JP3577849B2 - Fraud detection mechanism of pachinko ball counter - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a pachinko ball counting machine that aligns and moves pachinko balls along an inclined ball path and detects and counts pachinko balls by a ball sensor provided in the ball path, and in particular, connects them with a thread or wire. The present invention relates to a mechanism for detecting a fraud that causes a pachinko ball to reciprocate in a ball sensor portion to increase a count value.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general pachinko parlors, ball counters used by customers are arranged at key points in the parlor. Such a general pachinko ball counting machine employs a switchback mechanism in which a passage is folded back like a maze in a ball insertion opening, so that an unauthorized tool cannot be inserted into an internal ball sensor portion (rake). Was sometimes incorrectly counted by inserting a tool called "
[0003]
By the way, recently, it has been proposed to attach a ball counter to each pachinko machine. The customer handles the ball counter while playing, automatically counts a large number of balls at the time of a big hit, and returns the balls to the internal mechanism of the pachinko machine. More specifically, it is configured to return to an “island” formed by arranging a plurality of pachinko machines. As a result, the pachinko balls are returned to the island, so that the pachinko balls can be directly used as prize balls to be supplied to each of the pachinko machines constituting the island. In addition, the counted number of pachinko balls is managed as electronic information, and the pachinko balls are issued again to the customer according to the customer's request, or a ball deposit certificate (such as an IC card) for prize exchange is issued. Or
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Regarding a small number of ball counters installed at key points in pachinko parlors, it is not easy to perform fraud because the personnel in charge can easily monitor them. There was no. However, in the case where a ball counter is attached to each pachinko machine, since the attendant's eyes are not sufficiently monitored, it is necessary to further enhance fraud prevention measures.
[0005]
In other words, the switchback mechanism is effective against the fraudulent insertion of a tool such as the aforementioned rake, but there is also a fraudulent manner that the switchback mechanism cannot prevent. As an example of the location, use pachinko balls that are connected with flexible and thin threads or wires (in some cases, beads are connected). Then, there is a method in which the connected ball is poured into a counter, and the ball is repeatedly reciprocated at a sensor portion to illegally obtain a count value.
[0006]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described background, and aims to solve the above-described problem and to increase the count value by reciprocating a pachinko ball connected with a thread or a wire through a ball sensor portion. An object of the present invention is to provide a fraud detection mechanism having a simple configuration capable of reliably detecting a fraud.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, in the fraud detecting mechanism of the pachinko ball counting machine according to the present invention, the pachinko balls are aligned and moved by the inclined ball passage, and the pachinko balls are detected by the ball detecting means provided in the ball passage. In a pachinko ball counting machine that detects and counts a ball, a step is provided at an appropriate position in the ball passage in a ball moving direction, and a lever is movably attached inside a cliff portion of the step, and the lever is mounted. The tip side is appropriately protruded from the cliff to the ball passage side, and the lever is displaced in response to the movement of the pachinko ball moving over the step in a direction opposite to the ball moving direction. The lever displacement is detected by an appropriate detection mechanism.
[0008]
Thereby, when the pachinko ball is flowing normally in the ball passage, the tip side of the lever is kept in a protruding state, and counting by the ball sensor is performed. On the other hand, if the pachinko ball attempts to move in the opposite direction, the pachinko ball must climb over the step. When the pachinko ball climbs over the step, the pachinko ball hits a lever projecting from a wall portion forming the step. Then, the pachinko ball urges the lever to displace the lever. By detecting this displacement with a sensor, fraud can be detected.
[0009]
In the normal state, the lever protrudes toward the ball passage from the wall portion. For example, the lever is moved downward by the weight of the lever to protrude, or when the lever rotates, the weight balance is lost ( Various methods can be adopted, such as a configuration in which the tip end is protruded and the tip is projected by rotating in a predetermined direction. In order to more reliably project, for example, an elastic member may be connected to the lever, and the elastic member may be configured to urge the lever in a direction in which a tip side of the lever projects toward the ball passage. (Claim 2).
