JP4385610B2 - Pachinko ball hopper - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a pachinko ball hopper which is used, for example, for paying out a winning ball in a pachinko machine or paying out a ball for a ball rental apparatus, and more specifically, a space for mounting on the back side of a pachinko machine by shortening the passage length. Relates to a small pachinko ball hopper.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Hereinafter, a pachinko gaming machine will be described as an example.
In general, a pachinko gaming machine disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses a pachinko ball (hereinafter referred to as a ball) as a game medium and supplies balls from the back side of the pachinko machine to the front side of the pachinko machine. When supplying these balls, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 (corresponding to FIGS. 2 and 3 of Patent Document 1), a storage tank 62 for storing a large number of balls is provided at the upper back of the pachinko gaming machine 61. It is installed, and this storage tank 62 is supplied with a ball from a ball supply passage (not shown) above and stored, and the stored ball is discharged downward. At the time of paying out the balls, the balls are guided from the storage tank 62 to the ball paying device (not shown) below through the alignment passage 63 for aligning and guiding the balls in two rows. Dispensing processing is performed on the upper plate or lower plate located at the bottom of the front.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-8-71212.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As in the pachinko machine described above, the balls supplied from the upstream storage tank 62 are guided to the downstream ball dispensing device via the alignment passage 63, but the passage between these balls is not clogged with balls. It has a relatively gentle slope so that it rolls smoothly downstream. In addition, the alignment passage 63 requires a long distance for the alignment passage because the irregularly stored balls are aligned in two rows and supplied to the ball dispensing device.
[0005]
For this reason, when the storage tank, the alignment passage, and the dispensing device are provided on the back side of the pachinko machine, a series of passages from the storage tank to the dispensing device is formed in an S shape or an L shape (that is, the passage is formed by folding the passage). Therefore, each of the storage tank, the alignment passage, and the dispensing device must be stacked in the height direction, so that the size in the height direction becomes large and a lot of space on the back side of the game table is taken up. I was supposed to occupy it. As a result, the mounting positions and sizes of many mounting parts provided for each pachinko gaming machine are limited. For example, even if an attempt is made to use a large symbol display device, there is a problem in that it is difficult to enlarge the symbol display device because the installation location is restricted.
[0006]
An object of the present invention is to provide a small pachinko ball hopper that is attached to the back side of a pachinko machine and has a ball storage function, an alignment function of the stored balls, and a function of paying out a predetermined number of the aligned balls. And
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
This invention includes a storage unit for storing a plurality of balls, and the alignment portion for aligning while rolling by its own weight pooled ball into the reservoir, only a defined number of aligned ball in the alignment portion It is a pachinko ball hopper that is configured by connecting a payout part, and the storage part is formed in a horizontally long shape with the upper surface open and the left and right walls are narrowed in a taper shape, and the alignment part is An alignment passage extending from the tapered storage section, and an overlap that is orthogonal to the passage direction of the alignment passage and allows the upper cantilever support shaft to rotate in the passage direction about the tilting fulcrum and rotationally drive. restriction roller is configured to include a, a bottom surface of each unit passing balls in the order of the reservoir and the alignment part and the dispensing unit, characterized in that consecutively provided on the same slope.
[0008]
Here, the storage unit stores a large number of balls used for gaming in a pachinko gaming machine, and supplies the balls downward therefrom.
[0009]
The alignment portion is connected to the downstream side of the storage portion so that the balls supplied from the storage portion can be guided to one or more rows of alignment passages so that the balls can be stably supplied to the payout portion on the downstream side. It is the one that flows down in alignment.
[0010]
The payout part is connected to the downstream side of the aligning part, and pays out the balls guided in alignment therewith to the receiving tray on the downstream side by the designated number.
