JP3503214B2 - Ball launcher - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a ball launching device used in a pachinko machine or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the case of a ball ejected by an electromagnetic force of a drive coil, the firing distance is variable by varying the amount of electricity (or the amount of electricity and the duration of electricity) applied to the drive coil.

[0003]

The problems in the above-mentioned conventional example are that the firing distance of the ball varies and it is necessary to set the energization amount and the energization time in advance.

That is, the force applied to the sphere by the drive coil is
As shown in line b of FIG. 2, the attraction force in the firing direction becomes stronger as the sphere approaches the drive coil, and then this attraction force gradually decreases toward the midpoint, and the drive coil is energized even after the midpoint is exceeded. Then, as shown by the broken line portion, the suction force in the direction opposite to the firing direction, that is, the deceleration direction, becomes stronger, and eventually it also decreases as the ball separates.

In the conventional device, the sphere is attracted toward the drive coil when the amount of electricity supplied to the drive coil is a certain value. For example, it is preset to cut off the current at the time when it is predicted that the point B on the line b in FIG. 2 is reached.

However, if the sphere is dirty due to use with a pachinko machine, or if it is subjected to a magnetizing action by a ball-collecting operation using a magnet rod, the sphere actually reaches only point A on the line b in FIG. The energization to the drive coil may be cut off in this state. At this time, the sphere has reached only point A, and the force F received by that time is different from that up to point B. The firing distance fluctuated greatly for the reason.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to reduce variations in the firing distance.

[0008]

In order to achieve this object, the ball launching device of the present invention comprises a detection section in which a drive current is supplied to its input and its output is connected to the coil drive section. However, this detection unit detects a change in current or voltage flowing through the drive coil, and increases the current or voltage flowing through the drive coil obtained when the sphere reaches the center of the magnetic field, and then increases the value. When the detection unit detects, the detection unit is configured to transmit a signal for cutting off the current supply to the drive coil to the coil drive unit.

[0009]

With this configuration, the detection unit has a sphere centered on the center.
The increase in the current flowing in the drive coil that is obtained when the current is detected is detected, and a signal that cuts off the current supply to the drive coil is transmitted, so that the force received by the ball is always constant, and as a result, the variation in the firing distance occurs. Can be extremely small.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, 1 is a ball such as a pachinko ball made of a magnetic material. Reference numerals 2 and 3 denote first and second electromagnets for generating a magnetic force, which have first and second drive coils (hereinafter referred to as coils) 2a and 3a, respectively. , 3a is controlled via the controller 4. Reference numeral 5 is a yoke made of a magnetic core material having a high magnetic permeability, and forms a magnetic path for the first and second electromagnets 2 and 3. The facing magnetic pole 2b of the first and second electromagnets 2 and 3 is different from the S pole and 3b is different from the N pole. 6
Is a rail made of a non-magnetic material, and is provided so as to penetrate between the opposing magnetic poles 2b and 3b in order to strike the ball 1 in a smoothly determined direction. Reference numeral 7 denotes a handle operated by the player, which transmits a rotation angle to the controller 4 by an angle sensor 8 mechanically interlocked with it, and if the rotation angle is large, a current supplied to the first and second coils 2a and 3a. It is designed to increase the value.

That is, when the player (operator) rotates the angle sensor 8 through the handle 7 in such a configuration by a predetermined angle, a signal corresponding to the rotation angle is transmitted to the controller 4, and the signal is transmitted to the controller 4. Based on this, the energization amount from the controller 4 to the first and second coils 2a and 3a is determined. Due to this energization, a magnetic force is generated in the first and second electromagnets 2 and 3, which causes a magnetic flux to flow from the magnetic pole 3b of the second electromagnet 3 to the magnetic pole 2b of the first electromagnet 2, whereby the line a in FIG. A magnetic field is generated like. As a result, a magnetic force acts on the spheres 1 supplied to the rails 6 one by one, as shown by line b in FIG. This result sphere 1
Runs on the rail 6 between the magnetic poles 2b and 3b, and the ball 1
When the current reaches the center of the magnetic poles 2b and 3b, the detection unit 13 detects a time point when the current or voltage applied to the first and second coils 2a and 3a decreases and then increases.
This signal is transmitted from the detection unit 13 to the controller 4, and the first and second signals are transmitted.
The current supplied to the coils 2a and 3a is cut off. Then, the ball 1 travels on the rail 6 to the left in FIG. 1 by inertia, and is launched. Note that c in FIG. 2 indicates the ball speed, and d indicates the current passed through the first and second coils 2a and 3a.

FIG. 3 shows drive current waveforms flowing in the drive coil, showing respective waveforms when viewed from the magnetic field center point 15 in the sphere-free state and the sphere-emitted state. As shown in e of this figure, in the sphere-firing state, at the magnetic field center point 15, the current is decreased and then increased.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the ball launching device of the present invention. In addition to the angle sensor 8, the handle 7 that constitutes the operation unit in FIG. 4 includes a touch sensor 9 that is closed when the handle 7 is touched by a hand, and a start switch 10 that is closed when the handle 7 is rotated. .

