JP4145380B2 - Game ball polishing equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus that is provided in a gaming machine and polishes a game ball that is a gaming medium used in the gaming machine. Here, the gaming machine corresponds to a pachinko machine, for example, and the gaming ball in this case is a pachinko ball.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, as a polishing apparatus for this type of gaming machine, for example, there is one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 8-317272 already proposed by the present applicant. That is, in one gaming machine, a lifting pipe constituting a game ball lifting device is disposed, and an abrasive is pasted on the inner wall of a cylindrical body communicating with the pipe in the middle of the lifting pipe. A polishing apparatus was provided. When the game ball passes through the polishing device, the dirt is wiped off by coming into contact with the abrasive.
[0003]
Also, on the lower end side of the lifting pipe, balls aligned in a line in the pipe are engaged one by one with the recesses on the outer periphery of the sprocket provided at the position, and the sprocket is driven by rotation. A separate lifting device was also provided. The polishing device is disposed upstream of the sprocket of the lifting device. Separately, the polishing device is disposed downstream of the sprocket, and is played by driving the sprocket. There is also known a configuration in which the material is polished.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the abrasive in the polishing apparatus tends to become dirty, it has to be frequently replaced at a relatively short cycle, and this replacement work takes a lot of time and labor, which has been a factor in increasing costs. . In addition , the polishing apparatus is configured completely separately from the lifting apparatus, and is disposed at different locations in the lifting pipe, which increases the number of parts and increases the number of mounting steps. It became a factor of cost increase. [0007]
The present invention was made in view of the above problems of the prior art, can be delivered efficiently Migaku Ken already game ball in a certain direction, transmitted to the polishing performance (pumped) It is an object of the present invention to provide a game ball polishing apparatus that can add capability, reduce the burden of replacement work with simplification of the configuration, and reduce costs.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
It is a gist of the present invention for achieving the above object resides in the invention in the following section.
[1] In a polishing apparatus (30) that is provided in a gaming machine (10) and polishes a game ball that is a gaming medium used in the gaming machine (10),
In the gaming machine (10), a cylindrical housing (31) is arranged so that its axis is substantially vertical, and a supply part (32) for taking in a game ball is provided on the upper end side of the housing (31). On the other hand, a delivery part (33) for discharging the game ball is provided on the lower end side of the housing (31),
The abrasive sheet (50) is circulated along the inner peripheral wall of the housing (31), and the game ball taken in from the supply unit (32) is brought into contact with the abrasive sheet (50) in the housing (31). A rotating body (40) that is driven to rotate in a state of being
The delivery part (33) is formed so as to send out the game balls, which are in contact with the polishing sheet (50) and polished in accordance with the rotational drive of the rotating body (40), in a line in a certain direction ,
The rotating body (40) includes a sprocket in which a plurality of engaging grooves (41) for engaging a game ball with its outer peripheral edge are connected in series, and the sprocket is inserted into each engaging groove (41). Is formed to a thickness that engages in a state where it overlaps the upper and lower stages,
The vertical width of the polishing sheet (50) is set to such an extent that it does not hang on the lowermost game ball engaged with each engagement groove (41) of the sprocket,
A game ball polishing device ( 33), wherein the delivery portion (33) is provided at a position for sequentially discharging the lowermost game balls engaged with the respective engagement grooves (41) of the sprocket to the outside. 30).
[0016]
Next, the operation based on the above solution will be described.
According to the polishing apparatus (30) of the present invention, the game ball to be polished is first introduced into the housing (31) from the supply section (32) on the upper end side of the housing (31). The game balls that have entered between the inner periphery of the housing (31) and the outer periphery of the rotating body (40) circulate along the inner periphery of the housing (31) as the rotating body (40) is driven to rotate. Roll.
[0017]
During this rolling, the surface of the game ball is evenly rubbed against the polishing sheet (50) circulated along the inner peripheral wall of the housing (31), and the dirt on the game ball is transferred to the polishing sheet (50). The product itself is also polished.
