JP4449138B2 - Stopper device for slant passage of pachinko balls - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a stopper device for an inclined passage of a pachinko ball that is provided in an inclined passage through which a pachinko ball flows down and engages the pachinko ball that flows down the inclined passage.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a mechanism for delivering pachinko balls, a mechanism for causing the pachinko balls to flow down along a bowl-shaped or groove-shaped inclined passage having an inclined bottom surface is known. In addition, it is considered that a stopper device that locks pachinko balls is provided in these inclined passages so that an excessive amount of pachinko balls do not flow down.
[0003]
For example, the ball stopper 119 schematically shown in FIG. 8 is provided at the upper end of the pachinko island platform, and is provided at the end of the replenishing bowl 18 for delivering the pachinko balls Q to each pachinko machine. The pachinko balls Q are forbidden or allowed to flow down to the collection basket provided at the lower part of the pachinko island.
[0004]
As shown in FIG. 8, the ball stopper 119 is attached to the shunt main body 180 in which a meandering inclined passage 183 for guiding the pachinko ball Q branched from the replenishing rod 18 is formed, and to the bottom side of the shunt main body 180. The stopper device 189 is provided. The stopper device 189 includes a keep solenoid 190 and a stopper member 191 driven by the keep solenoid 190. The stopper member 191 is provided at a lever 191a that swings with a long screw 193 as a fulcrum according to the vertical movement of the plunger 190a of the keep solenoid 190, and a serpentine inclination as the lever 191a swings. And a locking portion 191b protruding or retracting from the hole 183a on the lower surface of the passage 183.
[0005]
For this reason, if the plunger 190a of the keep solenoid 190 is retracted downward in FIG. 8 and the locking portion 191b protrudes into the meandering inclined passage 183, the pachinko ball Q is locked by the locking portion 191b, and the serpentine shape The flow of the pachinko balls Q in the inclined passage 183 can be prohibited. Conversely, if the plunger 190a protrudes upward in FIG. 8 and the locking portion 191b is retracted from the meandering inclined passage 183, the pachinko ball Q can be allowed to flow down in the meandering inclined passage 183.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, these stopper devices 189 are required to be miniaturized, and the swing stroke of the lever 191a is also required to be as small as possible. If the swing stroke of the lever 191a is reduced, the amount of protrusion of the lever 191a into the meandering inclined passage 183 is also reduced, and the pachinko ball Q may get over the locking portion 191b due to the flow-down pressure of the subsequent pachinko ball Q. Arise. In this case, the locking portion 191b cannot securely lock the pachinko ball Q. If the locking part 191b is projected into the meandering inclined passage 183 at an acute angle with respect to the direction in which the pachinko ball Q flows down (arrow A), the pachinko ball Q can be locked relatively well. In this case, since the locking part 191b moves against the pressure of the pachinko ball Q, the swinging of the stopper member 191 is not smooth.
[0007]
Therefore, the present invention provides Pa An object of the present invention is to provide a stopper device for an inclined passage of a pachinko ball that can be satisfactorily locked and can be smoothly operated.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention]
In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that a lever driven by an actuator is provided below an inclined passage through which a pachinko ball flows down, and the lever is provided in the lever, and the inclination according to the driving of the lever. A locking portion that protrudes or retracts into the passage, and locks down the pachinko ball by causing the locking portion to protrude into the inclined passage and retracts the locking portion from the inclined passage. The pachinko ball inclined passage stopper device that allows the pachinko ball to flow down,
A plurality of the locking portions are provided on the lever along the flow-down direction of the pachinko balls, and the locking portions are arranged at intervals at which at least one pachinko ball can be fitted. The angle formed on the upstream side by the locking portion on the most upstream side protruding from the inclined passage and the inclined passage is an obtuse angle. It is characterized by that.
[0009]
In the present invention configured as described above, a plurality of locking portions are provided along the flow direction of the pachinko balls, and at least one pachinko ball can be fitted between the locking portions. The pachinko ball (s) that are made can be locked very reliably. That is, since the locking part protrudes on the upstream side of the pachinko ball, it is possible to prevent the falling pressure from the subsequent pachinko ball from being applied to the pachinko ball fitted by the locking part. For this reason, even if the amount of protrusion of the locking part on the downstream side is relatively small, it is possible to satisfactorily prevent the fitted pachinko ball from flowing over the locking part on the downstream side. .
