JP4197348B2 - Game ball lifting device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a game ball lifting device that lifts a game ball such as a pachinko ball by circling an endless lifting belt spanned between a drive pulley and a driven pulley.

  In a gaming machine island that houses a plurality of gaming machines such as pachinko machines, a lifting device is used to transport game balls from a low place to a high place on the island. For example, Patent Document 1 shown below describes a lift mechanism that lifts a game ball from the bottom of an upper tank installed so as not to be much higher than a supply path for supplying game balls to each gaming machine to the supply path. ing. This lift mechanism spans an endless lift-up belt that can lock a game ball between a drive pulley and a driven pulley, and drives the drive pulley with a motor to circulate the lift-up belt to lift the game ball It is supposed to be.

  In Patent Document 2, a plurality of inclined supply paths are arranged so that the upstream end of the next supply path is positioned above the downstream end, and a lift mechanism is provided between the supply paths. A technique is described in which a game ball introduced from the downstream end is discharged and discharged to the upstream end of the next supply path.

JP-A-5-237258 JP-A-5-253351

  In the lift mechanism described in Patent Document 1, the drive motor, the drive pulley, and the driven pulley are housed inside the circulation path of the lift-up belt to reduce the size, but these parts are directly assembled to the upper tank. Therefore, when a part needs to be replaced due to failure or wear, the replacement work becomes large-scale and there is a problem that the operation of the gaming machine island has to be stopped for a long time. In addition, since such exchange work is complicated, there is a problem that it requires specialized knowledge and skilled skills and cannot be easily performed by employees of the amusement store.

  In the lift mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 2, each of the driving pulley and the driven pulley is arranged in accordance with the height of the downstream end of the introduction side supply path and the height of the upstream end of the discharge side supply path. It takes a thing. However, if the position of the drive pulley or driven pulley is changed to adjust the tension of the lift-up belt, the positional relationship between the height of the pulley and the replenishment path will be shifted, and the game ball in the lift mechanism will be smooth. There was a problem of affecting the introduction or discharge.

  The present invention is intended to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a game ball lifting device that can easily perform a replacement operation at the time of failure or wear-out in a short time.

  The gist of the present invention for achieving the object lies in the inventions of the following items.

[1] In order to transport an upper tank (13) for storing game balls polished and lifted by the lift polishing apparatus and to each gaming machine in which a plurality of game balls in the upper tank (13) are accommodated in parallel. An endless lifting belt (21), which is provided in a gaming machine island (10) provided with a replenishment path and can lock a game ball, is bridged between a driving pulley (22) and a driven pulley (23). The driving pulley (22) is rotated by a motor and the lifting belt (21) is circulated so that the game balls stored in the upper tank (13) are removed from the bottom of the upper tank (13). In the game ball lifting device (20) for lifting and discharging from the supply path to the supply path,
The motor, the driving pulley (22), and the driven pulley (23) are arranged so as to be housed in a region surrounded by the feeding belt (21), and are incorporated in the support member (30). Make the unit a unit,
The replenishment path transports the game balls supplied from the upper tank (13) over the longitudinal direction of the gaming machine island (10) and parallels two belt conveyors whose transport directions are opposite to each other. The game balls to be transported are replenished to the gaming machine due to the collision of the game balls transported in the opposite directions at the boundary between the two belt conveyors. A game ball lift characterized in that the game ball is taken into a take-in port for taking in the game ball from the supply path and disposed along both longitudinal edges of the supply path. Feeder (20).

  In the above invention, the motor, the drive pulley (22), and the driven pulley (23) are housed in the lifting belt (21) and incorporated in the support member (30) to form a unit, thereby reducing the size of the device. It becomes. In addition, when replacing parts due to failure or wear, the replacement work is completed simply by replacing the game ball lifting device (20) for each unit. Further, since the game balls in the upper tank (13) are transported from the bottom of the upper tank (13) to the supply path, the upper tank (13) can be installed at a lower position than before, and the height of the gaming machine island (10) can be increased. The thickness can be lowered.

