JP3896216B2 - Game ball detector - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a game ball detection device for detecting a game ball in a prize ball tank of a game machine.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the gaming machine, a prize ball tank (upper tank) is arranged on the upper part, and prize balls and the like required for the game are sequentially supplied from the prize ball tank. The prize ball tank is provided with a game ball detection device, and when the game balls in the prize ball tank disappear or are insufficient, the game balls are immediately supplied into the prize ball tank.
[0003]
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional game ball detection device. The game ball detecting device 70 in this conventional example is used by being attached to an end wall 61a on the downstream side of the prize ball tank 61, and a switch 73 and a substantially "<"-shaped movable piece 72 are arranged on a substrate 71. It is configured. The movable piece 72 is pivotally attached to the support shaft 74, and when the game ball flows down and contacts the movable piece 72, the movable piece 72 swings around the support shaft 74 from the position of the two-dot chain line to the position of the solid line. to turn on the contacts of the switch 7 3, by its contact oN signal, and is capable of detecting that the game ball is present in the prize balls tank 61.
[0004]
8A and 8B are diagrams showing another example of a conventional game ball detection device, where FIG. 8A is a plan view and FIG. 8B is a ZZ sectional view of FIG. The game ball detection device 80 in this conventional example is attached to a movable plate 82 having a width substantially matching the bottom surface width of the prize ball tank 61 and an end wall 61b on the upstream side of the prize ball tank 61 with a contact point facing downward. And a switch 83. The movable plate 82 is urged upward by springs 84, 84 each having one end fixed to two protrusions 81, 81 provided on the upper end wall 61b, and thereby has an inclined posture shown by a two-dot chain line. The contact of the switch 83 is pushed up to turn on the contact. The prize balls tank 61 come game balls filled, at a situation where the game ball rests on the movable plate 82, the movable plate 82 in the weight is displaced downward against the biasing force of the spring 84 , thereby releasing the contact of the switch 8 3, turns off the contacts. Based on this contact-off signal, the presence of the game ball P in the prize ball tank 61 can be detected.
[0005]
On the other hand, in recent gaming machines, the shape of the prize ball tank, for example, the width and the height of the side wall differs depending on the manufacturer and is diversified in terms of shape. Therefore, the game ball detecting device is required to be sufficiently compatible with the diversified prize ball tanks.
[0006]
In addition, the payout method of the winning ball is changed in accordance with the jackpot and other game contents, and various winning ball numbers such as 6, 10, and 15 are set. In response to such a situation, the prize ball tank, for example, flows game balls down in three rows, one row pays out six in correspondence with the number of six prize balls, and the next row has ten prize balls. 10 payouts corresponding to the number, and the next column pays 15 payouts corresponding to 15 prize balls. And, the number of 15 winning balls to be paid out decreases quickly, and the method of decreasing the number is different in each column. Therefore, the gaming ball detection device covers all the columns and plays It is required to accurately detect the presence or absence of a sphere.
[0007]
Furthermore, in the gaming machine, the number of game balls supplied to the prize ball tank is counted by a replenishment counter above it, and the number discharged as a result of the game is counted by the out ball counter. The difference ball (difference) is managed by a computer on the assumption that it corresponds to the number of award balls to the player. Therefore, in order to improve the accuracy of the difference ball, it is desirable that the number of game balls present in the prize ball tank is always constant and small. On the other hand, a certain amount of game balls are always secured in the award ball tank so that a large amount of payout such as big hits can be made continuously without interruption. There is also a need. Therefore, the game ball detecting device is also required to have a function of constantly holding an optimum fixed number in the prize ball tank.
[0008]
As described above, various demands are made on the game ball detecting device, and it is desired to satisfy them simultaneously.
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the gaming ball detection device 70 shown in FIG. 7 is arranged at the downstream side of the prize ball tank 61, and when the contact signal is switched and it is detected that there is no gaming ball, the prize ball is detected. There is no game ball in the tank 61, and even if the contact signal is switched and replenishment to the award ball tank 61 is started from that point, it will not be in time for a large amount of payout. Had.
[0010]
In addition, the movable piece 72 used in the game ball detection device 70 is not so wide and covers only two rows of game balls, and thus the game balls flow down in three rows. In this case, the presence or absence of the game balls for one row could not be detected, and the supply of prize balls for that one row was interrupted.
[0011]
Further, in the gaming ball detection device 80 shown in FIG. 8, the width of the movable plate 82 is constant, so that it is impossible to mount the movable ball 82 on a prize ball tank having a different width. Had.