[0011]
According to the invention, for the same inclined extending straight bottom surface of each part of the dispensing unit and the sorting unit and the reservoir at the same slope, the balls are rolling on the inclined surface to the downstream side from the upstream side by its own weight Flow down. At this time, the balls that continuously flow down flow on the same slope , and the direction of the balls being conveyed does not change as in the S-shaped path and the L-shaped path. The length of the passage can be shortened. With the shortening of the inclined passage, the length in the passage height direction can be shortened. Further, in this case, since the passages go straight on the same slope, there is no drop or direction change at the time of ball flow and smooth straight movement suitable for ball flow can be performed.
[0012]
In particular, since the same inclined passage goes straight, it extends longer in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction. For this reason, it suffices that the occupied area in the height direction is small, and a passage configuration with a shortened height direction can be taken. For this reason, when it is arranged at the upper part on the back side of the pachinko machine, it becomes the same height as the storage part located at the uppermost part of the pachinko machine, and it can be arranged horizontally at the uppermost position on the rear side of the pachinko machine. it can. As a result, a large space for mounting other parts can be secured on the lower side of the back side of the pachinko machine.
[0013]
Another embodiment of the present invention, the holding means for holding said reservoir and said alignment portion and the payout portion integrally to landscape provided, said reservoir through said holding means and said alignment portion and the payout unit Is attached to the upper part on the back side of the pachinko machine.
[0014]
The holding means may be any means as long as it can hold the storage portion, the alignment portion, and the payout portion in a horizontally long manner. For example, a flat holding plate or holding frame provided in a horizontally long shape can be used as the holding means.
[0015]
When using the holding plate as an example, one side of the holding plate, can be set to a mounting surface for mounting together to landscape the three elements of the reservoir and the alignment part and the dispensing part. Then, the other side can be set as a base mounting surface on the back side of the pachinko machine, and both surfaces of the holding plate can be effectively used as the mounting surface. Further, in this case, since only one holding plate is required, the number of parts is small and the mounting is simplified. Furthermore, in this case, since the three elements are exposed when viewed from the back side of the pachinko machine, maintenance and inspection are facilitated.
[0016]
Another embodiment of the present invention, the provided horizontal payout unit and the storage unit and the sorting unit the dispensing portion and an integral product was continuously provided in series horizontally, fitted with a horizontal payout unit on the rear side upper portion of the pachinko machine It is characterized by that.
[0017]
In this case, an integrated horizontal payout unit in which the three elements of the storage portion, the alignment portion, and the payout portion are connected in series in a horizontally long shape can be handled as a single item. Therefore, the work of attaching the three elements and the work of assembling the pachinko machine are facilitated.
[0018]
Further, since the horizontal payout unit has a gently sloping passage that is long in the lateral direction, the entire length of the unit is long in the lateral direction and the height direction is short.
[0019]
In addition, by providing the bottom surfaces of the three elements on the same slope and providing them in the straight path, it is possible to reduce the length of the entire path by reducing the length of the entire path without being curved like an S-shaped path. . Accordingly, the entire length of the horizontal dispensing unit can be accommodated within the width of the pachinko machine.
[0020]
As another embodiment of the present invention, a ball dispensing port of the horizontal dispensing unit is provided on a side of the unit.
[0021]
In this case, balls can be paid out from the side of the horizontal payout unit. For this reason, the side space of the unit can be fully utilized.
[0022]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a pachinko ball hopper 11 mounted on the back side of a pachinko machine 11A of a pachinko gaming machine. As shown in FIG. 2, the pachinko ball hopper 11 is formed by integrating an upstream storage tank 12 and a downstream ball dispensing device 13, which are arranged on the base end side of a large storage tank 12 installed horizontally. The small ball dispensing device 13 is connected to a small single unit structure.
[0023]
As shown in FIG. 3, the above-mentioned storage tank 12 has a horizontally long and tapered concave shape with the upper surface open, and balls are supplied from an upper ball supply passage (not shown) to the upper surface opening portion. The ball is allowed to be stored. The balls stored in the storage tank 12 are configured to roll by their own weight and to be guided from the upstream side to the ball dispensing device 13 on the downstream side.