[0010]
Here, the elastic member means that when the pachinko ball moves in the opposite direction and urges the lever, it receives the urging force and is elastically deformed to allow displacement of the lever. Therefore, various structures can be applied as long as the lever has a function of urging the lever in the reverse direction to protrude the tip. As an example, a spring can be used as described in the embodiment. Also, the type of spring is not limited to the embodiment, and various types other than a leaf spring can be used. The invention is not limited to the spring, and a rubber member or the like may be used. Furthermore, the lever and the elastic member do not need to be formed as separate members, and may be formed integrally.
[0011]
The elastic member may be configured to apply a biasing force such that the tip of the lever projects. For example, in a normal state in which the tip of the lever has already projected into the ball passage, the elastic member projects further forward. There is no need to provide bias. Of course, you may make it give an urging force.
[0012]
Further, the displacement direction of the lever may be a linear reciprocating movement or an arbitrary configuration such as a forward and reverse rotation. As an example, the lever may be formed in a substantially L-shape, and may be configured to be rotatable forward and reverse around the L-shaped bent portion (claim 3).
[0013]
Further, the dimension of the step can be arbitrarily set. However, it is preferable that the step is larger than the radius of the pachinko ball because the detection can be performed more reliably (claim 4).
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
As an embodiment of the pachinko ball counting machine provided with the fraud detection mechanism of the present invention, FIG. 1 shows a form of a counting machine attached to each pachinko machine. The hopper unit 1 is disposed below the ball discharge port of the lower plate of the pachinko machine, and the counting unit 2 is connected to an internal mechanism between the pachinko machines. Two slits 1a extending in a band shape are formed on the bottom surface of the hopper 1, and the pachinko balls supplied into the hopper 1 are guided by the slits 1a and sent into the counting unit 2 in two rows. Can be On the outlet side of the hopper 1, a partition wall 1b is formed upright between the slits 1a so as to be surely separated into two rows. Further, a guide member 1c is provided above the discharge side, and pachinko balls are provided. It is prevented from being sent vertically to the counting unit 2 side.
[0015]
As described above, the pachinko balls accommodated in the hopper unit 1 flow to the counting unit 2 while being gradually aligned along the inclined ball passage. There are two rows of ball passages 3 of the counting unit 2, and the pachinko balls move in each of the ball paths 3 completely aligned in one row. A ball sensor 4 for counting and a fraud detection mechanism of the present invention are incorporated in each of the two ball passages 3.
[0016]
The details of the ball detection unit and the fraud detection unit in the counting unit 2 are shown in FIGS. As shown in the drawing, a step is provided at an appropriate position in the ball passage 3 so as to be settled in the ball moving direction. The upper passage 3a is a ramp above the step, the lower passage 3b is a ramp below the step, and there is a cliff portion 5 between the two. The size of this step is slightly larger than the radius of the pachinko ball P. In this embodiment, the ball sensor 4 is disposed in close contact with the inside of the lower surface of the upper passage 3a.
[0017]
A small window hole is formed in the cliff portion 5 of the ball passage 3. A lever 6 is mounted inside the window hole, and the tip side 6a of the lever 6 appropriately protrudes from the window hole of the cliff portion 5 toward the passage 3 side. The lever 6 has an L-shape, and a bent portion thereof is attached to a base member of the ball passage 3 by a horizontal pin 7 so as to be rotatable forward and backward. A wire spring 8 is mounted on the pin 7, and the lever 6 always applies a counterclockwise rotational force to the lever 6 by the elastic force of the spring 8.
[0018]
In the normal state shown in FIG. 2, the lever 6 has been rotated counterclockwise to the limit by the force of the spring 8, the lower side of the distal end 6 a of the lever 6 is in contact with the lower passage 3 b, and the base end of the lever 6. The upper surface of the (right end in the drawing) side 6 b is close to the lower surface of the ball sensor 4. In this state, the distal end 6a of the lever 6 slightly projects from the cliff portion 5 toward the ball passage 3. Further, the base end 6 b is separated from the proximity switch 11.