[0010]
In addition, when the fitted pachinko balls are securely locked in this manner, the pachinko balls (pachinko balls that get over the upstream locking portion) are also locked by the pachinko balls, and the pachinko balls The flow of balls can be effectively prohibited. In this case, the falling pressure is applied from the subsequent pachinko ball to the fitted pachinko ball, but the subsequent pachinko ball applies the falling pressure to the pachinko ball in a state of overcoming the upstream locking portion. The falling pressure acts to press the fitted pachinko ball against the bottom surface of the inclined passage. For this reason, the fitted pachinko balls are prevented from flowing down well even if the protruding amount of the locking portion on the downstream side is relatively small, and the subsequent pachinko balls are also prevented from flowing down.
[0011]
Therefore, in the present invention, the pachinko ball can be satisfactorily locked even if the movable stroke of the lever (stroke driven by the actuator) is reduced to reduce the protruding amount of the locking portion. Since it is not necessary to project the stop at an acute angle with respect to the direction in which the pachinko balls flow down, the operation can be made smooth. Note that the actuator is not limited to one that swings the lever, and various forms such as one that slides the lever in a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface of the inclined passage are conceivable.
[0012]
Claim 1 The described invention The angle formed on the upstream side by the most upstream locking portion protruding from the inclined passage and the inclined passage is an obtuse angle. It is characterized by that.
In the present invention, the most upstream locking portion that mainly receives pressure from the pachinko ball when the locking portion is inserted into the inclined passage projects into the inclined passage at an obtuse angle with respect to the direction in which the pachinko ball flows down. . For this reason, the operation | movement regarding protrusion to the inclination channel | path of a latching | locking part becomes smoother.
[0013]
Therefore, in the present invention, Movement The effect is that the work can be made smoother.
Claim 2 The invention described in claim 1 Record In addition to the configuration described above, The angle formed on the upstream side by the locking portion on the downstream side protruding from the inclined passage and the inclined passage is an acute angle. It is characterized by that.
[0014]
In the present invention, the locking portion on the downstream side protrudes into the inclined passage at an acute angle with respect to the direction in which the pachinko balls flow down. For this reason, the fitted pachinko ball can be more reliably locked. Moreover, the pressure applied between the fitted pachinko ball and the downstream locking portion is relatively weak due to the presence of the upstream locking portion as described above. For this reason, even if the locking part on the downstream side protrudes at an acute angle, the smoothness of the operation is not so much affected.
[0015]
Accordingly, in the present invention, claim 1 is provided. Record In addition to the effects of the present invention, the effect that the pachinko balls can be more satisfactorily locked is produced. If the protruding amount of the upstream locking portion is set larger than the protruding amount of the downstream locking portion, the pachinko that is fitted before the downstream locking portion protrudes into the inclined passage is used. The falling pressure applied to the balls can be reliably reduced. Therefore, in this case, it is possible to more reliably eliminate the influence on the smoothness caused by protruding the locking portion on the downstream side at an acute angle, and to ensure a smoother operation.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the internal structure of a pachinko island platform 1 to which the present invention is applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the pachinko island platform 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped frame structure, and a pachinko machine 2 is arranged in the back side along the longitudinal direction at the center of the side surface.
[0017]
Further, the pachinko machine 1 has a ball return device 3 for returning the pachinko ball Q acquired by the pachinko machine 2 to one side of the ball lifting device storage unit 4 in the center thereof in parallel with the pachinko machine 2. Provided. The ball return device 3 is formed with a return port, and the pachinko ball Q (prize ball) returned from the return port is guided to the upstream side (right side in the drawing) of the storage tank 12 and then the bottom surface of the storage tank 12. It is to be stored in.
