JP4502113B2 - Ball remover for bullet ball machines - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a ball removing device for discharging game balls stored in a ball storage unit to the outside of a gaming machine, and more specifically, a ball removing device for a bullet ball gaming machine capable of suppressing an illegal ball removing operation by a player. About.

  Behind the front frame that houses and holds the game board, there is a ball storage unit that stores game balls to be paid out as prize balls, and a ball payout device that pays out game balls supplied from the ball storage units according to the winning state. There is a pachinko machine as a typical example of a ball game machine equipped with a ball storage / dispensing mechanism. In pachinko machines, in order to perform maintenance work such as cleaning of the ball passage formed in the ball storage and dispensing mechanism and maintenance and inspection of components, and when adopting a quantitative system called so-called stop, the number of balls to be dispensed is made constant, Alternatively, in order to count the paid-out quantity of each pachinko machine per business day, a ball removal mechanism is provided that discharges the game balls stored in the ball payout storage mechanism to the outside of the machine body. The ball removal mechanism is provided with an opening / closing valve member that opens and closes a part of the passage wall in the middle of the ball passage connecting the ball storage portion and the ball dispensing device, and when the opening / closing valve member is switched to the open position, A game ball located on the upstream side of the member is configured to be discharged to the outside of the machine body through a ball passage.

  Here, for example, when performing ball removal work at the time of stopping and all ball removal work after the end of business, the pachinko machine closed and held on the amusement island is unlocked and opened laterally one by one to open and close the valve member If it is necessary to perform an operation of switching to the open position, the ball removing operation is complicated. If the ball removal work is performed with the pachinko machine opened, it is necessary to prepare a ball storage box for receiving the game balls discharged from the machine, and the game balls discharged to the ball storage box are The work which is poured into the collection device and collected is also necessary, and the work is complicated.

For this reason, the ball removal mechanism is configured such that the ball removal operation can be performed from the front side of the machine body even when the pachinko machine is closed and locked. That is, a ball removal operation hole capable of opening and closing a ball removal mechanism from the front side of the closed and locked body is provided on the front surface of the pachinko machine, and an elongated rod-like operation member called a heart key is provided in the ball removal operation hole. Is configured to open and close the on-off valve member by performing a pressing operation (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2003-164628 A (pages 9 to 11 and FIGS. 15 to 22)

  However, in a pachinko machine equipped with a ball removal mechanism as described above, if a thin wire corresponding to a heart key is inserted and pressed into a ball removal operation hole opened in the front of the machine, this is a mischief by the player. Even the ball can be removed. For this reason, in recent years, a player who could not win a prize ball in a pachinko game inserts a wire into the ball punching hole in the losing stomach and performs a ball pulling operation, leaving the pachinko machine in a ball pulling out state and leaving the gaming facility. A mischievous act of doing is occurring.

  If such a mischief act is performed, even if the player who started the game with the pachinko machine next wins the pachinko game, there is no game ball to be paid out to the ball storage and payout mechanism, or There is a problem that the prize ball is not paid out due to the outflow of the game ball from the upstream side of the ball payout device, which causes disadvantages and discomfort to the player. In some cases, a player who has suffered unexpected disadvantages may cause troubles with a staff member of a gaming facility and surrounding players.

  In addition, if a game facility performs a ball removal that is not originally planned, it will not only cause an abnormality in the total number of game balls managed for each pachinko machine managed by the hall computer, but it will also generate a signal indicating that the ball is out of play. In response to this, the game island automatic supply device on the game island side that supplies the game balls is continuously activated, and depending on the continuous operation time, the game motor automatic supply device and related devices on the game island are damaged due to overheating of the drive motor etc. There was also a problem that there was a risk of letting it.