[0018]
The game balls polished in the housing (31) are sequentially discharged from the delivery part (33) on the lower end side of the housing (31). At this time, the game balls are discharged in a certain direction by the delivery part (33). Are sent out in a line. According to the delivery unit (33), the driving force of the rotating body (40) is efficiently used as the force for delivering the game ball as it is.
[0020]
Further, if the rotating body (40) is a sprocket having a plurality of engaging grooves (41) continuously provided on the outer peripheral edge thereof, the game balls are inserted into the engaging grooves (41) in order. And introduced into the housing (31). Since the game balls engage with the respective engagement grooves (41) in this way, the game balls are reliably circulated while coming into contact with the polishing sheet (50) as the rotating body (40) rotates. Can do.
[0021]
If the sprocket is formed to a thickness that allows the game balls to overlap in multiple upper and lower stages in each engagement groove (41), it is possible to polish and circulate a large number of game balls together by one rotation of the sprocket. It becomes.
[0022]
Here, the vertical width of the polishing sheet (50) is set to such an extent that it does not hit the lowermost game ball engaged with each engagement groove (41) of the sprocket, and the delivery section (33) is If the lowermost game ball in the engagement groove (41) is provided at a position where it is sequentially discharged to the outside, the game ball is smoothly transferred without being affected by frictional resistance with the polishing sheet (50). 33) can be discharged to the outside.
[0025]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments representing the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
1 to 5 show an embodiment of the present invention.
The polishing apparatus 30 according to the present embodiment is provided in a pachinko machine 10 that is a gaming machine. As shown in FIG. 4, the pachinko machine 10 is a game machine in which a game ball, which is a game medium, is launched on the game board 11 by a rotation operation of a handle 12 provided at the lower right end of the machine body, and a prize is enjoyed. .
[0026]
On the lower side of the game board 11, there are provided an upper plate 13 for receiving prize balls and a lower plate 14 for receiving balls overflowing from the upper plate 13. Further, a prize ball counter 15 is disposed below the lower plate 14. The prize ball counter 15 is a device that receives the overflowing spheres from the lower plate 14, counts the number with a counter, and stores and calculates the counting result with a control device.
[0027]
A ball lending machine 20 is integrally attached to one end of the game board 11. The ball lending machine 20 is a device that lends a number of game balls corresponding to the amount of money from the nozzle 22 in accordance with the bill inserted from the bill insertion slot 21. The game ball paid out from the nozzle 22 is set to be introduced into the upper plate 13 as it is.
[0028]
A predetermined amount (usually about several hundreds) of game balls is enclosed in the pachinko machine 10 in advance, and the balls are circulated only in the machine and repeatedly used for games while being polished by the polishing apparatus 30. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the polishing apparatus 30 is housed in the lower part of the machine body of the pachinko machine 10.
[0029]
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the polishing apparatus 30 circulates along a cylindrical housing 31, a rotating body 40 rotatably supported in the housing 31, and an inner peripheral wall of the housing 31. A polishing sheet 50 and a take-in / feed mechanism 60 for the polishing sheet 50 are provided.
[0030]
The housing 31 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and is disposed in the lower part of the pachinko machine 10 with its axis being substantially vertical. On the upper end side of the housing 31, a supply unit 32 for taking in game balls is provided. The upper end surface side of the housing 31 is open, and the supply part 32 is a hopper that is mounted so as to communicate with the upper end surface side opening of the housing 31 and can store a predetermined amount of game balls.
[0031]
As shown in FIG. 4, a tank unit 17 capable of storing a large number of game balls is provided above the supply unit 32 inside the machine body of the pachinko machine 10, and the game balls in the tank unit 17 are stored in the tank unit 17. It is set so as to be sequentially introduced into the supply unit 32. In addition, a ball collection guide 16 for collecting all the game balls launched on the game board 11 and guiding them into the tank unit 17 is disposed above the tank unit 17.