[0018]
Further, in the ball lifting device storage portion 4 provided in the approximate center of the pachinko island stand 1, a ball lifting device 5 is stored and installed therein. The ball lifting device 5 according to the present embodiment is a known device that lifts the pachinko balls Q by a belt-like transport belt, and the belt-like transport belt is installed in the vertical direction with respect to the pachinko island platform 1. Lift pachinko ball Q to the top. An upper tank 6 for temporarily storing the pachinko balls Q that have been lifted is provided at the top of the ball lifting device 5. From the upper tank 6, replenishing rods 18 are provided on the left and right in an inclined manner so that the pachinko balls Q flow down from the upper tank 6.
[0019]
The supply basket 18 is provided with a distribution chute (not shown) corresponding to each pachinko machine 2, and takes in pachinko balls Q flowing down the supply basket 18. The pachinko balls Q taken in by the distribution chute are counted by a counting device (not shown) provided at the lower part of the distribution chute, and then supplied to a prize ball tank (not shown) provided at the upper back of the pachinko machine 2. And used as a prize ball to be paid out to the player by the game.
[0020]
The replenishing rod 18 is formed of an aluminum alloy, and a heater wire is embedded in the bottom surface. The heater wire warms the replenishment basket 18 based on an operation signal from the management devices 104 and 105, which will be described later, during the pre-opening preparatory processing period, thereby removing moisture adhering to the surface of the pachinko ball Q flowing down, Make it smooth. Further, the end of the replenishment basket 18 is opened during the pre-opening preparatory process to allow the pachinko balls Q to flow from the replenishment basket 18 to the collection basket 10 and is blocked during the business process and during the closing process. A ball stopper 19 that does not allow the flow of Q is provided. Although the detailed structure of the ball removal stopper 19 will be described later in detail, this is also controlled based on commands from the management devices 104 and 105.
[0021]
The above-described upper tank 6 communicates with an AC tank 7 for causing the pachinko balls Q to exchange with each other via a slanted ridge (not shown) that is passed between other pachinko islands 1 arranged adjacent to each other in the game hall. It is provided as follows. The AC tank 7 is provided with an opening / closing device 26 that controls the opening and closing of the exit of the inclined rod and a ball passage confirmation sensor 27 that detects whether or not the ball is actually exchanged. The upper tank 6 and the AC tank 7 described above are covered with a cover body 8, and it is desirable that the cover body 8 is detachably mounted.
[0022]
On the other hand, storage tanks 11 and 12 are provided on both sides of the ball lifting device 5 below the pachinko island platform 1. The storage tanks 11 and 12 are formed large so that a large amount of pachinko balls Q can be stored. Specifically, the number of pachinko balls stored in the storage portions of the storage tanks 11 and 12 can sufficiently cope with various gaming states of the plurality of pachinko machines 2 installed on the pachinko island platform 1 (for example, Designed for 1 to 200,000 pieces each).
[0023]
The used balls discharged from each pachinko machine 2 are discharged downward from a ball discharge nozzle (not shown) of the out ball box 9 having a counting function. In the pachinko machine 2 at the position facing the storage tanks 11 and 12, the ball discharge nozzle is inclined downward from the downstream end (island center side) toward the upstream end at the center of the storage tanks 11 and 12. In the pachinko machine 2 that is arranged facing the out ball guide inner pit provided and out of the storage tanks 11, 12, it is arranged facing the recovery tub 10 that is inclined downward from the island edge toward the storage tanks 11, 12. It has come to be. The recovery rod 10 joins with the out ball guide inner rod and the out ball guide junction rod 13 provided along the lower part of one side wall of the storage tanks 11 and 12 (this also constitutes the downstream portion of the recovery rod 10). ) Is guided preferentially toward the introduction rod 15 of the ball feeding device 5. However, the out ball guiding / merging rod 13 of the priority storage tank 11 in which the pachinko balls Q are preferentially stored is provided slightly above the bottom surface, and the end thereof is led to the non-priority storage tank 12 side via the connecting rod 14. Accordingly, it is guided to the introduction rod 15.