[0024]
In this case, an alignment passage 14 is formed in the front stage of the ball dispensing device 13 in order to smoothly pass the balls from the upstream side to the downstream side. As shown in FIG. 4, the alignment passage 14 is also used as a storage tank 12, and is provided with a long and narrow alignment passage 14 protruding from the tip of the storage tank 12.
[0025]
By the way, from the bottom surface in the upstream storage tank 12 to the bottom surface of the ball dispensing device 13 on the downstream side, a long same inclined passage L is provided that moves straight on the same inclination and is gently inclined.
[0026]
The same inclined path L is a passage of each bottom, were connected with a gentle slope angles on the same slope for passing balls in the order of the storage tank 12 and alignment passages 14 and Ball dispenser 13. For this reason, the ball rolls gently from the upstream side to the downstream side by its own weight, and flows straight without any drop or direction change at the time of flow.
[0027]
In this case, if the inclination angle is small, the supply of balls to the downstream side tends to be delayed. Further, if the inclination angle is large, the load on the balls that flow down in a row tends to become excessive, so a moderate inclination angle of, for example, about 6 to 10 degrees is suitable. For this reason, the balls rolling here are guided stably downstream with little speed difference.
[0028]
In particular, since the gentle same inclined passage L is a passage that goes straight diagonally downward long, it extends longer in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction. For this reason, the occupied area of a height direction is few, and it becomes a channel | path which shortened the length of the height direction.
[0029]
For the above-described three elements of the storage tank 12, the alignment passage 14, and the ball dispensing device 13, a single horizontal dispensing unit 16 is provided in which these are serially held in a horizontal direction by a holding plate 15 in the passage direction. ing.
[0030]
Of these, the holding plate 15 is horizontally long and flat and shorter than the width of the pachinko machine 11A, and the storage tank 12 having the alignment passage 14 on one side of the holding plate 15 and the ball dispensing device 13 are horizontally long. In the state of being integrally attached, the other side is attached to the back side of the pachinko machine, and both sides of the holding plate 15 are effectively used as the attachment surface. Further, in this case, since the attachment is made through one holding plate 15, the number of parts is small, and the attachment is simplified. Furthermore, since the storage tank 12 and the ball dispensing device 13 are exposed on the back surface side of the holding plate 15 when viewed from the back surface side of the pachinko machine 11A, maintenance and inspection by an attendant is easy for these three elements.
[0031]
Further, the three elements of the storage tank 12, the alignment passage 14, and the ball dispensing device 13 can be handled as a single horizontal dispensing unit 16 that is connected in series in a horizontally long shape. Therefore, the assembly work to the pachinko machine becomes easy.
[0032]
Further, since the horizontal payout unit 16 has the same gentle sloping passage L that is long in the lateral direction, the overall length is long in the lateral direction and the length in the passage height direction can be shortened. For this reason, it can be incorporated small in the upper position on the back side of the pachinko machine having a vertically long rectangular shape. For this reason, a large installation space for other components can be provided below the horizontal dispensing unit 16 attached to the back side of the pachinko machine. Further, by arranging the three elements in series, it is not necessary to bend the passage as in the S-shaped passage, and it can be provided linearly. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the size by reducing the length of the entire passage.
[0033]
Further, a ball dispensing port 17 from the horizontal dispensing unit 16 is provided on one end surface of the ball dispensing device 13 of the unit 16 located on the end side of the passage so that the ball is dispensed from the side from the dispensing port 17. It is composed. For this reason, the side space of the unit can be fully utilized. Here, a hose-like ball lowering passage 18 (see FIG. 1) is connected, and the balls dispensed therefrom are dispensed to a tray (not shown) on the front surface of the pachinko machine below.
[0034]
A tank switch SW1 and a ball presence / absence switch SW2 are disposed on the bottom surface of the storage tank 12 located on the upstream side of the above-described same inclined passage L, and the accommodation state of the balls in the tank 12 is detected. .
