JP3033972U - Ball game machine winning device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [PROBLEMS] To provide a winning device for a ball-and-ball game machine, which has a structure for temporarily stopping a game ball that is a special safe ball, and is capable of detecting that the game ball is in a stopped state. thing. A winning device (1) is rotatably attached to a main body (14) and a passage sensor (20) having a through hole (18) through which a game ball (B) can pass, and the through hole (1) is rotated when rotated upward.
8 is provided with a passage restricting member 24 that prevents passage of the game ball that has entered the through hole 18, while allowing passage of the game ball that has entered the through hole 18 when the game ball is rotated downward. Through hole 1 for game ball B
The passage sensor 20 has already detected the presence of the game ball in the state of being stopped in 8, and has switched from the off state to the on state. Then, when the passage restricting member 24 operates and the game ball B that has been stopped passes, the passage sensor 20 is switched from the on state to the off state.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

 The present invention relates to a winning device for a ball game machine.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 Conventionally, as a winning device of this kind, as described in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-12180, only one game ball that has entered the device is temporarily stopped and the game is played. It is known that the ball is dropped to a specific winning opening (commonly called a winning zone called V zone). According to this type of prize winning device, the number of game balls (hereinafter also referred to as "special safe balls") entering a specific winning opening does not increase or decrease significantly, and We were able to optimize the degree of occurrence so that it would meet the standards for gaming machines.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 By the way, a winning device is generally provided with a sensor for detecting a game ball, and the sensor can detect a game ball that has entered a specific winning port. Then, the gaming machine had a mechanism of switching the operation mode on condition that the game ball was detected by the sensor and performing a special operation (so-called jackpot operation) more advantageous to the player.

However, in the above-mentioned winning device, the fact that the game ball is in the stopped state can be visually confirmed by the game machine user, and the game machine side detects the game ball in the stopped state. There was no means to do it. Therefore, conventionally, even if the game ball is in a stopped state, until the game ball actually enters the specific winning port, it is not possible to perform control for changing the operation mode of the game machine. It was not possible to visually or audibly raise the expectation of the gaming machine user by using a method such as using light or sound to notify that the vehicle was stopped.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and its purpose is a structure in which a game ball is temporarily stopped before entering a winning opening, and the game ball is in a stopped state. It is to provide a winning device for a ball game machine capable of detecting that

[0006]

[Means for solving the problems and effects of the invention]

 In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the winning device of the ball game machine of the present invention is, as described in claim 1, a passage through which a game ball can pass, and a period during which the game ball passes through the passage is turned on / off. A sensor that switches one state to the other state, and a movable position that is either a blocking position that blocks the passage of a game ball that has entered the passage or an allowable position that allows the passage, At the blocking position, a passage restricting member for stopping the game ball in the passage, and a driving means for moving the passing restricting member to either the blocking position or the allowance position are provided.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the sensor may be of a contact type or a non-contact type as long as it switches from one state of ON / OFF to the other state in accordance with the detection of the game ball. However, considering that it is less likely that the detection accuracy is deteriorated due to wear due to aging, the non-contact sensor is more preferable. As a non-contact type sensor, a proximity sensor that detects a game ball by using magnetic fluctuations when a metal object passes near the coil, or that the game ball blocks the optical path between the light emitting part and the light receiving part There may be mentioned an optical sensor for detecting light, or a reflection type optical sensor, and any of these may be used.

Further, the passage restricting member is movable between the blocking position and the allowing position, and if the game ball can be stopped in the passage when it moves to the blocking position, its specific shape or The mode of movement (for example, rotating between two positions or sliding between two positions) is not particularly limited.

Further, the drive means is capable of moving the passage restricting member to either the blocking position or the allowance position. In this type of winning device, a solenoid is often used, and as required. A movable part is also used to transmit the operation of the movable part of the solenoid to the passage restricting member. The movable parts may be those that transmit the reciprocating movement of the plunger of the solenoid as it is, or those that convert the reciprocating movement to rotary movement on the way. Besides the solenoid, it is also possible to adopt a stepping motor or the like as the driving means.