[0024]
The storage tanks 11 and 12 are connected to a pachinko ball Q overflowed from the upper tank 6 and an overflow box 20 for returning the AC ball flowing in from the AC tank 7 to the lower part. The overflow box 20 is a rectangular parallelepiped box provided so as to use the adjacent space of the ball lifting device 5, and the inside thereof is partitioned in the vertical direction by a branching partition 21. This branching partition 21 is provided close to one side of the overflow box 20, and a plurality of flow-down plates are alternately provided in steps in one side passage communicating with the wide area to constitute a box priority passage 20a. The box non-priority passage 20b is configured by alternately providing a plurality of descending plates in steps in the other passage communicating with the narrow region.
[0025]
For this reason, the pachinko ball Q overflowed from the upper tank 6 and the AC ball flowing from the AC tank 7 are preferentially guided to the box priority passage 20a, and the box non-priority passage when the box priority passage 20a becomes full. It overflows to 20b. The box priority passage 20a and the box non-priority passage 20b communicate with the priority storage tank 11 and the non-priority storage tank 12, respectively. As described above, in the pachinko island stand 1, since the overflow mechanism is configured in a box shape instead of the conventional flexible pipe, the generation of noise due to the pachinko ball Q to be recirculated can be extremely reduced, and only the recirculation function can be achieved. Since there is also a storage function for storing a considerable amount of pachinko balls Q (about 2 to 30,000 in this embodiment), a storage space inside the pachinko island platform 1 using a space that has not been used conventionally Can be used effectively.
[0026]
In FIG. 1, the overflow box 20 is drawn on the front side of the ball feeding device 5, but this is for showing the structure of the overflow box 20 in detail. It is formed on the back side of the ball lifting device 5. Further, an overflow sensor 22 is disposed above the box non-priority passage 20b. When the overflow sensor 22 detects a stored ball, the ball lifting device 5 is urgently stopped. .
[0027]
A plurality of storage level detection sensors S1 to S8 for detecting the amount of stored balls are provided on the inner side walls of the storage tanks 11 and 12, respectively. The pachinko balls Q in the storage tanks 11 and 12 stay from the upstream side of the storage tanks 11 and 12. Therefore, in the pachinko island stand 1, the storage level detection sensors S1 to S8 are arranged in a substantially horizontal straight line, and the storage level detection sensor S1 arranged upstream of the priority storage tank 11 detects the lower limit of the storage amount. The upper limit of the storage amount is detected by a storage level detection sensor S8 arranged on the downstream side of the non-priority storage tank 12.
[0028]
Next, the configuration of the ball removal stopper 19 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the ball removal stopper 19, and FIG. 3 is a schematic view corresponding to the longitudinal section taken along the line AA. As shown in FIG. 2, the ball removal stopper 19 includes a shunt main body 80 in which a meandering inclined passage 83 that guides the branched pachinko balls Q in a meandering manner in a row is formed.
[0029]
The shunt main body 80 can be detachably attached to the replenishing rod 18 by a mounting piece 81 formed on the front surface side thereof, and the intake formed on the front surface side in a state of being attached to the replenishing rod 18. A pachinko ball Q that flows down the replenishment rod 18 from the mouth 82 is taken in. For this reason, the pachinko ball Q taken from the take-in port 82 is naturally taken into the upstream portion of the meandering inclined passage 83. The meandering inclined passage 83 is formed in a meandering shape with a width that aligns the pachinko balls Q in a line, and a weight is embedded in the lower part of the middle to release the vertical overlap of the pachinko balls Q. A ball leveling member 84 is suspended in a swingable manner.
[0030]
Further, the downstream end of the meandering inclined passage 83 is bent downward, and a connecting bellows pipe 88 is connected to the bent outlet portion via a connecting tool 86. A flow sensor 87 for detecting a pachinko ball Q that flows down toward the connection bellows pipe 88 is attached to the connection tool 86. In addition, the lower end of the connection bellows pipe 88 faces the upper part of the recovery rod 10 as shown in FIG.
[0031]
In the middle of the meandering inclined passage 83, a flow prevention pin 85 and a stopper device 89 for manually stopping the flow of balls are provided. The flow prevention pin 85 is forcibly inserted into the meandering inclined passage 83 at the time of failure or inspection, and is normally disposed outside the meandering inclined passage 83 (front side in FIG. 2). Yes. On the other hand, the stopper device 89 is attached to the bottom surface side of the meandering inclined passage 83 and includes a keep solenoid 90 and a stopper member 91 driven by the keep solenoid 90.
