JP3570562B2 - Pachinko ball tray - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial applications]
The present invention relates to a ball tray of a pachinko machine that stores pachinko balls discharged as prize balls.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a ball tray of a pachinko machine has two ball trays called a so-called "upper plate" and a "lower plate". The upper plate stores pachinko balls discharged as prize balls, and the pachinko balls. Is a ball tray that is arranged in a row from the outlet to the rectifier (to the launching device side) and flows down, while the lower plate receives award balls when the pachinko balls on the upper plate are full. It is an auxiliary ball tray.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, since the upper plate narrows the flow path toward the outlet and allows the pachinko balls to flow naturally toward the outlet, the bottom is inclined downward toward the outlet, so the upper plate is The pachinko ball flowing on the bottom surface of the is pressed from the back (upstream) pachinko ball and receives a back pressure, and the back pressure is cumulatively increased toward the downstream side where the flow path is narrowed. For this reason, when the amount of stored pachinko balls in the upper plate increases, the back pressure applied to the pachinko balls flowing around the outlet where the flow path narrows becomes considerably large, and the back pressure causes the pachinko balls to form a bridge around the outlet. As a result, the ball flow may be deteriorated, or the ball may be jammed, and the firing operation of the pachinko ball may be hindered.
[0004]
Therefore, in the conventional upper plate, the capacity of the upper plate (maximum storage amount of pachinko balls) cannot be so large so as not to hinder the ball flow, and is commonly called “100 plates”. As mentioned above, the limit was about one hundred or more at most. Such a number of pachinko balls are quickly lost when the prize is small (so-called slump state), so the player interrupts the game during the game and transfers the pachinko balls from the lower plate to the upper plate. The work has to be performed many times, which is not only troublesome, but also causes the game to be aroused, and it has been desired to increase the capacity of the upper plate.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a ball tray for a pachinko machine capable of increasing the capacity without deteriorating the ball flow.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a ball tray of a pachinko machine of the present invention stores a pachinko ball discharged as a prize ball, and makes the pachinko balls flow down from an outlet to a rectifier in a line. , At least a part of the bottom surface is constituted by a movable bottom plate capable of tilting in a vertical direction, the movable bottom plate is pivotally supported on a downstream end portion as a fulcrum, and an upstream end portion thereof is elastically supported. The movable bottom plate is configured to be pushed down by its weight against the elastic force of the elastic support means to reduce the downward slope as the stored amount of the pachinko balls increases by supporting the pachinko balls. (Claim 1).
[0007]
In this case, it may be a pre-Symbol elastic support means so as to constitute an elastic body (claim 2). Further, a rising wall may be provided on at least a part of a peripheral edge portion of the movable bottom plate (Claim 3 ).
[0008]
[Action]
In the ball receiving tray of the present invention, as the amount of stored pachinko balls increases, the movable bottom plate is pushed down against the repulsive force of the elastic support means due to its weight, and the downward slope becomes smaller. As a result, even if the stored amount of pachinko balls in the ball tray becomes larger than before, the back pressure per pachinko ball becomes smaller, and the back pressure applied to the pachinko balls around the outlet is suppressed to an appropriate level. In addition, it is possible to prevent the pachinko balls from forming a bridge around the outlet to deteriorate the ball flow. Thereafter, as the amount of stored pachinko balls decreases, the weight of the pachinko balls applied to the movable bottom plate decreases, and the movable bottom plate is pushed back upward by the elastic support means, so that the downward slope of the movable bottom plate increases. As a result, the back pressure applied to the pachinko balls around the downflow opening is always automatically adjusted to an appropriate level, and a smooth ball flow is ensured.
[0009]
In this case, as in claim 1, Ball flow of the movable bottom plate with the configuration that is pivotally supported tiltably by its downstream end to the fulcrum, to the outlet side flow path from the downstream end of the movable bottom plate Flows smoothly without steps.
[0010]
Furthermore, if the elastic support means is made of an elastic body as in claim 2 , the structure is simple and the cost can be reduced, and the operation reliability is high.
[0011]
Further, if a rising wall is provided on at least a part of the peripheral portion of the movable bottom plate as in claim 3 , by receiving the pachinko ball on the rising wall, the contact resistance between the inner surface of the ball receiving tray and the pachinko ball is reduced. It is possible to smoothly move the movable bottom plate up and down with a small amount.
[0012]
【Example】
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The ball receiving tray 11 of this embodiment is provided, for example, as an upper plate at a lower part of the front of a pachinko machine. An inflow port 12 for receiving a pachinko ball discharged as a prize ball is formed on the left side of the rear wall of the ball tray 11, while a pachinko ball is rectified (see FIG. (Not shown) are formed in one row, and an outlet 13 is formed to flow down. The ball receiving tray 11 is formed so that a downstream portion (right side portion) narrows a flow path 14 for guiding a pachinko ball toward the outlet 13, and the guide flow path 14 is inclined downward toward the outlet 13. Let me.