According to the winning device of the ball-and-ball game machine of the present invention configured as described above, the passage restricting member is arbitrarily set to the blocking position or the allowing position by giving an appropriate driving signal to the driving means. It can be operated in either direction, and if the passage restricting member is moved to the blocking position, the game ball will be parked in the passage and will be secured as a game ball that will enter the winning opening in the future. Then, after that, if the passage restricting member is moved to the allowable position, the game ball passes through the passage and it is determined that the game ball has entered the winning opening. Therefore, for example, if the size of the passage is adjusted so that only one ball can enter, and if the game ball that has passed through the passage is set to be judged as a special safe ball, The number of special safe spheres can be optimized so as to meet the specifications of the gaming machine without the number of spheres increasing or decreasing significantly.

Further, in particular, when the game ball is stopped in the passage, the sensor has already been switched from one of the on / off states to the other state, so the game ball is stopped by this state change. It can detect that it has become. Then, after that, when the game ball passes through the passage, the sensor switches from the other state to the one state again, and thus the state change can detect the entry into the winning opening. In other words, by configuring the relationship between the position of the passage prevention member and the sensor as in the prize winning device of the present invention, the game ball is in the stopped state based on the state change of a single sensor, It is possible to detect both a ball entering the winning opening. Therefore, it is possible to easily determine that the game ball is in the stopped state before it is determined that the game ball has entered the winning opening.

Next, the winning device according to claim 2 performs control for notifying that a predetermined winning action is started, on condition that the sensor is switched from the one state to the other state. After that, the control means is provided for performing control for starting the winning operation on condition that the sensor is switched from the other state to the one state again.

According to such a winning device, as described above, based on the state change of the single sensor, both the game ball is in the stop state, and the game ball has entered the winning opening As a control for notifying that the winning action will be started, for example, an image is displayed on the liquid crystal screen, a lamp is turned on, or a sound is generated to start the winning action. As a control, by performing a control that starts an operation that is a more advantageous condition for the gaming machine user, for example, the occurrence of a game ball that is in a stopped state before the special safe ball occurs Therefore, the game machine user can visually or audibly recognize the game machine, and the expectation for the prize winning operation to be performed in the future can be raised.

Note that such control means is generally realized by a well-known CPU or other control device mainly composed of a CPU operating in accordance with a predetermined control program. Not only when the device is provided, but also the control device for controlling each part of the ball game machine may be shared as the control means of the present winning device.

In addition, the prize winning device of the present invention is capable of distinguishing between the time when the game ball is in the stopped state and the time when the game ball enters the winning opening, and is capable of performing different controls. There is a feature, and the specific control content may be control other than the control such as the control means according to the second aspect.

Next, in the apparatus according to claim 3, the passage is provided in a winning room formed in the apparatus body, and an opening / closing member for opening or closing the entrance is provided at an entrance to the winning room. The opening / closing member is interlocked with the passage restricting member so that the passage restricting member moves to the blocking position when the opening / closing member is in the open state, while the passage restricting member is in the allowable state when the opening / closing member is in the closed state. It is characterized by a structure that moves to a position.

According to the winning device having such a structure, if the opening / closing member is opened only when a specific condition is met, the entry into the device is allowed. Then, when the opening / closing member is opened, the passage restricting member moves to the blocking position, so when the game ball can enter the winning room, the game ball that has entered the aisle is always parked and opened / closed. Since the passage restricting member moves to the allowable position when the member is in the closed state, if the game ball is in the stopped state, the opening / closing member is closed and passes through the passage. Therefore, even if there are many balls in the winning room when the opening / closing member is in the open state, it is only necessary to adjust the size of the passage so that only one game ball can enter. The number of balls entering the mouth can be limited, and the degree of occurrence of special safe balls can be optimized, for example.

The prize winning device of the present invention may be, for example, a device which is always allowed to enter the device, in addition to the structure described in claim 3. Next, in the winning device according to claim 4, the sensor has a shape having a through hole corresponding to the passage and is arranged with the through hole facing up and down, and the metal body passes through the through hole. It is a proximity sensor that can detect that the passage restricting member is arranged so as to be retractable below the through hole, supports the game ball that has entered the through hole from below, and stays in the through hole. It is characterized by

According to this winning device, since the through hole which the proximity sensor originally has can be used as the passage in the winning device of the present invention, it is not necessary to form a separate passage, and the structure is simplified. To be done.