[0032]
The keep solenoid 90 has a permanent magnet integrally provided on an electromagnet wound with a coil, and includes an auxiliary spring 90b (see FIG. 3) that biases the plunger 90a in the protruding direction. For this reason, when the plunger 90a is attracted downward and the current is not conducted, the plunger 90a is attracted by a permanent magnet so as to hold the lower position against the urging force of the auxiliary spring 90b. In addition, in a state where the current in the reverse direction flows through the electromagnet to repel the plunger 90a and the current is not conducted, the influence of the permanent magnet on the plunger 90a is eliminated and the plunger 90a is held at the raised position, The auxiliary spring 90b assists in maintaining the position. In addition, a contact piece 92a is integrally formed on the mounting substrate 92 that fixes the keep solenoid 90 to the shunt body 80 so as to restrict the upper limit position of the plunger 90a so that the plunger 90a does not jump upward. ing.
[0033]
That is, the keep solenoid 90 causes the plunger 90a to move up and down by passing a current in the direction of attracting the plunger 90a (hereinafter referred to as a positive current) and a current in a direction of repulsion (hereinafter referred to as a reverse current) through the coil constituting the electromagnet. It is configured to be able to move. For this reason, for example, by causing a positive current and a reverse current to flow at a predetermined frequency (for example, normal alternating currents of 50 Hz and 60 Hz), the control for vibrating the plunger 90a can be performed very easily. A control program is created so that the vibration vibration control is executed after the tips of locking portions 91b and 91c, which will be described later, of the stopper member 91 are once protruded into the meandering inclined passage 83. It is also possible to perform such vibration with a normal solenoid (electromagnet only in the attraction direction and spring in the repulsion direction), but when using this normal solenoid, the spring of the spring Strict accuracy is required for factors such as the coefficient and length, which is extremely expensive and has a drawback that it is not possible to ensure operation accuracy over a long period of time.
[0034]
Next, the stopper member 91 is provided in order from the tip of the lever 91a to the downstream direction, the lever 91a swinging around the long screw 93 according to the vertical movement of the plunger 90a of the keep solenoid 90, and the lever 91a A pair of locking portions 91b and 91c projecting or retracting from the hole portion 83a on the lower surface of the meandering inclined passage 83 in association with the swinging of the serpentine inclined passage 83.
[0035]
Therefore, if the plunger 90a of the keep solenoid 90 is retracted downward in FIG. 3 and the locking portions 91b and 91c are projected into the meandering inclined passage 83, the pachinko ball Q is locked by the locking portions 91b and 91c. In addition, the flow of the pachinko balls Q in the meandering inclined passage 83 can be prohibited. On the contrary, if the plunger 90a protrudes upward in FIG. 3 and the locking portions 91b and 91c are retracted from the meandering inclined passage 83, the pachinko balls Q can be allowed to flow down in the meandering inclined passage 83. .
[0036]
The contact portions 92a are disposed so that the tips of the locking portions 91b and 91c are disposed inside the hole portion 83a (that is, within the thickness of the bottom surface of the meandering inclined passage 83) when retracted. Is set. For this reason, the movement of the stopper member 91 in the left-right direction (the depth direction in FIG. 3) can be satisfactorily suppressed. In addition, if the locking portions 91b and 91c come out below the meandering inclined passage 83, the locking members 91b and 91c may not enter the hole portion 83a due to rattling of the left and right of the stopper member 91. In the stopper device 89, such a situation can be avoided by the above configuration.
[0037]
Further, the locking portions 91b and 91c are arranged with a space where one pachinko ball Q can be fitted when protruding into the meandering inclined passage 83, and the pachinko ball Q ( The spacing is set so that a predetermined gap d is formed between the pachinko ball Qa) and the upstream locking portion 91b. Further, the downstream side locking part 91c protrudes into the meandering inclined passage 83 at an obtuse angle with respect to the direction in which the pachinko ball Q flows down (see arrow A in FIG. 8). The angle of attachment of the locking portions 91b and 91c to the lever 91a is defined so that the pachinko balls Q protrude into the meandering inclined passage 83 at an acute angle with respect to the direction in which the pachinko ball Q flows down.