[0013]
The ball receiving tray 11 of this embodiment has a large capacity by storing as follows, for example, so that 500 to 600 pachinko balls can be stored. That is, a portion of the bottom surface of the ball tray 11 except for the guide channel 14 to the outlet 13 is constituted by the movable bottom plate 15. By supporting the end of the movable bottom plate 15 on the downstream side (outflow port 13 side) on the side wall of the ball receiving tray 11 via the shaft 18, the movable bottom plate 15 can be tilted up and down about the shaft 18 as a fulcrum. I support them. The downstream end of the movable bottom plate 15 has the same height as the upstream end of the guide flow path 14 to the outlet 13 so that the pachinko balls can flow without a step.
[0014]
Below the upstream end of the movable bottom plate 15, a pair of springs 16 is mounted as elastic support means between the movable bottom plate 15 and the lower bottom 17 of the ball tray 11. Due to the repulsive force of the spring 16, the movable bottom plate 15 is urged upward with the shaft 18 as a fulcrum. When the amount of stored pachinko balls is small, the movable bottom plate 15 is pushed up by the repulsive force of the spring 16, and the movable bottom plate 15 The descending slope becomes larger. The maximum gradient of the movable bottom plate 15 is regulated by the upstream end (left end) of the movable bottom plate 15 abutting against a stopper 19 (see FIG. 2) formed on the inner surface of the left side wall of the ball tray 11. On the other hand, as the amount of stored pachinko balls increases, the weight of the movable bottom plate 15 is pushed down against the repulsive force of the spring 16 as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIGS. .
[0015]
According to the ball receiving tray 11 of the first embodiment described above, as the amount of stored pachinko balls increases, the weight of the movable bottom plate 15 is pushed down against the repulsive force of the spring 16 and the downward slope decreases. Therefore, even if the amount of stored pachinko balls in the ball tray 11 becomes larger than before, the back pressure per pachinko ball can be reduced and the pachinko balls around the outlet 13 can be reduced. The applied back pressure can be suppressed to an appropriate level, and it is possible to prevent the pachinko balls from forming a bridge around the outflow port 13 to deteriorate the ball flow. Then, as the storage amount of the pachinko balls in the ball tray 11 decreases, the weight of the pachinko balls applied to the movable bottom plate 15 decreases, and the movable bottom plate 15 is pushed upward by the spring 16, and the downward slope of the movable bottom plate 15 decreases. As a result, the pachinko balls are likely to flow to the downstream side. As a result, the back pressure applied to the pachinko balls around the downflow port 13 can always be automatically adjusted to an appropriate level, and a smooth ball flow can be ensured. For this reason, the capacity of the ball tray 11 can be increased without deteriorating the ball flow.
[0016]
By increasing the capacity of the ball tray 11, the pachinko balls that have conventionally flowed into the lower tray can be considerably stored in one ball tray 11, so that the player interrupts the game during the game and the lower tray (FIG. (Not shown), the number of times of transferring the pachinko balls to the ball tray 11 (upper plate) can be greatly reduced as compared with the related art, so that the trouble of the player can be saved and the player can be absorbed in the game. As a result, the operating rate of the pachinko hall can be improved. In addition, by increasing the capacity of the ball receiving tray 11, it is possible to ultimately abolish the lower tray and make it a single tray, so that the design of the pachinko machine and the cost can be reduced.
[0017]
Further, in the first embodiment, since the movable bottom plate 15 is configured to be pivotally supported on the downstream end portion as a fulcrum, the ball flow from the downstream end portion of the movable bottom plate 15 to the guide flow path 14 is performed. Flow smoothly without any step. Moreover, in this case, as in the first embodiment, an extremely stable support structure of a two-sided support type can be provided in which one end of the movable bottom plate 15 is pivotally supported and the other end is elastically supported. Simple and cost-effective.
[0018]
In addition, in the first embodiment, since the elastic support means is constituted by the spring 16, the structure of the elastic support means is simple and the cost is low, and the operation reliability is high. However, it goes without saying that another elastic body such as rubber or a cushion material may be used instead of the spring 16 as the elastic support means.
[0019]
Further, the elastic support means is not limited to the above-described various elastic bodies, and may use, for example, a repulsive force of a magnet. Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention that embodies this will be described with reference to FIGS. However, the same parts as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted, and different parts will be described with different reference numerals. In this second embodiment, instead of the spring 16 (elastic body), two N-pole magnets 21 and two N- pole magnets 22 are provided as elastic support means, and the N- pole magnets 21 are arranged upstream of the movable bottom plate 15. A magnet 22 having an N pole is attached to the lower surface 17 of the ball receiving tray 11 so as to face the lower surface of the side end portion. As a result, the N-pole magnet 21 and the N- pole magnet 22 magnetically repel each other, and the repulsive force elastically supports the upstream end of the movable bottom plate 15. Therefore, by setting the repulsive force of the magnets 21 and 22 to the same magnitude as the resilient force of the spring 16 of the first embodiment, the same operation and effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0020]
Further, in the second embodiment, a rising wall 15a is integrally formed on the front edge and the upstream edge of the movable bottom plate 15, and a pachinko ball is received by the rising wall 15a. The contact resistance with the ball is reduced so that the movable bottom plate 15 can move up and down smoothly. The maximum gradient of the movable bottom plate 15 is regulated by the upper end of the rising wall 15a of the movable bottom plate 15 abutting against a stopper 23 (see FIG. 4) formed at the upper end of the side wall of the ball tray 11. .