[0012]
Even when the game ball in the prize ball tank decreases and the movable plate 82 is pushed upward by the springs 84, 84, that is, when it is detected that the contact signal is switched and there is no game ball, A large number remain on the downstream side in the prize ball tank 61, and the number thereof is not necessarily constant, and this is one factor that deteriorates the accuracy of the difference ball.
[0013]
The present invention has been proposed in view of the above, and can sufficiently cope with the diversification of the shape of the prize ball tank, can cover all the game balls flowing down in a plurality of rows, and can accurately detect the prize ball tank. It is an object of the present invention to provide a game ball detection device capable of simultaneously satisfying various demands such that an optimal fixed number can be constantly held therein.
[0014]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 is a game ball detection device for detecting a game ball in a prize ball tank of a gaming machine , wherein the prize ball tank has a longitudinal direction of the prize ball tank. A device main body that is arranged along the width direction of the prize ball tank at a desired position and stores a game ball between the prize ball tank downstream wall and one end of the apparatus main body within a predetermined range with respect to the apparatus main body. A main body mounting portion that is provided so as to be movable up and down, and that allows the device main body to be attached to and detached from one side wall of the prize ball tank, and a side wall pressure contact portion that protrudes from the other end of the device main body to extend and contract and presses the other side wall of the prize ball tank When provided by a substantially suspended on one side of the apparatus main body, a thin plate-like movable piece Ru pushed to the upstream side by the accumulated game balls prize balls tank provided inside the apparatus main body, A switch that is turned on and off by a movable piece, Serial prize ball tank longitudinal position appropriately selected by setting a to allow always maintain a constant number of perfect prize balls tank, is characterized in that.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0017]
FIG. 1 is a view showing an arrangement of prize ball tanks in a gaming machine. The prize ball tank (upper tank) 1 is arranged on the upper part of each gaming machine (pachinko machine) 90 arranged on the game island 9, and the prize ball tank 1 includes a ball supply basket 2 and a ball supply pipe 3. The game balls are supplied through the prize ball supply device 4. The number of game balls to be replenished is counted by a replenishment counter (not shown) built in the prize ball replenishing device 4 and managed by a computer. The game balls replenished to the prize ball tank 1 flow down in the prize ball tank 1 and are sequentially supplied as prize balls or the like into the gaming machine 90 via the lower tank 5 or the like.
[0018]
The prize ball tank 1 is provided with the game ball detection device 10 of the present invention over the entire width thereof, and detects the presence or absence of the game ball in the prize ball tank 1. Details of the game ball detection device 10 will be described below with reference to FIGS.
[0019]
2 is a plan view of the game ball detection device attached to the prize ball tank, FIG. 3 is a side view thereof, FIG. 4 is a front view thereof, FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. FIG. In these drawings, a game ball detection device 10 of the present invention is provided in a prize ball tank 1 along the width direction of the prize ball tank 1, and provided at one end of the device body 11. A main body mounting portion 12 that can be attached to and detached from one side wall 1 a of the tank 1, a side wall press-contact portion 13 that protrudes from the other end of the apparatus main body 11 and presses against the other side wall 1 b of the prize ball tank 1, A movable piece 14 provided on one side surface and operated by being pushed by a game ball stored in the prize ball tank 1, and a switch 15 provided inside the apparatus main body 11 and turned on / off by the movable piece 14. ing.
[0020]
Of the above-described game ball detection device 10, the device main body 11, the side wall pressing portion 13 and the movable piece 14 are formed of a resin material, and the claw is locked in the slot using the elasticity of the resin material. And they are assembled together.
[0021]
The main body attachment portion 12 is formed by bending a thin iron plate into a U shape as shown in FIG. 6, and one leg portion 121 is formed in a gap portion 111 formed on one end side of the apparatus main body 11. It is housed. In the accommodated state, a protrusion formed inward from the peripheral wall of the gap portion 111 is loosely fitted into a long hole formed in the center of the width of the leg portion 121, so that the main body attachment portion 12 can be connected to the gap portion 111. As shown by the arrow R1 in FIG. 6, it can move up and down within a predetermined range along the peripheral wall. The other leg portion 122 is screwed with a screw hole 122a. As shown in FIG. 4, after the one side wall 1a of the prize ball tank 1 is accommodated in the empty portion 124 inside the main body mounting portion 12, the screw hole 122a is screwed. The one end side of the game ball detection device 10 can be fixed to the one side wall 1a by screwing 123 into contact with the one side wall 1a.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 6, the side wall pressure contact portion 13 includes a substantially prismatic piston 131 having a hollow inside, and a columnar piston guide portion 132 that guides the movement of the piston 131. Yes. The piston 131 has two projecting pieces 131a and 131a projecting inwardly in a hole formed in the center of one end wall 131w (FIGS. 5 and 6). The piston guide part 132 is integrally extended from the empty part end wall 112a in the apparatus main body 11, is fixed to the empty part 112 by cantilever support, and a spring 133 is loosely mounted on the outer peripheral surface. . The two protruding pieces 131a and 131a are loosely inserted into the guide grooves 132a and 132a of the piston guide part 132 (FIGS. 5 and 6).