[2] An upper tank for storing the game balls polished and transferred by the lift polishing apparatus and a replenishment path for conveying a plurality of game balls in the upper tank arranged in parallel to each other and accommodated therein An endless lifting belt, which is provided in the gaming machine island and can be used to lock the game ball, is provided between a driving pulley and a driven pulley, and the driving pulley is rotated by a motor to circulate the lifting belt. Thus, in the game ball lifting device for lifting and discharging the game balls stored in the upper tank from the bottom of the upper tank to the supply path,
The motor, the driving pulley, and the driven pulley are arranged so as to be housed in an area surrounded by the lifting belt, and are incorporated in a support member, and the apparatus is unitized.
The replenishment path transports the game balls supplied from the upper tank (13) over the longitudinal direction of the gaming machine island (10) and parallels two belt conveyors whose transport directions are opposite to each other. An inlet for taking in game balls to be replenished to the gaming machine is arranged along both edges in the longitudinal direction of the replenishment path.
A partition wall is provided along the longitudinal direction of the belt conveyor at the boundary between the two belt conveyors,
Compared with the first posture, the first posture in which both surfaces of the partition wall are inclined so that the surface on the intake port side faces the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the posture parallel to the transport direction of the transport path The path is displaced to the second posture with a small inclination and is biased by the elastic force toward the first posture, and the length in the width direction of the belt conveyor in the first posture is shorter than the width of the belt conveyor. arranged to change member, the game balls to the progress change member in the traveling direction of the game ball to be the transport is present as caused that impinging on said diverting member, the take-game balls to be the transport A game ball lifting device (20) characterized by being taken into the mouth .

In the inventions described in [1] and [2] above, the power supply path can be installed horizontally, and the height of the gaming machine island (10) can be further reduced.

  According to the game ball lifting apparatus according to the present invention, the motor, the driving pulley, and the driven pulley are housed in the inner region of the lifting belt and incorporated into the support member, and are unitized. It can be done easily in a short time.

  Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows an internal structure of a gaming machine island 10 according to the first embodiment provided with a game ball lifting device 20 according to the present invention. The gaming machine island 10 accommodates a large number of gaming machines 2 and gaming ball lending machines 3 arranged in parallel as gaming machines. In addition, various incidental facilities for circulating and repeatedly using game balls to be used for gaming in the gaming machine island 10 are accommodated. Here, the gaming machine 2 is a pachinko machine, and the game ball lending machine 3 is a device that lends a game ball (pachinko ball) to a player.

  The gaming machine island 10 is constructed by constructing island frames and island pillars 11 on the floor of the game hall, attaching gaming devices 2 and 3 and incidental facilities to them, and providing an exterior not shown in other necessary places. The In the center of the gaming machine island 10, there is a lifting polishing device 12 that lifts the game ball while polishing it from the lower part to the upper part of the island. A large number of gaming ball lending machines 3 are installed on both front and back surfaces of the gaming machine island 10 in a state of being back-to-back.

  At the upper center of the gaming machine island 10, an upper tank 13 for storing the game balls lifted by the lifting and polishing device 12 is installed. A game ball lifting device 20 is provided on each of the left and right sides of the upper tank 13, and a drive-type supply path 50 extends from the outside to the left end and the right end of the gaming machine island 10, respectively. 3 is stretched substantially horizontally above 3.

  The upper tank 13 is set lower than before so as not to be much higher than the drive-type supply path 50 for supplying the game balls to each game machine 2 in order to reduce the height of the game machine island 10. The lifting device 20 functions to lift and discharge the game balls stored in the upper tank 13 from the bottom of the upper tank 13 to the drive-type supply path 50.

The drive-type replenishment path 50 is a conveyor device of a belt conveyor type, and transports game balls supplied from the upper tank 13 via the game ball lifting device 20 substantially horizontally along the longitudinal direction of the gaming machine island 10. It fulfills the function of replenishing each gaming device (the gaming machine 2 and the gaming ball lending machine 3). The game balls being transported are appropriately taken in and aligned with the chutes 61 disposed along both longitudinal edges of the transport path (driven replenishment path 50) , and then each gaming machine 2 or game ball is lent. Machine 3 is replenished. A chute 61 serving as a game ball take-in port is installed for each gaming machine 2 and each gaming ball lending machine 3 corresponding to the installation location of the gaming machine 2 and the gaming ball lending machine 3.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the drive-type replenishment path 50 has two belt conveyors 51 and 52 arranged in parallel in opposite directions (arrows A and B directions) and is conveyed in the opposite direction. The game balls are caused to collide with each other at the boundary between the two belt conveyors 51 and 52, and the game ball 5 is taken into the chute 61 due to the collision. For example, as shown by an arrow F in the figure, a game ball is changed in its course by a collision, and a collision between a game ball changed in the course of this collision and another game ball is generated in a chain. The game ball inside is taken into the intake port 62.