[0038]
For this reason, the pachinko ball Qa is locked very reliably as follows. That is, since the locking portion 91b protrudes on the upstream side of the pachinko ball Qa, it is possible to prevent the downflow pressure from the subsequent pachinko ball Q from being applied to the pachinko ball Qa by the locking portion 91b. For this reason, even if the protruding amount of the locking portion 91c on the downstream side is relatively small (that is, even if the stroke of the lever 91a is small), it is favorable that the pachinko balls Qa get over the locking portion 91c and flow down. Can be prevented. Furthermore, since the latching | locking part 91c protrudes at an acute angle with respect to the direction where the pachinko ball Q flows down, the pachinko ball Qa is latched more satisfactorily. The pachinko balls Qa may be fitted when the lever 91a is swung, or may be fitted by climbing over the locking portion 91b after the swinging.
[0039]
Thus, when the pachinko ball Qa is securely locked, the subsequent pachinko ball Q is also locked by the pachinko ball Qa, and the flow of the pachinko ball Q can be effectively inhibited. In addition, when the subsequent pachinko ball Q gets over the upstream locking portion 91b (see arrow B), the downflow pressure from the pachinko ball Q is applied to the pachinko ball Qa. As shown, the pachinko ball Qa acts to press against the bottom surface of the meandering inclined passage 83. For this reason, even if there is little protrusion amount of the latching | locking part 91c, the pachinko ball Qa is latched favorably, and the flow of the subsequent pachinko ball Q can also be prevented favorably. In particular, when the pachinko balls Q flow down stepwise as illustrated in FIG. 3, the conventional stopper device could not be sufficiently locked, but the stopper device 89 locks the pachinko balls Q very well. Can do.
[0040]
Further, since a gap d is formed between the pachinko ball Qa and the locking part 91b, this gap d acts as a pressure relief when the locking parts 91b and 91c are retracted. For this reason, the operation | movement regarding the retraction | saving from the meandering inclination channel | path 83 of the latching | locking parts 91b and 91c can be made still smoother. That is, when the locking portion 91c is retracted, the locking portion 91c acts to push back the pachinko ball Qa. However, the pachinko ball Qa is smoothly returned by the presence of the gap d. Moreover, the engaging portion 91b that receives pressure from the pachinko ball Q when the engaging portions 91b and 91c are inserted into the meandering inclined passage 83 is inclined in an obtuse angle with respect to the direction in which the pachinko ball Q flows down. Project into the passage 83. For this reason, the operation | movement regarding the protrusion to the meandering inclination channel | path 83 of the latching | locking parts 91b and 91c can also be made smoother.
[0041]
Furthermore, the pressure applied between the pachinko ball Qa and the locking portion 91c is relatively weak due to the presence of the locking portion 91b as described above. For this reason, even if it makes the latching | locking part 91c protrude at an acute angle, the smoothness of operation | movement is not influenced so much. Moreover, in the stopper device 89, the protruding amount of the upstream locking portion 91b is set larger than the protruding amount of the downstream locking portion 91c, so that the locking portion 91c protrudes into the meandering inclined passage 83. Before, the falling pressure applied to the pachinko ball Qa by the locking portion 91b can be reliably reduced. Accordingly, it is possible to more reliably eliminate the influence of the locking portion 91c protruding at an acute angle on the smoothness and to ensure a smoother operation.
[0042]
Thus, in the present embodiment, the pachinko ball Q can be satisfactorily locked by the ball removal stopper 19 and the operation is also smooth. When the locking portion 91b is retracted, the pachinko ball Q may be pushed back in the same manner as the locking portion 91c, but for this, a gap is formed on the wall surface side of the flow divider body 80. It corresponds. Further, if the locking portion 91b is formed in a circular arc shape with the long screw 93 as the center, the surface for locking the pachinko ball Q is not caused.
[0043]
As shown in FIG. 2, the ball removal stopper 19 configured in this way is further attached to the replenishing rod 18 with the cover 94 attached to the attachment substrate 92 and the cover 95 attached to the flow distributor main body 80. Subsequently, a configuration for monitoring and managing each part in the pachinko island platform 1 such as the above-described ball lifting device 5 will be described including the ball stopper 19.