[0032]
On the other hand, on the lower end side of the housing 31, a delivery part 33 for discharging the game ball to the outside is provided. The sending unit 33 is formed so as to send out the game balls polished by the polishing sheet 50 along with the rotational drive of the rotating body 40 described below in a state of being aligned in a line in a certain direction.
[0033]
Specifically, the delivery unit 33 arranged the lower end port 81 of the feed pipe 80 that sends the game balls upward in a row in the lower peripheral wall of the housing 31 in the rotation direction of the rotating body 40 described below. It is connected in communication at a predetermined angle. Here, the lifting pipe 80 is made of a pipe material whose inner diameter is slightly larger than the diameter of the game ball, and extends in the pachinko machine 10 so as to extend upward from the polishing apparatus 30. At the upper end side of the lifting pipe 80, there is provided a ball sorting device 82 for selectively sorting the lifted game balls for prize balls or for lending / returning.
[0034]
A rotating body 40 that rotates in a state in which the game ball taken in from the supply portion 32 is brought into contact with the inner peripheral wall side is pivotally supported in the housing 31 substantially vertically. The rotating body 40 is composed of a sprocket having a plurality of engaging grooves 41, 41.. As shown in FIG. 1, the sprocket that is the rotating body 40 is formed to have a thickness that allows the game balls to be engaged with the respective engagement grooves 41 in a state where the game balls overlap with each other in five stages.
[0035]
The rotating shaft 42 of the rotating body 40 extends downward through the bottom wall of the housing 31, and the rotating shaft 42 is directly fixed to the output shaft 71 of the drive motor 70 attached to the lower side of the housing 31. Has been. Here, the drive motor 70 is also a drive source of an intake supply mechanism 60 described later.
[0036]
Along the inner peripheral wall of the housing 31, a part of the polishing sheet 50 extending in a tape shape is arranged to circulate. The polishing sheet 50 is in contact with game balls engaged with the respective engaging grooves 41 of the rotating body 40, and the polishing sheet 50 is maintained in a state along the inner peripheral wall of the housing 31. The polishing sheet 50 is made of, for example, 6 nylon or 66 nylon and is made of a polishing cloth, and an electrostatic removal material and a polishing enhancement material may be mixed therein. Moreover, it is not restricted to an abrasive cloth, You may form with abrasive paper etc.
[0037]
As shown in FIG. 1, the vertical width of the polishing sheet 50 is such that it does not hit the lowermost game ball engaged with each engagement groove 41 of the rotating body 40, that is, the width of four game balls. Is set to Note that the lower end port 81 of the feed pipe 80 constituting the delivery part 33 is a position where the lowest game balls engaged with the respective engagement grooves 41 of the rotating body 40 are sequentially discharged to the outside, that is, the polishing. It is provided on the lower peripheral wall of the housing 31 that is not covered by the seat 50.
[0038]
As shown in FIG. 2, an intake supply mechanism 60 for the polishing sheet 50 is integrally disposed on the side of the housing 31. The take-in supply mechanism 60 takes in a predetermined amount of a part of the polishing sheet 50 drawn to the outside through the slit 35 formed in the peripheral wall of the housing 31 and at the same time, a part of a new polishing sheet 50 of the same amount. Is supplied to the inside.
[0039]
The intake and supply mechanism 60 includes an abrasive sheet collection shaft 61, an abrasive sheet supply shaft 62, a drive roller 63, and the like. The polishing sheet collecting shaft 61 is for winding the used polishing sheet 50, and the polishing sheet supply shaft 62 is for winding the polishing sheet 50 to be newly fed out in advance. The polishing sheet collection shaft 61 and the polishing sheet supply shaft 62 are pivotally supported in parallel with each other on the side where the slit 35 of the housing 31 is provided.