[0023]
The spring 133 abuts against the one end wall 131w of the piston 131 and urges the one end wall 131w, and presses against the stopper 132b at the tip of the piston guide portion 132 when no load is applied. Accordingly, the piston 131 protrudes from the apparatus main body 11 to the maximum extent outward. When the piston 131 is pushed into the apparatus main body 11 from this state, the one end wall 131w pushes back the spring 133, and the projecting pieces 131a and 131a move along the guide grooves 132a and 132a. Move inward. As described above, the piston 131 is configured to be extendable and retractable along the piston guide portion 132 in the hollow portion 112 using the apparatus main body 11 as a cylinder.
[0024]
The movable piece 14 has a thin plate shape, and is supported substantially by a side edge of the upper end wall 11b of the apparatus main body 11 as shown in FIG. Is configured to be able to swing in the direction of arrow R2 toward the one side wall 11a while maintaining a gap. On the other hand, a switch 15 is disposed on the bottom wall 11c of the apparatus body 11 at a position corresponding to the lower side of the one side wall 11a. The switch 15 is a micro switch that is turned on / off in response to a slight movement of the contact 151, and the lower portion of the movable piece 14 is always in contact with the contact 151. Since the contact 151 is biased outward by a spring mechanism inside the switch, the contact 151 does not operate even when the movable piece 14 that is hanging in an unloaded state is in contact, and the switch 15 remains off. As will be described later, when the movable piece 14 is pushed inward by the game ball and reaches the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 5, the contact 151 is activated by the pressing force, and the switch 15 is turned on. Switch.
[0025]
In order to attach the gaming ball detection device 10 having the above configuration to the prize ball tank 1, the gaming ball detection device 10 is first placed along the width direction of the prize ball tank 1, and then the piston 131 is retracted by hand, Then, the side wall 1a of the prize ball tank 1 is accommodated in the empty space 124 inside the main body mounting portion 12 while lowering the game ball detecting device 10. Subsequently, the hand is loosened to extend the piston 131, and the opposing side wall 1 b is pressed by the piston 131. And the screw | thread 123 of the main body attaching part 12 is tightened and it is made to contact | abut to the side wall 1a. As a result, the game ball detection device 10 is fixed and attached along the width direction at a desired position in the longitudinal direction of the prize ball tank 1.
[0026]
When the game ball from the prize ball supply device 4 is supplied to the prize ball tank 1, the game ball is gradually stored from the outlet in the flow-down direction, and the stored game ball is placed upstream of the prize ball tank 1. It extends and reaches the position of the game ball detection device 10 arranged on the upstream side (state of FIG. 3). In this state, since the game ball pushes the movable piece 14 of the game ball detection device 10 inward, the movable piece 14 moves from the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 5 to the position shown by the two-dot chain line, and accordingly the contact 151. , The switch 15 switches from the off state to the on state, and sends the on signal to the computer. The computer is monitoring this on state. Thereafter, when the game ball is paid out and the game ball does not come into contact with the movable piece 14, the switch 15 is turned off, and an off signal is sent to the computer. Based on the off signal, the computer operates the prize ball supply device 4 assuming that the number of game balls in the prize ball tank 1 has decreased from a predetermined number, and supplies the game balls until the switch 15 is turned on again. Do.
[0027]
As described above, in this embodiment, since the side wall pressure contact portion 13 that can be expanded and contracted with respect to the apparatus main body 11 is provided, the lateral width of the prize ball tank 1 can be freely adjusted. The game ball detecting device 10 can be arranged corresponding to the above. Further, since the main body mounting portion 12 is provided so as to be movable up and down with respect to the apparatus main body 11, the height of the side wall of the prize ball tank 1 can be freely adjusted to an optimum height. It is possible to arrange the game ball detection device 10 after adjusting the height. Therefore, it is possible to sufficiently cope with diversification of the shape of the prize ball tank 1 (see the one-dot chain line and the two-dot chain line in FIGS. 2 and 4).