[0019]
Here, when the pachinko balls P move in a line from the upper passage 3a to the lower passage 3b, the pachinko balls P move so as to jump over the cliff portion 5, and hardly touch the protruding end of the lever 6. . Further, even if the pachinko ball P falling on the cliff portion 5 touches the lever 6 (the tip side 6a), the contact force is a force for rotating the lever 6 in the counterclockwise direction. Since it cannot rotate, it does not displace.
[0020]
FIG. 3 shows a state in which a fraudulent attempt is made with a pachinko ball connected with a thread or a wire. The illegal ball 10 connected by the thread 9 passes through the ball sensor 4 and is in the lower passage 3b. A fraudulent person is pulling the thread 9 to pull the fraudulent ball 10 back to a position before the ball sensor 4. Since this portion has a step larger than the radius of the pachinko ball P, the illegal ball 10 pulled by the thread 9 hits the cliff portion 5 in the right direction. Since the distal end 6a of the lever 6 projects here, the lever 6 is pushed rightward, and the lever 6 rotates clockwise about the pin 7.
[0021]
Then, the proximal end b of the lever 6 faces the proximity switch 11. Then, the proximity switch 11 detects the proximal end 6b of the lever 6 and outputs a detection signal. The illegality can be detected from the output of the proximity switch 11. Then, based on this detection signal, various processes such as outputting a predetermined alarm or subtracting the number of balls can be performed. As described above, in this example, the rotational displacement of the lever 6 is detected by the proximity switch 11 installed below the ball sensor 4.
[0022]
Here, the movement of the lever 6 is detected by the proximity switch. However, a photoelectric switch or the like may be used, or a configuration in which the movement of the lever 6 is transmitted by a mechanical mechanism may be used.
[0023]
In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a per-table counter is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to various types of pachinko ball counters conventionally used. .
[0024]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, by adding a simple mechanism to the pachinko ball counting machine, it is possible to reliably detect a fraud such as accumulating a counted value by reciprocating a pachinko ball connected with a thread or a wire through a ball sensor portion. Therefore, it is a countermeasure for preventing fraud that is suitable not only for a conventional counter but also for a counter for each machine attached to each pachinko machine.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pachinko ball counting machine (each-unit counting machine) provided with a fraud detection mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a detailed configuration diagram of a fraud detection mechanism of the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an operation performed by the fraud detection mechanism at the time of fraud detection.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Hopper part 2 Counter part 3 Ball passage 3a Upper passage 3b Lower passage 4 Ball sensor 5 Cliff part 6 Lever 6a Tip side 7 Pin 8 Wire work spring 9 Thread 10 Illegal ball 11 Proximity switch (sensor which detects displacement of lever)
P Pachinko ball

Claims (4)

In a pachinko ball counting machine that aligns and moves pachinko balls by an inclined ball passage and detects and counts pachinko balls by ball detection means provided in the ball passage,
Providing a step in the ball movement direction at an appropriate position in the ball passage,
A lever is attached movably inside the cliff part of this step,
The tip of the lever is appropriately protruded from the cliff toward the ball passage, and the lever is displaced by the movement of the pachinko ball moving over the step in a direction opposite to the ball moving direction. Configured to
An unauthorized detection mechanism for a pachinko ball counter, wherein the displacement of the lever is detected by an appropriate detection mechanism. An elastic member is connected to the lever,
The fraudulent detection mechanism of a pachinko ball counter according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member biases the lever in a direction in which a tip end side of the lever projects toward the ball passage. The pachinko ball counting machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lever is formed in a substantially L-shape, and is attached so as to be able to rotate forward and backward around the L-shaped bent portion. Fraud detection mechanism. The illegality detection mechanism of a pachinko ball counting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the size of the step is larger than the radius of the pachinko ball.

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