JP3942450B2 - Medal lending machine - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a medal lending machine that is installed and used on the side of a gaming machine that uses medals as game media in a game arcade, and that pays out a predetermined number of medals in response to insertion of a value-added medium. Is related to a medal lending machine provided with a bowl-shaped nozzle for guiding medals paid out from the main body of the medal lending machine to a predetermined medal storage part of the gaming machine.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the amusement hall, a so-called medal lending machine that lends medals, which are gaming media of slot machines, is installed on the side of a gaming machine called a slot machine when a value-added medium is inserted. The value-added medium is a bill, a coin, a prepaid card, an IC card, a credit card, or the like, and is a value medium necessary for a player to borrow a medal. Although it is possible for a player to purchase a medal using a value-added medium, since it is common to borrow a medal at the current game hall, the following explanation will be given assuming that the medal is lent out. . Moreover, since a banknote is common as an added value medium used in the present game hall, in the following description, it demonstrates using a banknote as an example of an added value medium.
[0003]
When a player inserts a predetermined amount of bills into a bill insertion slot of a medal lending machine installed on the side of the slot machine, a predetermined number of medals are paid out from the medal dispensing slot of the medal lending machine accordingly. Since the medal lending machine is installed on the side of the slot machine, the player can play with the slot machine using the medals paid out from the medal lending machine without standing up. , The time for the player to interrupt the game can be shortened. In addition, for the game hall operator, an increase in the number of games per hour of the player by installing a medal lending machine on the side of the slot machine leads to an increase in profits.
[0004]
Many medal payout ports of conventional medal lending machines are provided with a receiving tray for receiving the paid-out medals, and the paid-out medals are stored in the receiving tray. In this case, the player has to take out the medal stored in the tray by hand and move it to the medal storage part provided in the slot machine where he / she plays the game and storing the medal used for the game. Therefore, a medal lending machine has been devised and used which provides a bowl-shaped nozzle at the medal lending machine's medal dispensing opening and guides the medal paid out from the main body of the medal lending machine to the medal storage section of the slot machine. . In addition, the medal storage part of the slot machine is often provided at the front of the slot machine, and since many of the medal lending machines are smaller in depth than the slot machine housing, they are installed on the side of the slot machine. The shape of the nozzle that guides the medal from the main body of the medal lending machine to the medal storage section of the slot machine protrudes from the front of the main body of the medal lending machine toward the front, and the medal storage section of the slot machine in the middle of the route for guiding the medal Many are curved to the side.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in a medal lending machine having a bowl-shaped nozzle that guides the paid-out medals to the medal storage part of the slot machine, the shape of the nozzle path that guides the medals is conventionally changed. Therefore, when the positional relationship between the main body of the medal lending machine and the medal storage part of the slot machine changes due to replacement of the slot machine at the amusement hall, etc. However, the nozzles of the same shape may not be able to be directed to the proper position. In this case, the operator of the amusement hall had to replace the nozzles with different shapes or give up using the nozzles.
[0006]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and by changing the shape of the nozzle path for guiding the paid-out medals, the speed of the medals passing on the path is improved. A medal lending machine that can direct the nozzle to the proper position without replacing the nozzle even if the positional relationship between the medal lending machine body and the medal storage part of the slot machine is diverse. The purpose is to do.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention includes a main body having a medal payout mechanism and a nozzle for guiding the medals paid out from the main body while flowing down to a medal storage portion of a slot machine installed on the side of the main body. With respect to the lending machine, the nozzle is configured by connecting a plurality of U-shaped members having an open upper surface in series, and has a connecting pin projecting on the lower surface of the bottom plate of the upstream member in the medal flow direction. , Through the connecting hole formed in the bottom plate of the downstream member, adjacent members are connected in order to be freely rotatable, and the entire nozzle is deformable, and both side plates of the upstream member are respectively downstream end portions. The connecting plate is curved in an arc shape around the connecting pin, and the both side plates of the downstream member are curved in an arc shape around the connecting hole at the upstream end portion, and the downstream end portion of the upstream member is Of the downstream member A flow-side end, wherein the upstream member are overlapped doubly as on the inside.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The appearance of a medal lending machine using the present invention is shown in FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a bowl-like nozzle 4 is supported in a substantially horizontal direction so as to be rotatable in the lower front portion of the main body 3 of the medal lending machine 2. The medal paid out from the main body slides down along the inner side of the nozzle 4, and therefore the nozzle 4 protrudes downward from the main body with a sufficient inclination to guide the medal. Further, as will be described later, the nozzle 4 has a first hook-like member 5 rotatably supported by the main body 3, a second hook-like member 6 rotatably connected to the first hook-like member 5, A third hook-like member 7 is rotatably connected to the second hook-like member 6.