[0028]
Further, since the game ball detection device 10 is arranged along the width direction on the upstream side of the prize ball tank 1, all the game balls flowing down in a plurality of rows can be covered and detected accurately.
[0029]
Furthermore, since this game ball detection device 10 can be arranged at any position in the longitudinal direction of the prize ball tank 1, an optimal fixed number is always held in the prize ball tank 1 by appropriately selecting and setting the position. become able to.
[0030]
As described above, the game ball detection device 10 of the present invention can simultaneously satisfy various requirements required for the game ball detection device and can be easily mounted.
[0031]
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the illustrated embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately implemented without changing the configuration described in the claims.
[0032]
【The invention's effect】
Since this invention consists of an above-described structure, there can exist an effect which is demonstrated below.
[0033]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the side wall pressure contact portion that can be expanded and contracted with respect to the main body of the apparatus is provided, a game corresponding to the horizontal width of the prize ball tank is possible regardless of the horizontal width. A sphere detector can be placed. Therefore, it is possible to sufficiently cope with diversification of the shape of the prize ball tank.
[0034]
In addition, since the game ball detection device is arranged along the width direction on the upstream side of the prize ball tank, all the game balls flowing down in a plurality of rows can be covered and detected accurately.
[0035]
Furthermore, since it can be arranged at an arbitrary position in the longitudinal direction of the prize ball tank, it is possible to always hold an optimum fixed number in the prize ball tank by appropriately selecting and setting the position. It is possible to reliably prevent the supply of prize balls from being interrupted and to give the player unpleasant feelings, and to manage the difference balls at the game store side with high accuracy.
[0036]
Thus, the game ball detection device of the present invention can simultaneously satisfy various requirements that have recently been required for game ball detection devices, and can be easily mounted.
[0037]
Further, the present body mounting portion so provided vertically movable with respect to the apparatus main body, even how the height of the side wall of the winning balls tank, the optimum height to correspond freely in its height It is possible to arrange the game ball detecting device after adjusting, and from this point, it is possible to sufficiently cope with diversification of the shape of the prize ball tank.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an arrangement of prize ball tanks in a gaming machine.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the game ball detection device in a state attached to a prize ball tank.
FIG. 3 is a side view of the game ball detection device in a state attached to a prize ball tank.
FIG. 4 is a front view of the game ball detection device attached to the prize ball tank.
5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG.
6 is a YY cross-sectional view of FIG.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional game ball detection device.
8A and 8B are diagrams showing another example of a conventional game ball detection device, where FIG. 8A is a plan view and FIG. 8B is a ZZ cross-sectional view of FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Prize ball tank 1a One side wall 1b Other side wall 10 Game ball detection apparatus 11 Apparatus main body 11a One side wall 11b Upper end wall 11c Bottom wall 112 Empty part 112a Empty part end wall 12 Main body attaching part 121 Leg part 122 Leg part 122a Screw hole 123 Screw 124 Empty part 13 Side wall pressure contact part 131 Piston 131a Projection piece 132 Piston guide part 132a Guide groove 132b Stopper 133 Spring 14 Movable piece 15 Switch 151 Contact 90 Game machine

Claims (1)

In a game ball detection device that detects a game ball in a prize ball tank of a gaming machine,
In the prize ball tank, a device main body that stores the game ball between the prize ball tank and the downstream wall of the prize ball tank disposed along the width direction of the prize ball tank at a desired position in the longitudinal direction of the prize ball tank ;
A main body mounting portion provided at one end of the apparatus main body so as to be movable up and down within a predetermined range with respect to the apparatus main body, and allowing the apparatus main body to be attached to and detached from one side wall of the prize ball tank;
A side wall pressing portion that protrudes from the other end of the apparatus main body so as to extend and contract, and presses the other side wall of the prize ball tank;
Provided substantially suspended on one side of the apparatus main body, a thin plate-like movable piece Ru pushed to the upstream side by the accumulated game balls prize balls tank,
A switch provided inside the apparatus main body, which is turned on and off by a movable piece;
With
By appropriately selecting and setting the arrangement position in the longitudinal direction of the prize ball tank, it is possible to always hold an optimal fixed number in the prize ball tank.
A game ball detection device characterized by that.

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