[0044]
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the relationship between the management devices 104 and 105 that perform the monitoring management and the pachinko island platform 1. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the management device 105 includes a display operation unit 105 a (including a monitor, a keyboard, and a mouse) and a communication control unit 105 b, and the communication control unit 105 b and the communication control unit 104 c of the management device 104. Signals are exchanged between them.
[0045]
The management device 104 includes a setting unit 104a that performs setting based on a setting command from the communication control unit 105b of the management device 105, an all-island control unit 104b that controls all the pachinko islands 1 in the game arcade, and the pachinko islands 1 and management. A communication control unit 104c that exchanges signals with the device 105. Then, signals are exchanged between the communication control unit 104 c and the communication control unit 100 c provided in the island end A unit 100 in the pachinko island platform 1.
[0046]
That is, the command signal from the management device 104 is sent from the communication control unit 100c to the control devices 101 in the pachinko island platform 1 via the signal output unit 100a (a microcomputer for controlling the keep solenoid 90, the ball lifting device 5 and the like). On the contrary, a signal emitted from each control device 101 in the pachinko island platform 1 is sent from the signal input unit 100b to the communication control unit 100c and input to the management device 104.
[0047]
That is, it is the management device 104 that derives a command to each control device 101 provided in the pachinko island platform 1 or receives a signal from each control device 101, but performs some kind of operation. The management device 105 is provided for the purpose of display or display based on certain data, and the management device 104 and the management device 105 are connected by a signal wiring in order to control their operations. ing. In addition, although the wiring connection between the pachinko island platform 1 and the management device 104 and between the management device 104 and the management device 105 may be performed by a normal wiring (twisted pair wire), wiring by an optical communication line You may connect with.
[0048]
Subsequently, a process executed by the control device 101 of the ball stopper 19 when a driving signal for opening or closing the ball stopper 19 is output from the management device 105 via the management device 104. explain. The game hall manager operates the display operation unit 105a to allow the pachinko ball Q to flow down in order to output a driving signal for opening the ball stopper 19 during the pre-opening preparatory processing. During the closing process, the display operation unit 105a is operated to output a driving signal for driving the ball stopper 19 to be closed, thereby preventing the pachinko ball Q from flowing down.
[0049]
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a process executed by the control device 101 of the ball stopper 19 when the drive signal is input. As shown in FIG. 5, when the process is started, the control device 101 firstly has a drive signal (stopper drive signal) for opening the ball stopper 19 in S1 (S represents a step: the same applies hereinafter). It is determined whether it is a signal for driving or closing. If it is a signal to be closed, the process is terminated after performing a closing control described later in S2, and if it is a signal to be opened, the process is terminated after performing an opening control described later in S3. To do.
[0050]
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing details of the closing control in S2. As shown in FIG. 6, in this process, first, in S21, the keep solenoid 90 is driven in the closing direction, that is, in the direction in which the plunger 90a moves backward. In subsequent S23, it is determined whether or not the flow sensor 87 has detected the pachinko ball Q. If it is not detected (NO), it is detected as it is. If it is detected (YES), an abnormality is reported in S25. Then, the processing ends. When the drive signal for driving the ball stopper 19 to be closed is output by the above processing (S1: closed), the ball stopper 19 is closed (S21), and the pachinko ball Q is also driven by the closed drive. If the flow does not stop (S23: YES), the administrator can be notified of the abnormality via the display operation unit 105a (S25). The abnormality notification is also executed by each control unit 101.
[0051]
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing details of the opening control in S3. As shown in FIG. 7, in this process, first, in S31, the keep solenoid 90 is vibrated, and then the keep solenoid 90 is driven in the opening direction, that is, in the direction in which the plunger 90a protrudes. In continuing S33, it is judged whether the flow sensor 87 has detected the pachinko ball Q, and when it has detected (S33: YES), a process is complete | finished as it is. On the other hand, if the flow sensor 87 has not detected the pachinko ball Q, it is determined in the subsequent S35 whether or not the vibration vibration control described above has been tried a predetermined number of times. When the process proceeds to S35 for the first time, since only one attempt has been made yet (S35: NO), the process proceeds to S31 again, and the keep solenoid 90 is vibrated and the keep solenoid 90 is driven to open.