[0010]
As shown in FIG. 1, the medal lending machine 2 is provided at the side of the slot machine 8 in the game hall. A medal tray 9 as a medal storage unit is provided at the lower front of the slot machine 8, and the nozzle 4 guides the medal to the medal tray 9 in order to drop the medal paid out from the main body 3 into the medal tray 9. . In FIG. 1, the main body 3 and the slot machine 8 are in close contact with each other. However, the main body 3 and the slot machine 8 are not necessarily installed in the game arcade in close contact as shown in FIG. The positional relationship with the slot machine 8 is appropriately determined depending on the layout of the game hall. The manner in which the medal tray 8 is provided in the slot machine also varies depending on the type of slot machine. Accordingly, the positional relationship between the main body 3 and the medal tray 8 can take various forms different from those in FIG.
[0011]
FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the main body 3 and the nozzle 4 of the medal lending machine 2. The nozzle 4 is supported so as to be rotatable in a substantially horizontal direction inside a rotation hole 10 provided in the lower front portion of the main body 3, and has a sufficient inclination to guide the medal from the rotation hole 10. It protrudes downward. The rotation hole 10 is provided so that the position of the hole can be moved in accordance with the movement of the nozzle 4. Further, the nozzle 4 includes a first hook-like member 5 that is rotatably supported by the main body 3, a second hook-like member 6 that is rotatably connected to the first hook-like member 5, and a second hook-like member. A third hook-like member 7 is rotatably connected to the member 6.
[0012]
An opening / closing door 12 provided with a bill insertion slot 11 into which a predetermined bill, for example, a thousand-yen bill is inserted, is provided on the front upper portion of the main body 3. The open / close door 12 is locked by a lock 13 so that it cannot be easily opened and closed. A bill recognition device 14 having a space for storing bills inserted from the bill insertion slot 11 is disposed above the inside of the main body 3 and at the rear of the bill insertion slot 11. The banknote identification device 14 determines the authenticity of the inserted banknote and the type of denomination. When an effective banknote is identified, the banknote is taken in and stored. When an invalid banknote is identified, the banknote is returned from the banknote slot 11. The banknotes stored in the banknote identification device 14 can be taken out by opening the door 12. When an automatic bill collection device is connected from the outside, the bill taken into the bill recognition device 14 is carried outside and stored outside, so that the bill 12 is not taken out by opening the door 12. Good.
[0013]
A medal payout device 15 having a medal storage function and a medal payout function is disposed below the inside of the main body 3 and at the rear part of the rotation hole 10. From the medal payout device 15, a predetermined number of medals are paid out to the upper end portion of the nozzle 4 according to the inserted bill, and for example, 50 medals are paid out according to the insertion of one thousand yen bill. The replenishment of medals to the medal payout device 15 is performed by opening the medal replenishment door 17 with the lock 16. A panel door 19 with a lock 18 is detachably provided on the front face of the medal payout device 15, and the support portion of the nozzle 4 and the rotation hole 10 are provided inside the convex portion 19 a of the panel door 19. ing. During maintenance of the medal payout device 15, the lock 18 can be unlocked and the panel door 19 together with the nozzle 4 and the rotation hole 10 can be removed from the main body. When an automatic replenishing device that replenishes medals is connected to the medal payout device 15 from the outside, it is not necessary to open the medal replenishment door 18 and replenish medals.
[0014]
In addition, when using what is not a banknote as an added value medium, what is necessary is just to provide suitably the identification apparatus according to the value medium instead of the banknote identification apparatus 14. FIG. For example, when an IC card is used, a device for identifying whether the IC card is valid and appropriately rewriting the recorded information in the IC card may be provided in the main body of the medal lending machine.