[0040]
In the slit 35 of the housing 31, guide pieces 64 are provided that extend along both ends of the polishing sheet 50 that circulates along the inner peripheral wall of the housing 31. The drive roller 63 is pivotally supported in front of the guide piece 64. The driving roller 63 is driven to rotate while being in contact with the polishing sheet 50, pulls out the polishing sheet 50 in the housing 31 to the outside, and pulls out a new polishing sheet 50 from the polishing sheet supply shaft 62.
[0041]
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, a pair of guide rollers 65 and 66 are pivotally supported on the left and right between the drive roller 63 and the guide piece 64. The new polishing sheet 50 fed out from the polishing sheet supply shaft 62 is sandwiched between the driving roller 63 and the guide roller 65, pulled out of the housing 31, and wound up onto the polishing sheet collection shaft 61. The drive roller 63 and the guide roller 66 are sandwiched.
[0042]
A pulley 63 </ b> A and a gear 63 </ b> B are integrally and coaxially fixed to the drive roller 63. A gear 71A fixed to the output shaft 71 of the drive motor 70 meshes with a gear 63B of the drive roller 63 so as to reduce and transmit the rotational force via coaxial gears 67A and 67B supported separately. Yes. In this case, as described above, the driving roller 63 is driven by the same driving motor 70 as the rotating body 40.
[0043]
As shown in FIG. 1, the pulley 63A of the driving roller 63 and the pulley 61A of the polishing sheet collecting shaft 61 are connected so as to be able to transmit power by a transmission belt 68 that slips when a tension of a predetermined value or more is applied. . Here, the tension of a predetermined value or more means that the winding diameter on the polishing sheet collection shaft 61 side is larger than the diameter on the polishing sheet supply shaft 62 side, and the amount of winding of the polishing sheet 50 by the polishing sheet collection shaft 61 is When the amount of the polishing sheet 50 fed out from the polishing sheet supply shaft 62 decreases, the tension is excessively applied to the polishing sheet 50, and the balance between the feeding amount and the winding amount of the polishing sheet 50 is maintained. Has been.
[0044]
Next, the operation will be described.
In FIG. 4, when a bill is inserted into the bill insertion slot 21 of the ball lending machine 20, a game ball corresponding to the amount is paid out to the upper plate 13 of the pachinko machine 10. Then, when the player rotates the handle 12, one game ball is launched on the game board 11 at a strength corresponding to the rotation angle.
[0045]
When game balls on the game board 11 enter various winning holes, a predetermined number of game balls are paid out to the upper plate 13 as the prizes. Here, the game balls that have entered the various winning openings are introduced into the tank portion 17 via the ball collecting guide 16 on the lower side of the game board 11. Similarly, the game ball that has entered the out port of the game board 11 is also introduced into the tank portion 17.
[0046]
The game balls collected in the tank unit 17 are supplied to the supply unit 32 of the polishing apparatus 30 as needed. When the rotating body 40 in the housing 31 is rotationally driven in a state where the game balls are stored in the supply unit 32, the game balls in the supply unit 32 are agitated, and the game balls naturally enter the respective engaging grooves 41 of the rotary body 40. Get in. Each engagement groove 41 is filled with a state in which game balls overlap in five upper and lower stages.
[0047]
Thus, the game balls that have entered between the inner periphery of the housing 31 and the respective engagement grooves 41 of the rotating body 40 are rotated so as to circulate along the inner periphery of the housing 31 as the rotating body 40 is driven to rotate. Move. During such rolling, the surface of the game ball is evenly rubbed against the polishing sheet 50 circulated along the inner peripheral wall of the housing 31, and the dirt of the game ball is transferred to the polishing sheet 50, and the game ball itself is also sufficiently polished. The
[0048]
The game balls polished in the housing 31 are pushed one by one into the lower end port 81 of the feed pipe 80 that forms the delivery section 33 in order from the lowest ball of the engagement groove 41. Since the abrasive ball 50 is not applied to the game ball in the lowermost stage of the engagement groove 41, the game ball is smoothly fed into the supply portion 32 without receiving excessive frictional resistance due to contact with the abrasive sheet 50. 80 is pushed into the lower end 81.