  The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances as described above, and a ball removal device that increases the deterrence against a player's mischief without deteriorating the workability of the ball removal work performed by a staff member of a game facility. It is an object of the present invention to provide a ball removing device capable of detecting a mischievous action at an early stage and promptly responding to it.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a glass door that can be opened and closed in front of the front frame and covers and closes the front surface of the game board in a gaming state, and stores a game ball provided behind the front frame. A ball storage section and a ball storage / dispensing mechanism having a ball dispensing apparatus that dispenses game balls supplied from the ball storage section in accordance with a winning state, and a ball passage connecting a ball passage connecting the ball storage section and the ball dispensing apparatus Opening / closing valve member provided to be able to open and close a part of the valve, and an operating member for opening / closing the opening / closing valve member are received through an opening formed on the front surface of the glass door in a state where the glass door is closed, and inserted into the ball And a ball removal mechanism having a ball removal passage for discharging a game ball located upstream of the opening / closing valve member when the opening / closing valve member is switched to the open position by the operation member. About a ball removing device for a ball game machine Than is. In addition, in the present invention, an insertion position that allows the operation member to be inserted to the rear of the front frame through the ball removal operation hole behind the opening portion of the ball removal operation hole formed on the front surface of the glass door; A shielding member that is displaceably provided at a shielding position that restricts the insertion of the operation member and that can be displaced from the side of the glass door in a state in which the glass door is closed; and a biasing means that biases the shielding member to the shielding position; The opening / closing valve member is opened / closed by inserting the operation member from the opening into the ball removal operation hole in a state where the shielding member is displaced to the insertion position against the urging force of the urging means. The ball removing device is configured as described above.

  Note that, in the above-described ball removing device, the insertion position detecting means (for example, the position detection sensor 271 in the embodiment) for detecting that the shielding member is disposed at the insertion position, and the insertion position detection means bring the shielding member into the insertion position. It is preferable to provide alarm means for performing an alarm operation when it is detected that the sensor is disposed. Here, “alarm activation” in this specification refers to an operation that performs an alarm using a speaker or a lamp of a gaming machine, an operation that regulates the operation of a ball dispensing device or a game ball launching device, a lamp or hall on a game island This means an operation including an operation of giving an alarm using a display device of a computer, an operation of notifying an income carried by an attendant of a game facility through a hall computer, and the like.

  As described above, in the ball removal device of the present invention, the operation member is inserted through the ball removal operation hole to the rear of the front frame behind the opening portion of the ball removal operation hole that opens to the front side of the glass door. A displaceable shielding member is provided at an insertion position that permits this and a shielding position that restricts the insertion of the operation member, and is always urged by the urging means and disposed at the shielding position. The shielding member can be displaced from the side of the glass door with the glass door closed, and the shield member is moved from the shielding position to the insertion position against the urging force of the urging means when performing the ball removing operation. By displacing, the operation member is allowed to be inserted, and in this state, the open / close valve member can be opened and closed by inserting the operation member from the opening into the ball removal operation hole. For this reason, even if the player simply inserts a wire or the like into the opening of the ball punching operation hole, the player cannot hit the shielding member behind the opening and allow the wire to pass therethrough. I can't. On the other hand, an attendant at the game facility displaces the shielding member from the side of the glass door closed in front of the front frame to the insertion position, and inserts the operation member into the ball removal operation hole from the opening on the front of the glass door to open and close the operation. By doing so, the ball removal operation can be performed from the front side of the gaming machine with the glass door and the front frame closed and locked. Therefore, according to this configuration, it is possible to provide a ball removal device that increases the deterrence against the player's mischief without deteriorating the workability of the ball removal work performed by the staff of the gaming facility.

  When the ball removal device detects that the shielding member is disposed at the insertion position, and the insertion position detection unit detects that the shielding member is disposed at the insertion position, and the insertion position detection unit detects that the shielding member is disposed at the insertion position. By providing an alarm means for performing an alarm operation, an attendant or manager of the game facility can detect at an early stage that the pachinko machine is ready for the ball-out operation by the alarm operation. Quick and appropriate response.

  Therefore, according to the present invention as described above, it is possible to provide a ball removal device that increases the deterrence against the player's mischief without deteriorating the workability of the ball removal work performed by the staff of the game facility. By providing the insertion position detecting means and the warning means together, it is possible to provide a ball removing device capable of detecting a mischievous action at an early stage and responding promptly.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. As an example of a ball game machine equipped with a ball removing device according to the present invention, a front view and a rear view of a pachinko machine are shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, respectively. First, referring to these drawings, a pachinko machine PM The overall configuration will be described briefly. In FIG. 1, the glass door 5 and the upper ball tray 6 are shown in an open state in order to clearly show the position of the ball removal device. In FIG. 2, the ball removal device and its surrounding ball passages are shown in an explicit manner. The passage cover that covers the back of the passage and the case of the ball dispensing device are shown removed.