  At both ends of the two belt conveyors 51, 52, there are provided contact plates (not shown) for transferring the game balls from one belt conveyor to the other belt conveyor by contacting the conveyed game balls. By being folded at both ends by the contact plate, the game ball is circulated and conveyed in the drive-type supply path 50.

  Since the drive-type supply path 50 transports the game balls horizontally, there is no need to provide a gradient unlike the supply path for transporting the game balls by natural fall, and the height of the gaming machine island 10 can be reduced accordingly. . Furthermore, since the course of the game ball is changed due to a collision at the boundary, it is not necessary to provide a special mechanism for directing the course to the side, and the configuration of the drive-type supply path 50 is simplified. be able to.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the description of the gaming machine island 10 will be continued. A plurality of lower tanks 15 for storing game balls are installed below the game machine 2 and the game ball lending machine 3. Below the lower tank 15, a collection conveyor 16 is installed from the left and right island ends to the ball introduction port 12 a at the lower part of the lifting and polishing device 12, and the game balls discharged from each gaming machine 2 as out balls The game balls discharged from the lower tank 15 are collected by the collection conveyor 16 and conveyed to the ball introduction port 12a of the lifting and polishing apparatus 12.

  The upper tank 13 is provided with an overflow pipe 17 for allowing excess game balls to escape, and the game balls flowing down the overflow pipe 17 are discharged to the lower tank 15 and stored. Further, the surplus game balls in the drive-type supply path 50 are guided and stored in the lower tank 15 from the dedicated chute 61a provided with the overflow shutter 18 through the overflow pipe 18a.

  In the gaming machine island 10 having such a configuration, the game balls discharged from each gaming machine 2 are collected by the collection conveyor 16, and are lifted and stored in the upper tank 13 while being polished by the lifting and polishing apparatus 12. The game balls are supplied to the gaming machine island 10 on the basis of a route in which the game balls supplied from the upper tank 13 via the game ball lifting device 20 are transported by the drive-type supply route 50 and resupplied to each gaming machine 2 again. It is designed to be used in circulation.

  3 shows an installed state of the game ball lifting device 20 on both sides of the upper tank 13, FIG. 4 shows an internal structure of the game ball lifting device 20, and FIG. 5 shows a plane of the game ball lifting device 20. FIG. 6 shows the left side of the game ball lifting device 20. The game ball lifting device 20 is configured as a substantially box-shaped unit that can be independently attached to and detached from the gaming machine island 10 and drives an endless lifting belt 21 that can lock the game ball inside. A pulley 22 and a driven pulley 23 are provided so as to have a function of conveying the game ball from the lower part to the upper part by rotating the driving pulley 22 by the motor 24 and rotating the lifting belt 21.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a relay plate 13 a and a separation bottom plate 13 b are provided inside the upper tank 13 to receive the ground game ball discharged from the upper end of the lifting and polishing device 12 and separate the bottom separation plate. At 13b, the game balls are guided to the game ball lifting device 20 by sorting left and right. The game ball lifting device 20 lifts the game ball flowing from the separation bottom plate 13b at the bottom of the upper tank 13 through the introduction plate 25 by the lift belt 21, and the lifted game ball is discharged to the upper discharge plate 26. To the end of the drive replenishment path 50.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the game ball lifting device 20 has a driving pulley 22, a driven pulley 23, and a tension pulley 27 arranged in a triangle, and a lifting belt 21 is stretched over them. The driving pulley 22, the driven pulley 23, the tension pulley 27, and the motor 24 are arranged so as to be housed in an area surrounded by the lifting belt 21 and are incorporated in the support member 30.