[0049]
Since the lower end port 81 of the lifting pipe 80 is connected to the lower peripheral wall of the housing 31 at a predetermined angle in the rotational direction of the rotating body 40, the game ball is It is sequentially sent out in the direction of being pushed into the lower end port 81. The ground game balls are thus smoothly transported through the transport pipe 80 by the game balls that are pushed one after another from the lower end port 81 of the transport pipe 80. The game balls lifted in the lifting pipe 80 are selectively distributed by the ball sorting device 82 for prize balls or for lending / returning.
[0050]
In the engagement groove 41 of the rotator 40, when the lowermost game ball is discharged, the upper four game balls fall naturally, and there is always a game ball in the lowermost stage of the engagement groove 41. It becomes a state. Furthermore, since the game ball of the supply part 32 is supplied immediately to the uppermost step in the vacant engagement groove 41, the game ball is continuously overlapped with the upper and lower five steps in the engagement groove 41.
[0051]
As described above, as the rotating body 40 rotates, the game ball is sufficiently rubbed and polished by the polishing sheet 50 while moving from the uppermost stage to the lowermost stage of the engagement groove 41, and then the feeding pipe 80. Are sequentially pushed into the lower end opening 81. Accordingly, the driving force of the rotating body 40 is efficiently used as the force for lifting the game ball as it is. In this way, by adding the lifting ability to the polishing performance, it is possible to achieve simplification of the configuration and reduction in the number of mounting steps.
[0052]
Further, the polishing sheet 50 in the housing 31 is automatically and continuously replaced by the intake and supply mechanism 60. That is, the take-in and supply mechanism 60 takes in a predetermined amount of a part of the polishing sheet 50 drawn to the outside through the slit 35 formed in the peripheral wall of the housing 31, and simultaneously, the new amount of the new polishing sheet 50 of the same amount. A part is supplied inside. Thereby, the high polishing capability with the new polishing sheet 50 can be maintained.
[0053]
When the rotating body 40 is rotationally driven by the driving motor 70, the driving force is transmitted from the gear 71A through the gears 67A and 67B at a reduced speed to the pulley 63A integrated with the driving roller 63. A polishing sheet 50 is sandwiched between the driving roller 63 and the guide roller 65, and between the driving roller 63 and the guide roller 66, respectively.
[0054]
In this state, when the driving roller 63 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 2, a new polishing sheet 50 fed from the polishing sheet supply shaft 62 is inserted into the housing 31 between the driving roller 63 and the guide roller 65. In contrast, the used abrasive sheet 50 drawn out of the housing 31 is sent to the abrasive sheet collecting shaft 61 side from between the drive roller 63 and the guide roller 66.
[0055]
Since the rotational force of the driving roller 63 is also transmitted to the pulley 61A of the polishing sheet collection shaft 61 via the transmission belt 68, the used polishing sheet 50 drawn out of the housing 31 is transferred to the polishing sheet collection shaft 61. It is actively wound up. As shown in FIG. 2, in the initial stage where the feeding diameter on the polishing sheet supply shaft 62 side is larger than the winding diameter on the polishing sheet collection shaft 61 side, the winding amount of the polishing sheet 50 by the polishing sheet collection shaft 61 and the polishing The amount of the polishing sheet 50 fed out from the sheet supply shaft 62 is substantially equal.
[0056]
When the amount of the polishing sheet 50 wound around the polishing sheet collection shaft 61 increases, the winding diameter on the polishing sheet collection shaft 61 side becomes larger than the diameter on the polishing sheet supply shaft 62 side, and the polishing sheet collection shaft 61 becomes larger. The amount of the polishing sheet 50 fed out from the polishing sheet supply shaft 62 becomes smaller than the amount of winding of the polishing sheet 50 due to the above. However, since the driving roller 63 pulls the polishing sheet 50 from the polishing sheet supply shaft 62 at a constant speed, extra tension is applied to the polishing sheet 50. Then, since slip occurs in the transmission belt 68, it is possible to maintain a balance between the feeding amount of the polishing sheet 50 and the winding amount.
