the ball discharge passage 40 from the ball supply port 31, and the game ball 22 rides only one on the recess 53 of the piston head 51. .

Next, by the rotational driving force of the motor 80,
When the rotating cam 70 further rotates clockwise and the eccentric outer peripheral surface of the rotating cam 70 causes the contact portion 67 of the L-shaped connecting member 62 to rotate downward from the pushed position to the maximum, the urging is performed. Due to the spring 61 of the means 60, the L-shaped connecting member 62 is always
Since the L-shaped connecting member 62 is biased so as to be rotatable clockwise about the center 66, the L-shaped connecting member 62 is restricted by the outer peripheral shape of the rotating cam 70 and interlocks with it.

That is, a portion of the outer periphery of the rotating cam 70, in which the distance from the rotation center axis of the eccentric rotating cam 70 to the outer periphery is short, is in contact with the contact portion, and the L-shaped connecting member 62 is centered on the rotating shaft 66. Rotate clockwise. For this reason, the L-shaped connecting member
The tip of the long piece 64 of the piston 62 pushes up the piston rod 52 and pushes up the piston head 51 at the tip of the piston rod 52.

As a result, the piston head 51 slides and moves upward in the ball discharge passage from the receiving position to the delivery position, that is, toward the ball discharge port. Then, with the movement of the piston 50, the concave portion of the piston head 51
The game ball 22 riding on 53 is also pushed by the upper part of the piston head 51 and moves to the ball discharge port 41 side. At this time, the stopper 42 protruding into the ball discharge passage 30 is pushed by the outer peripheral surface of the game ball 22 due to the movement of the game ball 22, and the ball discharge passage 40
Is pushed outward.

Then, once the game ball 22 enters between the stopper 42 and the ball discharge port 41 in the ball discharge passage 40 and the piston 50 moves to the delivery position, the stopper 42 is re-entered in the ball discharge passage 40. Protrude. Thereafter, the force applied to the game ball 22 is only the weight of the plurality of game balls 22 located above, and in this case, there is no force enough to push the stopper 42 outside the ball discharge passage 40, and the stopper 42 The game balls 22 lined up in a row above are caught by the stopper 42 and do not flow backward to the receiving position side.

Thereafter, the piston 50 is regulated by the outer peripheral shape of the rotary cam 70, returns from the sending position to the receiving position, and repeats this operation. As described above, the piston 50 moves the game ball into the ball discharge passage 40 between the stopper 42 and the ball discharge port 41.
When the game balls 22 are pushed one by one from below, the game balls 22 lined up in a row inside the ball discharge passage 40 are ejected from the stopper 42 side to the ball discharge port.
The game balls 22 are pushed one after another toward the ball discharge port 41 and move toward the ball discharge port 41 by the length of one approximately diameter of the game ball 22.

Thus, only one game ball 22 located immediately below the ball discharge port 41 is pushed out from the ball discharge port 41. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, the ball discharge passage 40 has a rectangular cross section, and the length of the ball discharge passage in the front-rear direction is set equal to the diameter of the game ball. Is set slightly larger than the diameter of the game ball 22.

For this reason, in the left-right direction in the ball discharge passage 40, the game balls 22 are arranged alternately in a zigzag manner one by one. This allows the game ball to be
When the balls 22 are pushed out one by one and discharged, the ball discharge passage 40
Inside, the game ball 22 located on the right side is pushed to the right of the ball discharge port 41 and rolls down on the right inclined surface 44 on the right side which is inclined downward and is positioned on the right side of the ball discharge port 41 as it is.

Further, inside the ball discharge passage 40, the game ball 22 located on the left side is pushed out to the left side of the ball discharge port 41, and is directly descended on the left side of the ball discharge port 41. Roll over 43. Therefore, as described above, the game ball discharged from the ball discharge port 41
22 is divided into left and right, one by one, and the left and right inclined surfaces 4
The game balls 22 can be arranged alternately on the left and right sides of the game board 21.

[0038]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects. Claim 1
According to the invention described above, it is possible to provide a game ball supply device in which a game ball itself pushes out another game ball, the occurrence of troubles is reduced with a simple structure, and the device can be downsized.

In addition, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the game balls are alternately arranged in the ball discharge passage on the left and right sides according to the shape of the ball discharge passage, and the game balls discharged from the discharge port are distributed to the left and right. A game ball supply device capable of providing a game ball can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing a gaming machine.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the game ball supply device in a state where a piston is in a receiving position.

FIG. 3 is a side view thereof.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing the game ball supply device in a state where a piston is at a delivery position.

FIG. 5 is a side view thereof.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a ball discharge passage.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view showing the game ball supply device.

FIG. 8 is an overall external view showing the gaming machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Gaming ball supply device 20 Gaming machine 22 Gaming ball 30 Ball supply passage 31 Ball supply port 40 Ball discharge passage 41 Ball discharge port 42 Stopper 43 Left inclined surface 44 Right inclined surface 50 Piston 60 Biasing means 70 Rotating cam 80 Motor

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A ball supply passage having a ball supply port for supplying game balls one by one at a lower end of a game ball flowing down in a line, and a ball supply port of the ball supply passage communicating with the ball supply port in the middle of the length. A ball discharge passage having a ball discharge port for discharging game balls one by one at one end; sliding in the ball discharge passage, facing a ball supply port of the ball supply passage, and being supplied from the ball supply port. A piston capable of receiving a receiving position for receiving a game ball, and a delivery position for sending out a game ball received from the receiving position toward a ball discharge port of a ball discharge passage; and urging the piston from the receiving position toward the delivery position. Urging means, a rotating cam rotated by a motor for moving a piston from a delivery position to a receiving position against the urging force of the urging means, and a game projected into the ball supply passage and fed by the piston ball Game ball supply apparatus characterized by comprising a stopper for preventing the reverse flow. 2. The ball discharge passage has a rectangular cross section, the front-rear length of the ball discharge passage is equal to the diameter of the game ball, and the left-right length of the ball discharge passage is the diameter of the game ball. 2. The game ball supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the left and right sides of the ball outlet have a pair of left and right inclined surfaces which are inclined left and right around the ball outlet.