[0015]
FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view and FIG. 4 shows a schematic top view when the first hook-like member 5, the second hook-like member 6 and the third hook-like member 7 of the nozzle 4 are linear. As shown in FIG. 3, a columnar connection protrusion 20 is provided on the bottom side of the first flange-like member 5 so as to protrude downward. By fitting the circular connecting hole 21 drilled in the bottom of the second hook-shaped member 6 so as to be in the same center with the connecting protrusion 20, the second hook-shaped member 6 is connected to the first hook-shaped member 5. It is connected so as to be rotatable in a substantially parallel direction with respect to the bottom surface of the first upper member. Furthermore, the first washer-like member 5 and the second saddle-like member 6 cannot be disconnected by fixing the washer-like stop plate 25 to the tip of the connecting projection 20 with the screw 26. Similarly, a cylindrical connecting projection 22 projecting downward on the lower side of the bottom of the second bowl-shaped member 6 is connected to the circular coupling hole 23 drilled in the bottom of the third bowl-shaped member 7 with the same center. Thus, the third hook-like member 7 is connected to the second hook-like member 6 so as to be rotatable in a direction substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the second hook-like member. Further, by fixing the washer-like stop plate 25 to the tip of the connection protrusion 22 with the screw 26, the connection between the second hook-like member 6 and the third hook-like member 7 is not released.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 4, in the connecting portion between the first hook-like member 5 and the second hook-like member 6, the side walls 5 a and 5 b of the first hook-like member 5 and the side walls 6 a and 6 b of the second hook-like member 6 are It is curved concentrically with respect to the connecting projection 20, so that the side wall 6a rotates along the outer periphery of the side wall 5a, and the side wall 6b rotates along the outer periphery of the side wall 5b. Similarly, in the connecting portion between the second hook-shaped member 6 and the third hook-shaped member 7, the side walls 6 c and 6 d of the second hook-shaped member 6 and the side walls 7 a and 7 b of the third hook-shaped member 7 are connected to the connecting protrusion 22. The side wall 7a is curved along the outer periphery of the side wall 6c, and the side wall 7b is rotated along the outer periphery of the side wall 6d.
[0017]
The shape of the path for guiding the medal of the nozzle 4 is changed by adjusting the respective rotation amounts at the connecting portions of the first hook-like member 5, the second hook-like member 6, and the third hook-like member 7. The tip of the nozzle moves on a plane substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the nozzle. As a result, an obstacle such as a corner of the slot machine housing in the course of the path is avoided, or a position where the medal is guided and dropped by the nozzle 4 is an appropriate position with respect to the medal storage part of the slot machine. Can be adjusted. Also, by bending the middle of the path, the speed of medals passing on the path can be reduced, and the medals can be prevented from jumping over the side wall of the nozzle.
[0018]
In the above embodiment, the medal storage part of the slot machine 8 is the medal tray 9 provided in the lower front part. However, the medal storage part in which the nozzle 4 guides and drops the medal depends on the form of the slot machine. May not be a medal tray. In other words, the present invention can be used with the same effect as the above-described embodiment as long as the part for storing medals in the slot machine is a form in which the medals are guided and dropped by the nozzle. For example, even if the medal storage part of the slot machine is in the center of the front of the main body, if the form of the medal storage part is such that the medal can be dropped from above, the position of supporting the nozzle of the medal lending machine main body What is necessary is just to adjust the length of a nozzle according to the medal storage part.
[0019]
In the above embodiment, there are two connecting portions between the hook-shaped members. However, at least one connecting portion may be provided as a bent portion of the nozzle, and the number of connecting portions is not limited to two. Further, the connection mode is not limited to the above as long as it can be bent on the nozzle path.
[0020]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the medal lending machine of the present invention, since the shape of the nozzle path can be changed, the speed of medals passing on the path can be reduced, and the medal lending machine main body and the slot machine can store medals. Even if the positional relationship with the part is diverse, the nozzle can be directed to an appropriate position without replacing the nozzle.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view when a medal lending machine using the present invention is installed on the side of a slot machine.
FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a medal lending machine using the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing a connecting portion between a first hook-like member and a second hook-like member and a connecting portion between a second hook-like member and a third hook-like member of a nozzle using the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic top view showing a connecting portion between a first hook-like member and a second hook-like member and a connecting portion between a second hook-like member and a third hook-like member of a nozzle using the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 medal lending machine 3 main body 4 nozzle 5 first hook-like member 6 second hook-like member 7 third hook-like member 8 slot machine 9 medal tray 11 bill insertion slot 15 medal dispensing device 20, 22 connecting projections 21, 23 connecting hole

Claims (1)

In a medal lending machine comprising a main body incorporating a medal payout mechanism, and a nozzle for guiding the medals paid out from the main body while flowing down to a medal storage section of a slot machine installed on the side of the main body ,
The nozzle is configured by connecting a plurality of U-shaped members having an open upper surface in series, and a connecting pin protruding from the bottom surface of the bottom plate of the upstream member in the medal flow direction is connected to the downstream member. Inserted through a connecting hole formed in the bottom plate of the two, adjacent members are connected in order to be freely rotatable, and the entire nozzle is deformable,
Both side plates of the upstream member are curved in an arc shape around the connecting pin at the downstream end, and both side plates of the downstream member are curved in an arc shape around the connecting hole at the upstream end. The medal lending is characterized in that the downstream end of the upstream member and the upstream end of the downstream member are double overlapped so that the upstream member is inside. Machine.

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