  The pachinko machine PM has a front frame 2 for opening and closing mounted on a front surface of an outer frame 1 for fixing and holding that is configured to have an outer rectangular frame size and is fixed to an amusement island, and is formed in a square frame size corresponding to this. By using hinge mechanisms 3a and 3b provided on the upper left and right sides of the front side, the laterally opening and closing and attaching / detaching are possible, and the outer frame 1 is always utilized by using a locking device 4 called a double lock provided on the right side of the front side. And held in a closed state.

  On the front side of the front frame 2, a rectangular glass door 5 and an upper ball tray 6 that match the front side area of the front frame 2 are opened and closed laterally by hinge mechanisms 7a, 7b, 7c provided on the left side of the front. In addition, the locking device 4 and the ball tray locking device provided on the right side of the front face are used for locking and holding in a closed state that always covers the front surface of the front frame 2. A lower ball tray 8 and a launch handle 9 are attached to the lower side of the upper ball tray 6, and a game ball launcher 10 is provided on the back side of the front frame 2.

  On the upper part of the front frame 2 located behind the glass door 5, a frame-shaped storage frame 2a that matches the outer dimensions of the game board is formed integrally with the front frame 2, and a predetermined gauge is provided on the storage frame 2a. A gaming board 20 configured by setting is detachably set and held, and the gaming area PA is disposed so as to be visible through the transparent glass of the glass door 5 that covers and holds the front. In addition, a plurality of display lamps 16 are provided at the upper part of the front frame 2 so as to surround the game board 20, and the lamp decoration provided in the frame part of the glass door 5 is allowed to pass therethrough so that an effect by light is possible. Yes.

  The game board 20 uses a decorative board 21 in which cells are bonded to a laminated plywood having a predetermined thickness as a substrate, and a substantially circular game area PA is defined on the front side of the game board 20 by being surrounded by inner and outer guide rails 22. A large number of game nails, a windmill, various prize-winning tools 23, an image display device 24, etc. are attached to the PA. An out port 25 is formed on the back side of the decorative plate 21 to be discharged. Various display lamps 26 for effect lighting are provided on the front side of the game board 20 according to the game development status, and on the back side, each winning tool 23 is dropped and led out to the back side of the decorative board 21. The game balls and game balls discharged to the back side of the decorative board 21 through the out port 25 (collectively referred to as “played balls”) are placed in the game set ball discharge passage of the back set board 30 described below. A ball gathering cover 29 for guiding is attached.

  An auxiliary mechanism part called a game auxiliary board is formed in the upper and lower middle part of the front frame 2 located behind the upper ball tray 6, and the game ball hit by the hammer of the game ball launcher 10 is played. The firing rail 11 that leads to the guide rail of the board 20, the foul ball collection passage 12 that collects the foul ball that has returned without reaching the game area PA and flows down to the lower ball tray 8, and the sound effect according to the game development status The speaker 13 etc. which generate | occur | produce are provided.

  On the other hand, a back set board 30 is attached to the rear of the front frame 2 so as to be opened and closed laterally and detachable in the rear, and is always kept closed so as to cover the back of the game board 20. The back set board 30 has a window 32 for receiving the image control device of the game board 20 at the center, and is configured based on a base frame body 31 formed slightly smaller than the inner size of the outer frame 1. The The base frame body 31 has a front and rear two-layer structure in which a ball passage is formed on the front and back sides. The base frame body 31 is mainly discharged from the game board 20 on the front side of a support surface 31a (see FIG. 3) that partitions the base frame body 31 back and forth. A played ball discharge passage and a ball removal passage for guiding the played balls to the game island collecting device are formed, and a ball storage / dispensing mechanism 40 for mainly paying out the game balls is provided on the rear side of the support surface 31a.