  The support member 30 forms a main body frame of the game ball lifting device 20, and, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, both ends of the rotary shafts 22a and 23a of the drive pulley 22 and the driven pulley 23 are rotatable. The two substantially rectangular first support plates 31 to which the bearing members 22b and 23b to be supported are attached, and the lifting belt 21 in the width direction slightly inside the two first support plates 31. The two second support plates 32 are arranged so as to be sandwiched from both sides with almost no gap, and the support frame 33 is arranged between the support plates 31 and 32 and connects and fixes them.

  The introduction plate 25 is provided so as to guide the game ball flowing from the outside (the bottom of the upper tank 13) toward the feeding belt 21 at the introduction position J in the vicinity of the driven pulley 23, and the discharge plate 26 is a drive pulley 22. A game ball detached from the lifting belt 21 at a nearby discharge position K is provided so as to be discharged to the outside (the end of the drive-type supply path 50).

  The motor 24 is attached to the first support plate 31 through the motor housing 24c so that the position of the motor 24 can be adjusted by screws 24d that pass through the elongated holes 31a of the first support plate 31. The motor 24 rotationally drives the driving pulley 22 via a driving belt 24b that is stretched between a motor pulley 24a provided at the tip of the rotating shaft and a passive pulley 22c attached to the rotating shaft 22a of the driving pulley 22. The tension of the drive belt 24b is adjusted by loosening the screw 24d and adjusting the position of the motor 24 together with the motor housing 24c.

  As shown in FIG. 7, both ends of the rotating shaft 27a of the tension pulley 27 are rotatably supported by the bearing members 27b, and the bearing members 27b at both ends are respectively plate-like tension adjusting members 27c. Each tension adjusting member 27c is screwed to the first support plate 31 so that its position can be adjusted.

  The tension adjusting member 27c is pivotally supported by a screw 27d at the upper portion, and an arc-shaped elongated hole 27e with the upper screw 27d as a radial center is provided at the lower portion, and the screw 27f inserted through the elongated hole 27e. It is fixed to the first support plate 31. The screw 27d and the screw 27f that fix the left and right tension adjusting members 27c are slightly loosened, and the position of each tension adjusting member 27c is changed by swinging around the upper screw 27d, thereby rotating the bearing member 27b and the rotating member 27c. The position of the tension pulley 27 is displaced via the moving shaft 27a, thereby adjusting the tension of the lifting belt 21.

  The left and right first support plates 31 are each provided with a scale 28 indicating the relative position between the first support plate 31 and the tension adjusting member 27c, and the operator can use the scale 28 as a guide for the left and right tension adjusting members. 27c can be aligned.

  In this way, the tension of the lifting belt 21 is adjusted by adjusting the position of the tension pulley 27. Therefore, the position of the driving pulley 22 and the driven pulley 23 is set to the height of the introduction plate 25 and the discharge plate 26, that is, the game ball is moved from the outside. The tension of the lifting belt 21 can be adjusted while keeping the height of the passage on the side to be introduced and the passage on the side to discharge the game ball to the outside, and the expansion of the apparatus size can be minimized, The tension of the transport belt 21 can be adjusted while ensuring the smooth introduction and discharge of the game balls. Further, since the tension of the drive belt 24b is adjusted by adjusting the position of the motor 24, the drive pulley 22 can be fixed.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a limit switch 35 and a power supply unit for stopping the motor 24 by detecting the presence of excessive game balls on the discharge plate 26 in the game ball lifting device 20. 36 etc. are provided. The limit switch 35 is provided with two substantially U-shaped movable pieces 35a and 35b which are pivotally supported at the center and are connected to each other with their end portions engaged with each other. When the end is positioned above the discharge plate 26 and the end is pushed upward by a number of game balls stopped on the discharge plate 26, the other end of the other movable piece 35b moves away from the sensor 35c that is a photo interrupter. The motor 24 is forcibly stopped. In addition, a slit sensor 37 that detects the rotation of the driven pulley 23 is provided in the vicinity of the driven pulley 23. Further, a protective cover 38 is provided along the back surface of the feeding belt 21 that forms a conveyance path from the driven pulley 23 to the driving pulley 22.

  Next, the structure of the lifting belt 21 will be described.