[0035]
Tip of the reservoir tank 12, squeezing the walls of the left and right of the front end portion so as to flow down little by little balls from the tank 12 to the tapered Ha-shaped, and extends the elongate passage squeezed thereof this extended A portion is provided in the alignment passage 14.
[0036]
The alignment passage 14 has a concave cross section, and the left and right wall surfaces form two rows of passages 14a and 14b. These two rows of passages 14a and 14b and an overlap limiting roller 19 (described later) opposed thereto are arranged in two rows.
[0037]
The overlap limiting roller 19 described above is provided as an alignment portion 20 that breaks the overlap of balls above the alignment passage 14. The aligning portion 20 allows the upper cantilever support shaft 21 orthogonal to the passage direction to rotate in the passage direction around the tilting fulcrum, and suspends a freely overlapping overlap limiting roller 19 below the shaft 21.
[0038]
The overlap limiting roller 19 breaks the overlap of the balls guided by being overlapped with each other and rotates to bring the balls into alignment in two rows. Thereby, the overload of the ball | bowl when delivering a ball | bowl from the storage tank 12 to the downstream alignment channel | path 14 can be suppressed, and the flow-down guide action suitable for the ball | bowl delivery is obtained. The above-described overlap limiting roller 19 may be only rotatably supported, or may be configured to transmit rotational force to be driven to rotate.
[0039]
Then, the aligned balls are guided in two rows to the ball dispensing device 13 located on the downstream side thereof. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, the leading end portion 14 c of the alignment passage 14 extends to the position of the ball dispensing device 13, and the upstream storage tank 12 and the downstream ball dispensing device 13 are arranged via the alignment passage 14. Are connected by the same inclined passage L linearly. Further, the ball dispensing device 13 is provided so as to be attachable / detachable from the horizontal dispensing unit 16 to facilitate maintenance and inspection of the device 13.
[0040]
Next, the ball dispensing device 13 that performs a ball dispensing operation will be described.
The ball dispensing device 13 has a feeding portion 22 and a detecting portion 23 in this order along the alignment passage 14 on the downstream side of the tank.
[0041]
The above-mentioned feeding part 22 is configured by arranging a sprocket 24 for delivering a ball on the upper surface of the end part of the alignment passage 14 and continuously delivering the ball between the sprocket 24 and the passage bottom surface in the rotational direction. It will be sent out.
[0042]
Further, since the balls guided between the feed claw of the sprocket 24 and the same inclined passage L below it are fed one by one as the sprocket 24 rotates, a plurality of balls are continuously connected without interruption. Payout operation. The sprocket 24 is driven by receiving outputs from a drive motor and a drive mechanism (not shown).
[0043]
The above-described detection unit 23, as a ball counting sensor S, arranges, for example, a proximity sensor near the end position of the same inclined passage L, and when the ball is paid out through the same inclined passage L, the counting sensor S Count the pachinko balls that have just passed out.
[0044]
The ball payout processing operation in the pachinko ball hopper 11 thus configured will be described below.
[0045]
In the storage tank 12 of the pachinko ball hopper 11 installed at the upper part on the back side of the pachinko machine, a large number of balls are stored in a state waiting for paying out.
[0046]
From this standby state, when a ball payout signal is input from the main control unit that controls the entire pachinko gaming machine and the drive motor is driven, the balls in the storage tank 12 are rotated by their own weight based on this drive. And is guided from a high position upstream of the same inclined passage L to a lower position downstream of the same inclined passage L.
[0047]
Thereafter, the balls flow down through the same inclined passage L and reach the alignment passage 14. Here, after the balls are aligned, they are guided from the alignment passage 14 to the ball dispensing device 13 on the downstream side.
[0048]
At this time, the balls go straight through the same inclined passage L and flow down. Due to the this time straight is the same inclined path L is a ball it without redirecting, is paid out operation from the reservoir tank 12 on the upstream side through the short straight distance to the downstream side of the ball dispenser 13 . Further, in the alignment passage 14 corresponding to the intermediate position of the same inclined passage L, the balls flow down in a state of being arranged in two rows in order for each payout request, and are guided to the ball payout device 13 from this. The ball dispensing device 13 receives rotational control / stop control of the sprocket 24 to dispense a predetermined number of balls, and the dispensed balls are dispensed to the upper plate or the lower plate on the front side of the pachinko machine.