  The ball storage / dispensing mechanism 40 is attached to the upper left part of the base frame body 31 and stores the game balls supplied from the game ball automatic supply device on the game island, and tilts right below the ball storage tank 41. A base frame body that connects the alignment rod member 42, the alignment rod member 42, and the ball dispensing device 45 that are aligned in two front and rear rows in the process of causing the game balls supplied from the ball storage tank 41 to flow down. Standby passage member 44, which is provided on the right frame rod (frame frame portion on the right side of the window 32 in the rear view) 33 and waits in the standby passage in the aligned state of the front and rear two rows of game balls supplied from the alignment rod member 42; The ball payout device 45 for paying out the game balls waiting in accordance with the winning state or the like, and the game balls provided below the ball payout device 45 and discharged from the ball payout device are guided to the upper and lower ball dishes 6 and 8. Consists of ball discharge passage 46 It is.

  In addition, on each rear part of the base frame 31, a main control device 81 that comprehensively controls the operation of the pachinko machine PM, a winning detection signal from the game board 20, and a ball lending request signal from the ball lending operation panel in the CR machine Based on these signals, a ball payout control device 82 that outputs a payout command signal corresponding to these signals and controls the operation of the ball payout device 45, a display lamp 16 and a speaker 13 provided on the front frame 2 according to the game development status, A lamp / voice control device 83 that controls the operation of the display lamp 26 and the like provided on the game board 20, a power supply unit 84 that supplies power to each control device and electronic components, and input / output of signals and power with devices on the game facility side Various control devices such as an external relay terminal board 85 and circuit parts, electronic parts such as a ball breakage detection switch, etc. are attached, and these are connected by a connector cable (not shown) to form a pachinko machine M is configured to be able to operate.

  The pachinko machine PM is used in a game in which the upper ball tray 6 and the glass door 5 are closed and locked, and the game ball is stored by storing the game ball in the upper ball tray 6 and rotating the launch handle 9 to play the game. Be started. When the firing handle 9 is turned, the game balls stored in the upper ball tray 6 are sent one by one to the launch rail 11 by the ball feeder installed on the back of the upper ball tray 6, and the game ball launching device 10 is launched into the game area PA and a pachinko game is developed.

  In the pachinko machine PM generally configured as described above, a sphere including an opening / closing valve member 110, an operation connecting member 120, a ball removal operation hole 130, a ball removal passage 140, and the like above the right frame rod 33 in the back set board 30 A punching mechanism 101 is provided, and a shielding mechanism 105 including a shielding member 150 and a biasing spring 160 is provided on the left side of the front frame 2 located behind the glass door 5, and is stored in the ball storage / dispensing mechanism 40. A ball removing device 100 that can remove a game ball from the front of the pachinko machine PM is configured. In the following, first, the ball removal mechanism 101 provided on the right frame rod 33 will be described with reference to FIG. 3, and the ball removal device 100 including the shielding mechanism 105 will be described with reference to FIGS. explain. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the right frame rod 33 as viewed obliquely from the rear with the lid member 49 (see FIG. 7) covering the back of the standby passage member 44 removed.

  The ball removing mechanism 101 is an on-off valve member that is pivotally supported in a plane parallel to the support surface on the rear surface side of the support surface 31a adjacent to the standby passage member 44 so as to be able to open and close a part of the passage wall of the standby passage. 110, an operation linking member 120 that is attached to the front side of the support surface adjacent to the opening / closing valve member 110 and links the opening / closing operation by the operating member, and an operation for opening / closing the opening / closing valve member 110 via the operation linking member 120 A ball removal operation hole 130 (131, 132) for receiving and inserting the member from an opening provided on the front side of the pachinko machine, and upstream of the opening / closing valve member when the opening / closing valve member 110 is switched to the open position. It is configured by a ball removal passage 140 or the like for allowing a game ball located on the side to flow down and discharging the game ball from the ball discharge port formed at the lower end of the base frame body to the outside of the machine body.