[0020]

[Embodiment of the invention]

 Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The winning device described below is merely an example of the embodiment of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the winning device is not limited to the specific device illustrated by the constituent means of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, the winning device 1 has a rectangular horizontally long opening 10 on the front side, and a game ball can enter the inside of the opening 10. The main body 14 that forms the winning room 12 and the opening 10 are operably attached to the opening 10. Normally, the opening 10 is closed, while the lower end is tilted forward to open the opening 10. The opening / closing member 16 and the main body 14 are inserted from the back side and arranged so as to project into the winning room 12, and a through hole 18 through which a game ball can pass is formed in the portion projecting into the winning room 12. The passage sensor 20 and the main body 14 are rotatably attached to the main body 14 about the shaft 22 and prevent passage of the game sphere that has entered the through hole 18 when rotated upward (blocking position). On the other hand, a game ball that has entered the through hole 18 when rotated downward (allowable position) Is provided so as to be vertically movable with respect to the main body 14, and has two arms 26 and 28. The arm 26 rotates the opening / closing member 16 during the ascending operation. And a sliding member 30 that causes the arm 28 to contact the lower surface side of the passage restricting member 24 to rotate the passage restricting member 24 upward, and is connected to the sliding member 30. While the plunger 34 is in the state of being lowered by the force of, the plunger 34 is raised when energized, and the solenoid 36 that causes the slide member 30 to move upward and the game ball that has entered the winning room 12 from the opening 10 are installed. And an outlet 38 that discharges to the outside.

In the above-mentioned configuration, the passage sensor 20 is arranged so as to divide the passage route of the game ball in the winning room 12 into three by the both sides and the through hole 18 of the passage sensor 20. In terms of usage, the through hole 18 can be used as a specific winning port called a V zone.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the passage restricting member 24 moves to the blocking position as the slide member 30 rises due to the energization of the solenoid 36, and moves the game ball B entering the through hole 18 to the game ball B. It is stopped in the through hole 18. In this state, the passage sensor 20 has already detected the presence of the game ball and has switched from the off state to the on state. Then, when the slide member 30 descends, as shown in FIG. 2B, the passage restricting member 24 moves to the allowance position to allow the stopped game ball B to pass. As a result, the passage sensor 20 switches from the on state to the off state.

The passage sensor 20 and the solenoid 36 of the winning device 1 configured as described above are connected to a control device for controlling each part of the gaming machine, and the operation control process shown in FIG. 3 is performed. . It should be noted that this operation control process is executed periodically along with other processes not shown in a short cycle.

First, when the operating condition of the present winning device 1 is satisfied by entering a ball into another winning device (not shown) (S10: YES), the solenoid 36 is energized to open the opening / closing member 16 (S20). ). At this time, as shown in FIG. 2 (a), the passage restricting member 24 is rotated to the blocking position.

Next, it is checked whether or not the output signal of the passage sensor 20 changes from off to on (S30). Here, if the game ball has not entered the through hole 18, the passage sensor 20 maintains the off state, but if the game ball has entered the through hole 18, the game ball penetrates by the passage restricting member 24. Since the passage of the hole 18 is blocked and the hole 18 is stopped in the through hole 18, the passage sensor 20 changes to the ON state.

Therefore, when a change from the off state to the on state is detected in S30 (S30: YES), the fact that the game ball has been in the stopped state is notified (S40). Any specific notification means may be used here, for example, a lamp that is normally turned off may blink, a lamp may be changed to a color different from the normal one, and a liquid crystal display device may be used. One or a combination of two or more of displaying something and generating an unusual sound may be performed.

On the other hand, when a predetermined time elapses after the operating condition of the prize winning device 1 is satisfied or a predetermined number of game balls enter the prize winning device 1, the operation of the prize winning device 1 is performed in S10. Since the condition is not satisfied (S10: NO), the energization of the solenoid 36 is stopped and the opening / closing member 16 is closed (S50). At this time, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the passage restricting member 24 rotates to the allowance position.

Next, it is checked whether or not the output signal of the passage sensor 20 changes from on to off (S60). Here, if the game ball is not retained in the through hole 18, the passage sensor 20 is maintained in the off state, but if the game ball is retained in the through hole 18, it passes through the through hole 18. Accordingly, the passage sensor 20 changes from the on state to the off state.