  The lifting belt 21 is formed by connecting a number of lift bodies 40 as shown in FIG. 9 is a plan view of the lift body 40, FIG. 10 is a front view of the lift body 40 in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 9, FIG. 11 is a rear view of the lift body 40 in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 13 is a side view of the lift body 40 in the direction of arrow C, FIG. 13 is an end view of CC ′ of FIG. 9, FIG. 14 is an end view of DD ′ of FIG. 9, and FIG. 15 is an end view of EE ′ of FIG. It is.

  FIG. 8 shows a state where the lift body 40 is viewed obliquely from the F direction in FIG. Each lift body 40 includes shaft support portions 42 for connecting to the adjacent lift bodies 40 at both ends, and a plurality of locking protrusions 43 are provided on the side forming the outer peripheral surface of the transport belt 21. A plurality are arranged at predetermined intervals in the direction. The upper surface of each locking projection 43 has a mountain shape inclined downward from the center in the width direction toward both ends. As shown in FIG. 16, the game ball 5 is engaged between the adjacent locking projections 43. Stop and lift.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the shaft support portion 42 is configured by disposing a plurality of substantially semicircular bearing pieces 42 a and 42 b intermittently and vertically. Specifically, a bearing piece 42a having a substantially semicircular arc cross section disposed so that the inner peripheral surface faces the outside of the lifting belt 21, and a substantially semicircular arc cross section having an inner peripheral surface facing the inner side of the lifting belt 21. The bearing pieces 42b are arranged at intervals d (see FIG. 9) alternately so as to sandwich the connecting shaft 41 from both sides with their inner peripheral surfaces. When the adjacent lift bodies 40 are connected by the connecting shaft 41, the bearing pieces 42a or 42b of the adjacent lift bodies 40 are fitted into the gap d.

  As described above, since the shaft support portion 42 is configured by disposing a plurality of substantially semicircular bearing pieces 42a and 42b alternately and vertically, the shaft support portion 42 is formed when the shaft support portion 42 of the lift body 40 is manufactured. With the shaft 41 attached, the resin is poured into the mold and the connecting shaft 41 is pulled out after the resin is cured, or after forming the shaft support portion 42 in a divided manner, each formed product is welded to form one shaft support portion 42. Steps such as this can be omitted, and the manufacture of the lift body 40 is simplified.

  FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the introduction position J of the game ball lifting device 20. At the end of the introduction plate 25, a notch 25a through which each locking projection 43 of the lift body 40 passes is formed in a comb shape. When the feeding belt 21 circulates and each locking projection 43 passes through the notch 25 a at the tip of the introduction plate 25, the game ball from the introduction plate 25 is hooked by the locking projection 43, and the adjacent locking projections 43. The game ball 5 is locked between and raised. During the lifting, the game ball 5 is restrained from moving between the locking projection 43 and the locking projection 43 by the inclination of the mountain-shaped cross section formed on the upper surface of the locking projection 43. It is locked to. Thereby, clogging or falling of the game ball 5 can be prevented. Although not shown in the drawing, the discharge plate 26 is also provided with a similar notch, through which each locking projection 43 passes and is locked between the locking projection 43 and the locking projection 43. The game ball 5 is discharged onto the discharge plate 26.

  In addition, since the first support plate 31 and the second support plate 32 have a double structure and the second support plate 32 sandwiches the lifting belt 21 from both sides in the width direction, It is possible to prevent the game ball 5 from coming off or clogging.

  The gaming ball lifting device 20 having the above structure lifts the gaming ball introduced from the introduction plate 25 side by rotating the lifting belt 21 in the direction indicated by the arrow S in FIG. It operates to discharge from the discharge plate 26 to the outside. And since the motor 24, the drive pulley 22, and the driven pulley 23 were accommodated in the area | region enclosed by the raising belt 21, the size as the game ball raising apparatus 20 whole is reduced in size. In addition, since all the parts such as the motor 24, the drive pulley 22, and the driven pulley 23 are incorporated in the support member 30 and the game ball lifting device 20 is unitized, if the parts need to be replaced due to failure or wear, The replacement work is completed simply by replacing the game ball lifting device 20 for each unit. As a result, the work time of the replacement work is greatly shortened, and the operation stop time of the gaming machine island 10 is shortened as compared with the conventional one, and the work content is simplified, so it has specialized knowledge and special skills. Even an amusement store employee who is not able to carry out the exchange work can be performed. Moreover, since it is small, it becomes easy to store the game ball lifting device 20 in a game store or a maintenance center as a spare.