The angle sensor 8 is connected to a current controller 11 which constitutes the controller 4, and its output is supplied to the coil driver 12.

That is, in this embodiment, the pulse current is supplied to the first and second coils 2a and 3a as shown by d in FIG. 2, but the larger the turning amount of the handle 7, the larger the pulse current. Conversely, the pulse width becomes smaller.

This is because the higher the electric current is, the faster the initial velocity of the sphere 1 to be emitted becomes, so that the sphere 1 which shields the magnetic field is the magnetic pole 2
In order to reach the center point 15 of b, 3b quickly,
Since the time point c (shown in FIG. 3) when there is an increase following the decrease in the current or voltage applied to the second coils 2a, 3a can be detected quickly after firing, and the current is cut off by this signal,
The pulse width becomes smaller accordingly. Therefore, at any current value, the current is cut off when the ball 1 reaches the midpoint of the magnetic poles 2b and 3b, that is, the point 0 on the line b in FIG. 2, and the variation in the firing distance is reduced.

FIG. 5 shows the coil driving unit 12, in which the first and second coils 2a and 3a are connected in series, and the degaussing capacitor 20 is connected in parallel to this.

The parallel connection body is connected to the collector of the transistor 22 via the diode 21.

A resistor 23, a switch 24, and an angle sensor 8 are connected to the base of the transistor 22, and when the handle 7 is turned largely, the resistance value of the angle sensor 8 increases and the bias of the transistor 22 increases. As a result, the current value to the first and second coils 2a and 3a increases.

The detector 13 compares and inputs the amount of change in the resistance 23 of the input to the collector and the base of the transistor 22 to reduce the current or voltage applied to the first and second coils 2a and 3a. The time when there is a subsequent increase is detected and transmitted to the coil drive unit 12.

The high speed switching element 25 detects the time when there is an increase following the decrease in the current or voltage applied to the first and second coils 2a and 3a, and the transistor 22 is driven at high speed by the signal transmitted to the coil drive unit 12. It is configured to disconnect. Further, a resistor 26 is also connected to the emitter of the transistor 22.
A constant current circuit is formed by the configuration of FIG.

In other words, the drive coils 2a and 3a generate heat by repeating energization, which increases the resistance value and decreases the current value. Therefore, even if the resistance value increases due to this heat generation, the current value decreases. A constant current circuit is provided to prevent this.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the shape of the magnetic field generating section.
The shape of the yoke 5 is such that the centers of the facing magnetic poles 2b and 3b of the second electromagnets 2 and 3 are convex. That is, with such a shape, the first and second coils 2a, 3 obtained when the sphere 1 reaches the center of the magnetic poles 2b, 3b.
The amount of change in the current (or voltage) applied to a becomes large, and it becomes easy to detect an increase following a decrease.

[0024]

As described above, according to the sphere launching device of the present invention, the driving current is supplied to the input and the output is connected to the coil driving section, and the detecting section is provided. Then, when the change in the current or voltage flowing in the drive coil is detected, the sphere reaches the center of the magnetic field.
When the detection unit detects an increase in the current or the voltage that flows in the drive coil that is obtained at that time, the detection unit transmits a signal to the coil drive unit to disconnect the current supply to the drive coil. It is configured to
This gives the detection part when the sphere reaches the center
Detecting an increase following a decrease in the current flowing in that drive coil,
Since the signal for cutting off the current supply to the drive coil is transmitted, the force received by the ball is always constant, and as a result, the variation in the firing distance can be made extremely small.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a waveform diagram showing a magnetic field and the like.

FIG. 3 is a waveform diagram showing a drive current of the same.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an entire electric circuit of the same.

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing mainly the detection unit.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the shape of the magnetic field generation unit of the same.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ball 2a first coil 3a Second coil 4 controller 5 York 6 rails 7 handle 11 Current control unit 12 Coil driver 13 Detector 15 Magnetic field center point

Continuation of the front page (56) References: Kaihei Hei 1-176476 (JP, U) Jikho 55-5181 (JP, Y1) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A63F 7 / 02 308 A63F 7/02 309

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. An operating unit, an angle sensor that outputs a signal according to an operation amount of the operating unit, a current control unit to which the output of the angle sensor is supplied, and a coil drive connected to the current control unit. Section, a drive coil connected to the coil drive section and generating a magnetic field by a drive current from the coil drive section, a yoke having the drive coil attached thereto and having a void, and a through coil penetrating through the void. It has a rail for firing a provided sphere and a detection unit whose drive current is supplied to its input and whose output is connected to the coil drive unit. In this detection unit, the current flowing in the drive coil is provided. Alternatively, when a change in voltage is detected and the detecting unit detects an increase following a decrease in the current or voltage flowing in the drive coil obtained when the sphere reaches the center of the magnetic field. In the sphere launching device, the detection unit transmits a signal for cutting off the current supply to the driving coil to the coil driving unit. 2. The coil driving unit is composed of a transistor, a high-speed switching element is provided between the base of the transistor and the ground, and the switching element is turned on to disconnect the current supply to the driving coil. 1. The ball launching device according to 1. 3. The ball launching device according to claim 1, wherein the centers of the opposing magnetic poles are convex.