  The standby passage member 44 has passage walls 44L and 44R that are erected in parallel on the left and right sides of the partition wall that divides the front and rear sides with a space slightly larger than the ball diameter of the game ball. , 44R surrounded by one row of front and rear passage grooves. Of these, the passage wall 44R on the right side as viewed from the rear is partially cut away and is always closed by the swinging passage wall 110R of the on-off valve member 110 in the closed position to form a continuous passage groove. The standby passage member 44 is formed separately from the base frame body 31 for the purpose of facilitating the cleaning of the passage groove, and is inserted into and supported by the support boss 34 erected on the support surface 31a. Is attached to the right frame rod 33 by screwing.

  When the standby passage member 44 is attached to the right frame rod 33, the opening portion of the passage groove is covered with the front support surface 31a and the rear lid member 49, and the standby passages 44a and 44b are arranged in a row in front and rear of the partition wall. (In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, only the standby passage 44b on the rear row side appears). The waiting passage is formed to be bent in an S-shape as a whole, and the notch is formed on the outer wall surface of the bent portion on which the ball pressure acts, and the pressing force due to the weight of the game ball stopped on the upstream side Is distributed so as not to cause excessive pressure on the downstream side, and the game ball flows out smoothly when the notch is opened.

  The on-off valve member 110 is a cylindrical support shaft hole 112 formed in the upper and lower intermediate portions of the main body, and is located on the lower side of the support shaft hole 112 and has a wall surface corresponding to a notch portion of the passage wall 44R. The moving passage wall 110R, the arm portion 113 formed so as to project laterally from the main body portion obliquely above the support shaft hole 112, and the opening portion is formed on the base end side of the arm portion 113, and the notch portion is closed by the swinging passage wall 110R. The closing holding engagement hole 113a that can be engaged with the engagement protrusion 123 of the operation connecting member 120 at the closed position and the lower surface of the arm portion are formed to swing the on-off valve member 110 counterclockwise in the rear view. Thus, it is configured by an open holding engagement side 113b and the like that can be engaged with the engagement protrusion 123 of the operation connecting member at the open position where the notch is opened. The on-off valve member 110 is supported so as to be swingable in a plane parallel to the support surface 31a by inserting the support shaft hole 112 into the pivot shaft 35 provided upright on the support surface 31a of the right frame rod. The lid member 49 is fixed with screws from the side, so that the lid 49 is attached to the right frame rod 33 together with the standby passage member 44 described above.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the operation linking member 120 is mainly composed of a lever box 120A having a vertically long box frame shape and a lever member 120B pivotally attached to the lever case 120A. The part is attached to the front side of the auxiliary support surface 31b formed by bulging rearward. The lever member 120B includes a swinging main body 121 that extends vertically, a lever part 122 that protrudes laterally from the top of the swinging main body 121, and a tip hemisphere that protrudes rearward from the bottom of the swinging main body 121. The pin-like engaging projection 123 and the pivot shaft 125 formed to project from the left and right at the upper and lower intermediate portions of the swinging main body 121, etc., and the pivot shaft 125 pivots on the pivot support hole on the lever case side. The upper lever portion 122 and the lower engaging projection 123 are disposed so as to be able to swing and displace in the front-rear opposite direction within a predetermined angular range.

  In the lever member 120B, the lever portion 122 is urged forward and the engagement protrusion 123 is urged rearward (that is, clockwise in the side view shown in FIG. Protrudes to the rear surface side of the auxiliary support surface 31b through the engagement protrusion insertion hole 36 formed in the auxiliary support surface 31b. In a normal gaming state, the on-off valve member 110 is closed as shown in FIGS. The state of engagement with the holding engagement hole 113 a, that is, the swing passage wall 110 </ b> R is locked and held at the closed position where the notch portion of the standby passage member 44 is closed.

  The ball punching operation holes 130 (131, 132) are respectively positioned at alignment positions facing the front of the lever portion 122 of the operation connecting member in a state where the glass door 5 and the back set board 30 are closed to the front frame 2. The ball opening operation hole 131 on the glass door 5 side and the ball removal operation hole 132 on the front frame 2 side form a series of ball removal operation holes 130, which will be described later. When the shielding member 150 is disposed at the insertion position, the heart key 180 (see FIGS. 4 and 8) can be inserted behind the front frame 2. For this reason, even when the glass door 5 is closed, the heart key 180 can be inserted into the ball removal operation hole 130 from the front side of the pachinko machine PM and the lever portion 122 can be pressed.