  Furthermore, the game balls stored in the upper tank 13 are lifted from the bottom of the upper tank 13 by the game ball lifting device 20 and discharged to the drive-type supply path 50. However, the upper tank 13 can be installed at a position lower than the supply path. Thus, since the height of the upper tank protruding upward in the conventional gaming machine island can be lowered, the height of the gaming machine island 10 as a whole can be lowered. For example, the gaming machine island can be installed in a gaming store with a low ceiling. The advantage is that the top of the island is flattened, the appearance is beautiful, and the pressure is reduced.

  The drive-type supply path 50 may be a drive-type supply path 70 of a type in which a course changing member is arranged on the partition wall as shown in FIGS. 18 to 20 in addition to the one shown in FIG.

  The drive-type replenishment path 70 shown in FIG. 18 includes two first belt conveyors 71 and second belt conveyors 72 whose transport directions are opposite to each other (transport directions A and B), and along the boundary portion thereof. A partition wall 73 is erected, and a course changing member 74 is attached to each part of both wall surfaces of the partition wall 73. The partition wall 73 is formed over substantially the entire length excluding the vicinity of both ends of the transport path, and the height thereof is set slightly higher than the game ball.

  As shown in FIG. 19A, the course changing member 74 is obtained by bending a leaf spring into a “he” shape. Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, the first posture (S1) is inclined such that the surface on the chute 61 side faces the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the posture parallel to the transport direction (arrow M in the drawing). Then, it is displaced to the second posture (S2) having a smaller inclination than the first posture (S1) and is biased toward the first posture (S1) by the elastic force of the leaf spring. The elastic force is substantially maintained in the first posture (S1) when an appropriate amount of game balls collide with the course changing member 74 from the upstream side, and is second when a large amount of game balls collide with the course changing member 74. The strength is set so as to be displaced to the posture (S2).

  The course changing member 74 is provided in association with the intake port 62 of each chute 61, and game balls that have changed course due to a collision that has occurred in the course changing member 74 or game balls that have collided in a chain manner can be taken in well. A course changing member 74 is arranged so as to be taken into the mouth 62. Specifically, the course changing member 74 is set to the upstream side in the transport direction to some extent with respect to the target intake port 62. For example, in FIG. 18, a course changing member 74A is provided for the intake port 62A, and a course changing member 74B is provided for the intake port 62B.

  FIG. 18 shows a state where an appropriate amount of game balls are being conveyed. When an appropriate amount of game balls are being transported, the course change member 74 is substantially in the first posture, so that a collision between the game balls and the course change member 74 occurs during transport. For example, as shown by an arrow G in the figure, the game ball that has collided is changed in its course, and further, a collision between the game ball whose course has been changed and another game ball is generated in a chain. The game ball inside is taken into the intake port 62.

  On the other hand, when a large amount of game balls are being transported, as shown in FIG. 20, the path change member 74 is pushed by the large amount of game balls being transported so that the course changing member 74 is parallel to the transport direction of the game balls. It is displaced to. Thereby, the course changing member 74 does not interfere with the course of the game ball, and a large amount of transportation is efficiently performed. Note that when a large amount of game balls are being transported, the game balls exist over the full width of the transport path, so even if the course changing member 74 is in the second posture, it passes through the ball receiving spaces 63 on both sides. Game balls are sequentially taken into the take-in port 62 of the chute 61.

  In this way, since the drive-type replenishment path 70 transports the game balls horizontally, it is not necessary to provide a gradient as in the replenishment path that transports using natural fall, and accordingly the height of the gaming machine island 10 is lowered. be able to. Furthermore, since the course of the game ball is changed due to the collision with the course changing member 74 attached to the wall surface of the partition wall 73, there is no need to provide a special mechanism for directing the course to the side. The configuration of the formula supply path 70 can be simplified.

  Next, a second embodiment will be described.