[0021]
In the second embodiment, the rising wall 15a is provided at the front edge and the upstream edge of the movable bottom plate 15, but also rises at the rear edge of the movable bottom plate 15 except for the portion facing the inflow port 12. A wall may be formed.
[0022]
In both the first and second embodiments described above, the right end of the movable bottom plate 15 is supported on the downstream side, but, for example, the front end of the movable bottom plate is supported on the downstream side. For example, a guide flow path to the outlet may be formed in front of the movable bottom plate. For example, the position of the pivot support point, the position of the outlet, and the position of the guide flow path of the movable bottom plate can be changed. .
[0023]
In both the first and second embodiments described above, the portion of the bottom surface of the ball tray 11 except for the guide channel 14 to the outlet 13 is constituted by the movable bottom plate 15, but the guide channel 14 is included. Needless to say, the entire bottom surface may be constituted by a movable bottom plate, and of course, a smaller bottom region than in each of the above embodiments may be constituted by a movable bottom plate.
[0024]
In addition, according to the present invention, the movable bottom plate is formed of an elastic plate, the downstream end of the movable bottom plate is cantilevered, and the upstream end is a free end. It goes without saying that various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention, such as providing a function or changing the shape of the ball tray appropriately.
[0025]
【The invention's effect】
As is apparent from the above description, in the ball tray of claim 1 of the present invention, as the amount of stored pachinko balls increases, the weight of the movable bottom plate is pushed down against the repulsive force of the elastic support means, and the movable bottom plate is pushed down. Since the downward slope is reduced, even if the amount of stored pachinko balls is larger than before, the back pressure per pachinko ball can be reduced and it is added to the pachinko balls around the outlet. The back pressure can be suppressed to an appropriate level, and it is possible to prevent the pachinko balls from forming a bridge around the outlet to deteriorate the ball flow. As a result, the capacity of the ball tray can be increased without deteriorating the ball flow, and during the game, the player interrupts the game and transfers the pachinko balls from the lower plate to the ball tray (upper plate). The number of times can be greatly reduced as compared with the related art, so that the trouble of the game player can be saved, the game player can be absorbed in the game, and the operation rate of the pachinko hall can be improved. In addition, by increasing the capacity of the ball tray, it is possible to ultimately abolish the lower tray and make it a single tray, so that the design of the pachinko machine and the cost can be reduced.
[0026]
Furthermore, since the ball tray according to claim 1 of the present invention is configured so that the movable bottom plate is pivotally supported on the downstream end portion as a fulcrum, from the downstream end portion of the movable bottom plate to the outlet side flow path. Ball flow smoothly without any steps. Moreover, in this case, both ends of the movable bottom plate can be pivotally supported and the other end can be an extremely stable support structure of a double-end support type, and the support structure is simple and advantageous in cost.
[0027]
In addition, in the ball tray according to the second aspect of the present invention, since the elastic support means is made of an elastic body, the structure of the elastic support means is simple, the cost is low, and the operation reliability is high.
[0028]
In the ball receiving tray according to the third aspect of the present invention, a rising wall is provided on at least a part of the peripheral portion of the movable bottom plate. The movable bottom plate can be smoothly moved up and down by reducing contact resistance with the bottom plate.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a ball tray according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional front view of a ball tray according to a first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a ball illustrating a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a saucer plate. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional front view of a ball saucer according to a second embodiment.
11 ball receiving tray, 12 inlet, 13 outlet, 14 guide passage, 15 movable bottom plate, 16 spring (elastic body, elastic support means), 18 shaft, 21 and 22 magnet (elastic support) means).

Claims (3)

In the ball tray of a pachinko machine that collects pachinko balls discharged as prize balls and arranges the pachinko balls in a line from the outlet to the rectifier and flows down,
At least a part of the bottom surface is constituted by a movable bottom plate which can be tilted up and down, and the movable bottom plate is pivotally supported on the downstream end portion as a fulcrum, and the upstream end portion is supported by elastic support means. By doing so, the movable bottom plate is configured to be pushed down against the elastic force of the elastic supporting means due to its weight as the storage amount of the pachinko balls increases, so that the downward slope thereof is reduced. Ball tray of pachinko machine. The ball tray of a pachinko machine according to claim 1, wherein the elastic supporting means is formed of an elastic body. Ball saucer pachinko machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a rising wall is provided on at least part of the peripheral portion of the movable base plate.

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