  Further, the ball removal passage 140 is a spare passage formed on the rear surface side of the support surface 31a adjacent to the cutout portion of the standby passage member 44, and a communication formed through the support surface 31a in the front and rear in the lower portion of the spare passage. The lower end of the downward passage is joined to a game-completed ball discharge passage that collects game balls that have been discharged from the game board 20, and the like. And connected to a ball outlet formed at the lower end of the base frame 31.

  In such a ball removal mechanism 101, the normal gaming state, that is, the front frame 2, the glass door 5, the back set board 30 and the like are closed and held, and the engagement projection 123 of the operation connecting member is closed and engaged of the on-off valve member. When engaged with the hole 113a, the swinging passage wall 110R closes the notch portion of the standby passage member 44 to form the passage walls of the standby passages 44a and 44b, and the game balls supplied from the alignment rod member 42 are on standby. It is guided to the ball dispensing device 45 through the passages 44a and 44b. The on-off valve member 110 is controlled to freely swing by the engagement between the engagement protrusion 123 and the closing holding engagement hole 113a, and is latched and held at a closing position that closes the notch portion of the standby passage member 44.

  On the other hand, when the lever portion 122 is pressed backward by the heart key 180, the engaging projection 123 swings back in front of the auxiliary support surface 31b, and the engagement projection 123 engages with the closing holding engagement hole 113a. Is released, and the swing restriction of the on-off valve member 110 that has been restricted until then is released. In a state where game balls are stored in the standby passages 44a and 44b, the swing passage wall 110R receives the pressure of the game balls held in the standby passages 44a and 44b, and this pressure is released when the swing restriction is released. As a result, the on-off valve member 110 is swung counterclockwise about the pivot shaft 35 as viewed from the rear, and the rocking passage wall 110R is displaced to an open position where the notch portion of the standby passage member 44 is opened. Then, once the on-off valve member 110 is displaced to the open position in this way, the state where the swing passage wall 110R is swung and displaced by the game balls overflowing one after another from the notch portion continues and passes through. The open state is maintained until there is no more.

  Here, in a state in which the on-off valve member 110 is displaced to the open position, the open holding engagement side 113b on the lower surface of the arm portion is placed in front of the engagement protrusion insertion hole 36 instead of the closing holding engagement hole 113a displaced obliquely upward. To position. For this reason, when the pressing force to the lever portion 122 is released in a state where the on-off valve member 110 is displaced to the open position, the engagement protrusion 123 passes through the engagement protrusion insertion hole 36 and is below the open holding engagement side 113b. Protruding and engaging, the on-off valve member 110 is locked in the open position. For this reason, even if the lever part 122 is not always pressed, the on-off valve member 110 can be held in a state of being switched to the open position.

  Therefore, for example, when all the game balls stored in the ball storage tank 41 are removed, the front frame 2 and the glass door 5 are closed without opening the front frame 2 and operating the lever portion 122 directly. In this state, the lever 122 can be swung from the front side of the pachinko machine using the heart key 180, and the opening / closing valve member 110 is closed by a simple operation of pushing the heart key 180 from the front of the machine. Then, the game ball stored on the upstream side of the on-off valve member 110 is guided to the ball removal passage 140 and can be continuously removed.

  Further, when the ball removal is completed and there is no game ball in the upper part of the standby passage, the lever portion 122 is pushed once from the front in the same manner as the ball removal operation, and the engagement protrusion 123 and the open holding engagement side 113b are engaged. The engagement is released, and the swing restriction by the engagement protrusion 123 is released. Then, the on-off valve member 110, from which the pressing force from the game ball has been released, swings clockwise by its own weight due to the relationship between the position of the support shaft hole 112 with respect to its center of gravity, and the swing passage wall 110R is cut away. It is displaced to the closed position that closes the part. Then, when the pressing force to the lever portion 122 is released and the heart key 180 is pulled out, the engaging projection 123 protrudes rearward of the auxiliary support surface 31b and engages with the closing holding engaging hole 113a, and the on-off valve member 110 is closed. Held in position. As a result, the cutout portion of the standby passage member 44 is closed and held by the swing passage wall 110R, and the game ball that has flowed into the standby passages 44a and 44b is returned to the normal gaming state where it is guided to the ball payout device 45.