  In the second embodiment, instead of the drive-type supply path 50 or the drive-type supply path 70, a supply path 80 for rolling and transporting the game ball using a natural gradient is used. As shown in FIG. 21, the plurality of inclined supply paths 80 are arranged so that the upstream end of the next supply path is positioned above the downstream end, and the game ball lifting device 20 is installed between the supply paths 80. The The structure of the game ball lifting device 20 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and a description thereof is omitted. The game ball lifting device 20 receives and lifts the game ball from the downstream end 80a side of the supply path 80 from the lower introduction plate 25 and discharges it from the upper discharge plate 26 to the upstream end 80b of the next supply path. To work.

  Also in the second embodiment, since the game ball lifting device 20 is unitized, when a failure or the like occurs, the game ball lifting device 20 can be replaced for each unit, and the replacement work can be performed quickly. And it can be done easily. Since the tension of the lifting belt 21 is adjusted by adjusting the position of the tension pulley 27, the positions of the driving pulley 22 and the driven pulley 23 are set to the heights of the introduction plate 25 and the discharge plate 26, that is, on the introduction side. The tension of the transport belt 21 can be adjusted while being fixed according to the position of the downstream end 80a of the supply path 80 and the position of the upstream end 80b of the supply path 80 on the discharge side. Further, since the tension of the drive belt 24b is adjusted by adjusting the position of the motor 24, the drive pulley 22 can be fixed in accordance with the height of the supply path 80 on the discharge side. Thereby, the tension | tensile_strength of the conveyance belt 21 and the drive belt 24b can be adjusted separately, respectively, ensuring the smooth introduction and discharge | emission of a game ball.

  Further, even when a replenishment path of a type in which a game ball is freely dropped along a slope and transported is used on a long-sized game machine island, the game ball is lifted by the game ball lifting device 20 installed between the replenishment paths 80. Since the game balls are transported from a low place to a high place in the middle of transporting and transporting, the height difference of the entire replenishment path can be reduced, and the height of the gaming machine island can be reduced.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to that shown in the embodiment, and there are changes and additions within the scope of the present invention. Are also included in the present invention.

  For example, the shape of the game ball lifting device 20 when unitized is not limited to a substantially rectangular box shape, but may be a triangular unit according to the shape of the circulation path of the lifting belt 21, for example. Good. Further, the use of the game ball lifting device 20 is not limited to those exemplified in the first and second embodiments. For example, the collection of the game balls in the lower part of the gaming machine island 10 is a replenishment shown in FIG. Similarly to the road 80, when the game is performed with a kite using natural fall, a game ball lifting device 20 may be installed between the kite and the kite to ensure long-distance collection and transportation.

  Further, the configuration of the lifting belt 21 is not limited to the one exemplified in the embodiment, and may be another shape as long as it can transport the game ball in a lockable manner.

It is a front view which shows the internal structure of the game machine island provided with the game ball lifting apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the behavior of the game ball currently conveyed by the drive-type supply path. It is explanatory drawing which shows the installation state in the upper tank both sides of the game ball lifting apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the internal structure of the game ball lifting apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the game ball lifting apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the game ball lifting apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which illustrated the attachment state of the tension adjustment member. It is a perspective view which shows the lift body which comprises a lifting belt. It is a top view which shows a lift body. It is a front view of the lift body in the arrow A of FIG. It is a rear view of the lift body in the arrow B of FIG. It is a side view of the lift body in the arrow C of FIG. FIG. 10 is an end view taken along the line CC ′ of FIG. 9. FIG. 10 is a DD ′ end view of FIG. 9. FIG. 10 is an end view taken along line EE ′ of FIG. 9. It is a front view of the lift body in the arrow A of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which expanded and showed the introduction position J vicinity of the game ball lifting apparatus. It is a top view which shows a part of drive-type supply path of the type which has arranged the course change member on the partition wall. It is explanatory drawing which shows a course change member. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the drive-type supply path of the state which conveys a lot of game balls. It is explanatory drawing which shows the installation state of the game ball lifting apparatus in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 ... Game machine 3 ... Game ball lending machine 5 ... Game ball 10 ... Game machine island 11 ... Island pillar 12 ... Lifting polisher 12a ... Ball introduction port 13 ... Upper tank 13a ... Relay plate 13b ... Separation bottom plate 15 ... Lower tank DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 16 ... Recovery conveyor 17 ... Overflow pipe 18 ... Overflow shutter 18a ... Overflow pipe 20 ... Game ball lifting device 21 ... Lifting belt 22 ... Drive pulley 22a, 23a ... Rotary shaft 22b, 23b ... Bearing member 22c ... Passive pulley 23 ... Driven pulley 24 ... motor 24a ... motor pulley 24b ... drive belt 24c ... motor housing 24d ... screw 25 ... introducing plate 25a ... notch 26 ... discharge plate 27 ... tension pulley 27a ... rotating shaft 27b ... bearing member 27c ... tension adjusting member 27d ... Screw 27e ... Long hole 27f ... Screw 28 ... Scale 30 ... Support part DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 31 ... 1st support plate 31a ... Elongate hole 32 ... 2nd support plate 33 ... Support frame 35 ... Limit switch 36 ... Power supply part 37 ... Slit sensor 38 ... Protection cover 40 ... Lifting body 41 ... Connecting shaft 42 ... Shaft support part 42a 42b ... Bearing piece 43 ... Locking protrusion 50 ... Drive type replenishment path 51 ... First belt conveyor 52 ... Second belt conveyor 61 ... Chute 61a ... Dedicated chute 62 ... Inlet 63 ... Ball receiving space 70 ... Drive type replenishment Road 71 ... 1st belt conveyor 72 ... 2nd belt conveyor 73 ... Partition wall 74 ... Course change member 80 ... Supply path 80a ... Downstream end 80b ... Upstream end J ... Introduction position K ... Discharge position