[0052]
Thus, if the pachinko ball Q does not flow down even though the vibration vibration control has been tried a predetermined number of times by repeating the processes of S31 to S35 (S33: NO, S35: YES), an abnormality is detected in S39. To terminate the process. In addition, when the flow of the pachinko ball Q is started while trying vibration vibration control a predetermined number of times (S33: YES), the processing is ended as it is.
[0053]
By this processing, vibration vibration is applied to the meandering inclined passage 83, and the pachinko ball Q can flow down after the clogging is eliminated by the vibration of the meandering inclined passage 83. Therefore, the circulation operation of the pachinko balls Q in the pachinko island stand 1 in the pre-opening preparation process can be reliably performed.
[0054]
In addition, as described above, the stopper device 89 can reliably allow or prohibit the flow of the pachinko balls Q even if the swing stroke of the lever 91a is small. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably execute the above-described circulation operation and to promote the miniaturization and low power consumption of the apparatus very well.
[0055]
The present invention has been described with reference to the embodiment. In the above embodiment, the meandering inclined passage 83 corresponds to the inclined passage, and the keep solenoid 90 corresponds to the actuator. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist of the present invention.
[0056]
For example, a plurality of pachinko balls Q may be fitted between the locking portion 91b and the locking portion 91c. However, if a large number of pachinko balls Q are fitted between the locking portion 91b and the locking portion 91c, there is a possibility that the pachinko balls Q are not arranged in an orderly manner. It is desirable that the one pachinko ball Qa is designed to fit between 91b and 91c in order to ensure the locking. Three or more locking portions may be provided on the lever, and the fulcrum of the lever may be upstream of the locking portion. Furthermore, the actuator is not limited to one that swings the lever, and various forms such as one that slides the lever perpendicularly to the bottom surface of the inclined passage are conceivable. Still further, the present invention can be applied to an inclined passage in any part of a mechanism for delivering pachinko balls, such as a stopper device for controlling the amount of balls stored between the storage tanks and the distribution chute described above.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the internal structure of a pachinko island platform to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of a ball stopper of the pachinko island stand.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view corresponding to a longitudinal section taken along line AA of the ball stopper.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration for monitoring and managing the pachinko islands.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a control process for the above-described ball removal stopper.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing details of closing control of the control process.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing details of open control of the control process.
FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing a longitudinal section of a conventional ball stopper.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 ... Pachinko island stand 2 ... Pachinko machine 5 ... Ball lifter 10 ... Recovery bowl
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11, 12 ... Storage tank 18 ... Supply tank 19 ... Dip stopper 80 ... Divider body 81 ... Mounting piece 82 ... Intake port 83 ... Serpentine inclined passage 87 ... Flow-down sensor 88 ... Connection bellows pipe 89 ... Stopper device 90 ... Keep solenoid 91 ... Stopper member 91a ... Lever
91b, 91c ... locking portion 93 ... long screw

Claims (2)

Below the inclined passage where the pachinko ball flows down, a lever driven by an actuator,
A locking portion provided on the lever and protruding or retracting into the inclined passage as the lever is driven;
A pachinko ball that allows the pachinko ball to flow down by locking the pachinko ball that flows down by causing the locking portion to project into the inclined passage, and allowing the pachinko ball to flow down by retracting the locking portion from the inclined passage. A stopper device for an inclined passage of balls,
The lever is provided with a plurality of the locking portions along the flow-down direction of the pachinko balls, and each locking portion is disposed with an interval at which at least one pachinko ball can be fitted ,
A pachinko ball slant passage stopper device, characterized in that an angle formed on the upstream side between the locking portion on the most upstream side protruding from the slant passage and the slant passage is an obtuse angle . Projecting the inclined path, and the locking portion of the downstream side, and the inclined passage, according to claim 1 Symbol placement pachinko balls inclined path stopper of, characterized in that the angle formed at the upstream side is an acute angle apparatus.

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