  A shielding mechanism 105 is provided on the front side of the front frame 2 located behind the glass door 5 with respect to the ball removing mechanism 101 configured as described above. Hereinafter, the shielding mechanism 105 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the shielding mechanism 105 when the upper left portion of the front frame 2 is viewed obliquely from the front, and FIG. 5 shows the shielding mechanism 105 in the shielding position in a state where the glass door 5 is pseudo-expanded 180 degrees. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a left side view of the ball removing device 100, and FIG. 8 sets the shielding mechanism 105 to the insertion position. It is a front view showing a state where the heart key 180 is inserted.

  The shielding mechanism 105 has an insertion position that allows the heart key 180 to be inserted through the ball removal operation hole 130 to the rear of the front frame 2 at the left side edge of the front frame 2 positioned behind the glass door 5. A shielding member 150 that is slidably displaceable at a shielding position that restricts the insertion of the heart key and that can be displaced from the side of the glass door 5 with the glass door 5 closed, and the shielding member 150 at the shielding position. A biasing spring 160 for biasing is mainly configured.

  A left side edge portion of the front frame 2 is formed with a door receiver 2b having an arc shape in a plan view in accordance with a turning trajectory on the base end side when the glass door 5 and the upper ball tray 6 are swingably opened and closed. A shielding member attaching portion 17 is provided adjacent to the ball removal operation hole 132. The shielding member mounting portion 17 includes a slit-like lead-out hole 17a that passes through the front frame 2 in the front-rear direction and passes through the lead-out side portion of the shield member 150, a screw receiving hole 17b that receives and holds the screw 158, and a door. An elongated screw guide hole 17c that penetrates the rib 2c on the rear side of the receiver to the left and right and guides the upward and downward displacement of the screw 162 is formed, and the screw 158 is formed at a corresponding position of the glass door 5 when the glass door 5 is opened. The receiving notch part 5a which receives is formed (see FIG. 6).

  The shielding member 150 has a slide side 151 formed in an arc shape along the front surface of the door receiver 2b, and a right side of the slide side 151 is bent at a right angle in accordance with the formation position of the lead hole 17a and extends backward. 152, a shutter piece portion 153 formed by bending the rear end portion of the lead-out side portion 152 at a right angle to the right, and a slide operation formed by bending the front end portion of the slide side portion 151 in accordance with the tip shape of the door receiver 2b. A long hole-shaped guide hole 151b is formed in the approximate center of the slide side 151, and a screw hole 152c for receiving the screw 162 is formed in the lead-out side 152. Further, an operation pin 157 is fixed to the right end side of the slide side 151 so as to protrude forward. The shielding member 150 is formed, for example, by punching and bending a steel plate having a thickness of about 1.0 to 1.6 mm, caulking and fixing the operation pins 157, and performing necessary surface treatment as necessary.

  The shielding member 150 is inserted into the outlet hole 17a from the front side of the door receiver 2b through the outlet side 152 and inserted into the rear side of the front frame 2, and the slide side 151 is placed on the front surface of the door receiver 2b. Is engaged with the front end portion of the door receiver 2b, and the shutter piece portion 153 protruding to the rear surface side of the front frame 2 is aligned with the rear surface position of the ball removal operation hole 132, as shown in the partial enlarged view of FIG. It is attached to the shielding member attaching part 17 by being bent at right angles to the direction. Next, the screw 158 is screwed into the screw receiving hole 17b through the guide hole 151b from the front of the door receiver 2b, and the screw 162 is screwed into the screw hole 152c through the screw guide hole 17c on the rear surface side of the door receiver 2b. It is slidably supported only in the vertical direction within a predetermined range defined by the long hole.