Claims (2)

A gaming machine comprising an upper tank for storing game balls polished and lifted by a lifting and polishing apparatus, and a replenishment path for transporting the plurality of game balls in the upper tank to each of the gaming machines accommodated in parallel. By providing an endless lifting belt that is provided in the island and can lock the game ball around a driving pulley and a driven pulley, the driving pulley is rotated by a motor to rotate the feeding belt, In the game ball lifting device that lifts and discharges the game balls stored in the upper tank from the bottom of the upper tank to the supply path,
The motor, the driving pulley, and the driven pulley are arranged so as to be housed in an area surrounded by the lifting belt, and are incorporated in a support member, and the apparatus is unitized.
The replenishment path transports the game balls supplied from the upper tank over the longitudinal direction of the gaming machine island, and has two belt conveyors arranged in parallel and horizontally in parallel to each other. The supply path is configured to supply the game balls to be supplied to the gaming machine due to collision between the game balls that are configured and conveyed in opposite directions at the boundary portion of the two belt conveyors. A game ball lifting device characterized in that it is taken into a take-in port for taking in from a portion disposed along both longitudinal edges of the supply path . A gaming machine comprising an upper tank for storing game balls polished and lifted by a lifting and polishing apparatus, and a replenishment path for transporting the plurality of game balls in the upper tank to each of the gaming machines accommodated in parallel. By providing an endless lifting belt that is provided in the island and can lock the game ball around a driving pulley and a driven pulley, the driving pulley is rotated by a motor to rotate the feeding belt, In the game ball lifting device that lifts and discharges the game balls stored in the upper tank from the bottom of the upper tank to the supply path,
The motor, the driving pulley, and the driven pulley are arranged so as to be housed in an area surrounded by the lifting belt, and are incorporated in a support member, and the apparatus is unitized.
The replenishment path transports the game balls supplied from the upper tank over the longitudinal direction of the gaming machine island, and has two belt conveyors arranged in parallel and horizontally in parallel to each other. A take-in port for taking in a game ball to be replenished to the gaming machine is arranged along both longitudinal edges of the replenishment path.
A partition wall is provided along the longitudinal direction of the belt conveyor at the boundary between the two belt conveyors,
Compared to the first posture, the first posture in which both surfaces of the partition wall are inclined so that the surface on the intake port side faces the upstream side in the conveyance direction with respect to the posture parallel to the conveyance direction of the conveyance path The path is displaced to the second posture with a small inclination and is biased by an elastic force toward the first posture, and the length in the width direction of the belt conveyor in the first posture is shorter than the width of the belt conveyor. arranged to change member, the game balls to the progress change member in the traveling direction of the game ball to be the transport is present as caused that impinging on said diverting member, the take-game balls to be the transport A game ball lifting device characterized by being taken into the mouth .

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