[0057]
The polishing apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. For example, the sprocket as the rotating body is formed to have a thickness in which the game balls overlap in five upper and lower stages in the respective engagement grooves, but may be formed thicker or thinner.
Further, if the drive motor 70 of the polishing apparatus 30 is set so as to be driven in conjunction with the operation of the handle 12, for example, it is possible to suppress excessive driving of the polishing apparatus 30 without impairing the polishing efficiency of the sphere, It becomes possible to achieve power saving and longer life of the polishing apparatus.
[0059]
【The invention's effect】
According to the game ball polishing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to send a ground game ball in a fixed direction from a supply portion on the lower end side of the housing, so that the polishing performance has a sending (lifting) capability. It can be added, the configuration is simplified, the number of mounting steps is reduced, and the cost can be reduced.
[0060]
In addition, the abrasive sheet take-in and supply mechanism takes in a predetermined amount of a part of the abrasive sheet pulled out through the slit provided in the peripheral wall of the housing, and at the same time, a part of a new abrasive sheet of the same amount If it is comprised so that it may supply inside, the grinding | polishing sheet | seat which circulates along the inner peripheral wall of a housing can be continuously replaced | exchanged automatically, and the high grinding | polishing capability with a new grinding | polishing sheet can be maintained. .
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view showing a polishing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a polishing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a side view showing a polishing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a front view showing a gaming machine equipped with a polishing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a side view showing a gaming machine equipped with a polishing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Pachinko machine 11 ... Game board 12 ... Handle 13 ... Upper plate 14 ... Lower plate 15 ... Premium ball counter 16 ... Collecting ball guide 17 ... Tank part 20 ... Ball lending machine 21 ... Bill insertion slot 22 ... Nozzle 30 ... Polishing Apparatus 31 ... Housing 32 ... Supply part 33 ... Sending part 35 ... Slit 40 ... Rotating body 41 ... engaging groove 42 ... Rotating shaft 50 ... Polishing sheet 60 ... Uptake supply mechanism 61 ... Polishing sheet collecting shaft 61A ... Pulley 62 ... Polishing Sheet supply shaft 63 ... Driving roller 63A ... Pulley 63B ... Gear 64 ... Guide piece 65 ... Guide roller 66 ... Guide roller 67A ... Gear 68 ... Transmission belt 70 ... Drive motor 71 ... Output shaft 71A ... Gear 80 ... Lifting pipe 81 ... Lower end port 82 ... Ball sorter

Claims (1)

In a polishing apparatus that is provided in a gaming machine and polishes a game ball that is a gaming medium used in the gaming machine,
In the gaming machine, a cylindrical housing is arranged so that its axis is substantially vertical, and a supply portion for taking in a game ball is provided on the upper end side of the housing, while the game ball is discharged on the lower end side of the housing. Provided a sending section,
A polishing sheet is circulated along the inner peripheral wall of the housing, and a rotating body that rotates in a state where the game ball taken in from the supply unit comes into contact with the polishing sheet is pivotally supported substantially vertically in the housing. ,
The delivery part is formed so as to send out the game balls that are in contact with the polishing sheet and polished in accordance with the rotational drive of the rotating body in a state of being aligned in a line in a certain direction ,
The rotating body is composed of a sprocket having a plurality of engaging grooves for engaging the game ball on its outer periphery, and the sprocket is engaged with the engaging grooves in a state where the game balls overlap with the upper and lower stages. Molded to the thickness to be combined,
The vertical width of the polishing sheet is set to such an extent that it does not hang on the lowermost game ball engaged with each engagement groove of the sprocket,
A game ball polishing apparatus , wherein the delivery section is provided at a position for sequentially discharging the lowermost game balls engaged with the respective engagement grooves of the sprocket to the outside .

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