[0049]
As described above, since the passages of the storage tank, the alignment passage, and the ball dispensing device are provided in the same inclined passage that moves gently and straight, a passage configuration in which the length in the passage height direction is shortened can be taken. For this reason, when it is arranged on the back side of the pachinko machine, it can be arranged at the same height as the position of the storage tank arranged at the upper position, and it is arranged horizontally at the upper position on the back side of the pachinko machine. Can do. As a result, a large space for mounting other parts can be secured on the lower side of the back side of the pachinko machine.
[0050]
In correspondence between the configuration of the present invention and the configuration of the above-described embodiment,
The storage unit of the present invention corresponds to the storage tank 12 of the embodiment,
Similarly,
The alignment portion corresponds to the alignment passage 14,
The payout unit corresponds to the ball payout device 13,
The holding means corresponds to the holding plate 15,
The present invention can be applied based on the technical idea described in the claims, and is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment.
[0051]
For example, the horizontal dispensing unit 16 of the above-described embodiment is configured by a combination of the storage tank 12, the alignment passage 14, the ball dispensing device 13, and the holding plate 15, but is not limited thereto, and is held by a rectangular parallelepiped holding case. The unit can be configured in any holding form.
[0052]
【The invention's effect】
According to this invention, since the storage section and the payout section are connected by the same inclined passage, the passage becomes the shortest passage for moving the ball straight up on the same inclination , and there is no drop or direction change when the ball flows down. At the same time, the length of the passage and the height of the passage can be shortened. For this reason, it can be compactly attached to the upper position on the back side of the pachinko machine. Therefore, a large space for mounting other parts can be provided on the lower side of the back side of the pachinko machine.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a main part rear view of a pachinko machine equipped with a pachinko ball hopper according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a pachinko ball hopper according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a pachinko ball hopper according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a storage tank according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a partially exploded perspective view showing a ball alignment state of the alignment passage of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of a conventional ball dispensing apparatus.
FIG. 7 is a main part rear view of a pachinko machine showing a passage structure of a conventional ball dispensing apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Pachinko ball hopper 12 ... Storage tank 13 ... Ball delivery device 14 ... Alignment passage 15 ... Holding plate 16 ... Horizontal delivery unit 17 ... Delivery port P ... Ball

Claims (4)

A reservoir for storing a large number of pachinko balls;
An alignment unit for aligning the pachinko balls stored in the storage unit while rolling by their own weight;
And it said the number defined the aligned pachinko balls by the reordering unit paying out payout unit a pachinko ball hopper constructed by consecutively provided,
The storage part is formed by narrowing the left and right walls with an open upper surface in a taper-shaped tapered shape,
The alignment portion includes an alignment passage extending from the tapered storage portion;
Orthogonal to the passage direction of the alignment passage, the upper cantilever support shaft is allowed to rotate in the passage direction about the tilting fulcrum, and is configured to include an overlap limiting roller that rotates.
Pachinko balls hopper the bottom of each section passing the pachinko balls in the order between said reservoir and said alignment section the delivery unit, and continuously provided on the same slope. Holding means for holding the said reservoir and the alignment part and the payout portion integrally to landscape provided,
And said dispensing unit and the alignment part and the reservoir through the holding means, pachinko balls hopper according to claim 1, wherein attached to the back side upper portion of the pachinko machine. Horizontal payout integral unit prepared by consecutively and said reservoir and said alignment portion and said dispensing portion in series of horizontally disposed,
The pachinko ball hopper according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal dispensing unit is attached to an upper part on the back side of the pachinko machine. The pachinko ball hopper according to claim 3, wherein a pachinko ball payout port of the horizontal payout unit is provided at a side of the unit.

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