Therefore, when the change from the ON state to the OFF state is detected in S60 (S60: YES), the winning process which should be executed in association with the winning of the game ball is executed (S70). Here, the winning process can be variously considered, but in the conventional winning device, for example, the opening condition of the main winning device 1 is reestablished or the operating conditions of other winning devices are established. If the special safe sphere occurs, it is sufficient to perform the processing that was performed.

As described above, according to the winning device 1, when the opening / closing member 16 is in the open state, only one game ball is retained in the through hole 18, so that an excessive number of game balls penetrate. Even if the passage sensor 20 detects the special safe sphere without entering the hole 18, the generation degree of the special safe sphere can be optimized so as to match the standard of the gaming machine. .

Further, based on the state change of the passage sensor 20, it is possible to detect both that the game ball is in a stopped state and that a special safe ball has occurred, so that the game ball is determined to be a special safe ball. Before, it can be easily determined that the game ball is in the stopped state. Particularly, in the control example of the above-mentioned winning device, the gaming machine user can visually or audibly recognize that the game ball in the stopped state is generated before the special safe ball is generated, It is possible to enliven the expectation for the winning action that will be performed in the future.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various construction means of the present invention are conceivable in addition to the above embodiments. For example, in the above-mentioned winning device 1, the passage sensor 20 is used to form a passage through which passage of a game ball can be detected. However, a specific passage is formed in the main body of the device, and a game ball passing through the passage is detected by an optical sensor. Etc. may be used for detection.

The prize winning device of the present invention can be mounted on, for example, a pachinko machine classified into a game machine with a first or a third kind special electric auditors object. It can be attached to other ball game machines.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 shows an example of a winning device of the present invention, (a) is a perspective view from the front to the top, (b) is a perspective view from the back to the bottom.

FIG. 2 is an example of the winning device of the present invention,
(A) is a longitudinal sectional view in an open state, and (b) is a longitudinal sectional view in a closed state.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation control process of the winning device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Winning device, 10 ... Opening part, 12 ... Winning room, 14 ... Main body, 16 ... Opening / closing member, 18 ...
Through hole, 20 ... Passage sensor, 22 ... Shaft, 24 ...
..Passage restricting members, 26, 28 ... Arms, 30 ...
-Sliding member, 32 ... Spring, 34 ... Plunger, 36 ... Solenoid, 38 ...

Claims (4)

[Utility model registration claims] 1. A passage through which a game ball can pass, a sensor for switching between ON and OFF states to the other state during a period in which the game ball passes through the passage, and a game ball that has entered the passage. Blocking position to block passage,
Alternatively, the passage restricting member is disposed so as to be movable to any of the permitting positions allowing the passage, and at the blocking position, the passage restricting member for stopping the game ball in the passage, and the passage restricting member for the blocking position or the permitting position. A winning device for a ball-and-ball game machine, characterized in that the winning device is provided with a drive means for operating to either of the above. 2. The winning device for a ball game machine according to claim 1, wherein a notification that a predetermined winning action is started is provided on condition that the sensor is switched from the one state to the other state. And a control means for performing control for starting the winning operation on the condition that the sensor is switched from the other state to the one state again. Prize winning device. 3. The prize winning device for a ball game machine according to claim 1, wherein the passage is provided in a prize chamber formed in the main body of the device, and an entrance to the prize chamber is provided with An opening / closing member for opening or closing the inlet is provided, and the opening / closing member is interlocked with the passage restricting member, and the passage restricting member moves to the blocking position when the opening / closing member is in an open state, while the opening / closing member is in a closed state. A winning device for a ball game machine, characterized in that the passage restricting member moves to the allowable position when 4. The winning device for a ball game machine according to claim 1, wherein the sensor has a through hole corresponding to the passage, and the through hole is directed vertically. Is a proximity sensor that is arranged in a closed state and is capable of detecting that a metal body has passed through the through hole, wherein the passage restricting member is arranged so as to be retractable below the through hole and intrudes into the through hole. A winning device for a ball game machine, characterized in that the game ball is supported from below and stopped in the through hole.