  Here, the shutter piece portion 153 is an opening / closing plate that opens or shields the rear end opening of the ball removal operation hole 132, and when the shielding member 150 supported as described above is slid downward, a sliding range is provided. The shutter piece 153 is positioned below the ball removal operation hole 132 at the lower end position of the lens so that the heart key 180 can be inserted, and when the shielding member 150 is slid upward from the insertion position, the shutter piece The position and shape are set so that the portion 153 is positioned behind the ball removal operation hole 132 to shield the rear surface of the opening and to restrict the insertion of the heart key 180.

  In addition, the guide hole 151b and the screw guide hole 17c are formed in a long hole shape with a groove width slightly larger than the shaft diameter of the screw 158 and the screw 162, respectively. A predetermined stroke at which the opening at the rear end of the operation hole 132 can be switched between the shield state and the insertion state by the shutter piece 153, specifically, is set somewhat larger than the diameter of the heart key 180. That is, the guide hole 151b and the screw guide hole 17c define the raising / lowering range of the shielding member within the predetermined slide range in which the shutter piece portion 153 opens and closes the opening of the ball removal operation hole 132, and the slide operation portion 155 and the door. Coupled with the engaging action with the receiving front end, the shielding member 150 is guided to move up and down smoothly without tilting back and forth in this sliding range.

  Then, on the rear surface side of the door receiver 2b, the hook portions at both ends of the urging spring are locked to the screw 162 screwed to the lead-out side portion and the screw 162 screwed to the rib 2c thereabove. The urging spring 160 is stretched with an initial tension of. Thereby, the shielding member 150 includes a shielding position (see FIG. 7) where the shutter piece portion 153 is positioned behind the ball removal operation hole 132 and shields the ball removal operation hole 132, and the shutter piece portion 153 is a ball removal operation hole. It is mounted so as to be slidable up and down between the insertion position (see FIG. 8) that is positioned below 132 and allows the heart key 180 to be inserted behind the front frame 2, and is always applied by the spring force of the biasing spring 160. It is disposed at a shielding position that is biased upward to close the ball removal operation hole 132.

  In the ball removing device 100 including the ball removing mechanism 101 and the shielding mechanism 105 configured as described above, as shown in FIG. 6, the shielding mechanism 105 is disposed behind the glass door 5 in the game providing state, and is shielded. The shutter piece 153 of the member 150 is disposed at a shielding position that closes the rear end opening of the ball removal operation hole 132. The glass door-side ball removal operation hole 131 is formed with a cylindrical portion extending rearward, and is disposed in front of the front frame-side ball removal operation hole 132 when the glass door 5 is closed.

  For this reason, even if a person who intends to cheat inserts a wire or the like from the front side of the glass door 5 into the ball removal operation hole 131, the tip of the wire hits the shutter piece 153 of the shielding member and the wire is attached to the front frame 2. It is not possible to insert the rear part of the ball into the rear, and it is not possible to perform a mischief act on the ball removing mechanism 101 provided on the back set board 30. Further, the glass door-side ball removal operation hole 131 is formed so that the depth of the hole is longer than the diameter thereof, and the rear end portion is disposed immediately before the front frame-side ball removal operation hole 132. In addition, a tapered chamfer is applied to the opening front edge of the ball removal operation hole 132. For this reason, the wire inserted into the ball removal operation hole 131 from the front side of the glass door 5 is received by the ball removal operation hole 132 on the front frame side without being bent at the front surface of the front frame 2. A mischievous act cannot be performed with respect to the game board 20 located in the right side.

  On the other hand, the slide operation portion 155 of the shielding member 150 is disposed so as not to be conspicuous behind the glass door 5 in a state where the glass door 5 is closed, and from the line of sight of the player seated on the chair in front of the pachinko machine. Is arranged to be slidable at a position where it is not directly visible. Then, when the sliding operation portion 155 is put on the finger and pressed downward and the shielding member 150 is slid to the insertion position against the spring force of the urging spring 160, the shutter piece portion 153 moves below the ball removal operation hole 132. It is set to the insertion state where it moves to and the heart key is inserted.

  Accordingly, the clerk of the game facility inserts the heart key 180 into the ball removal operation hole 130 (131, 132) in the state in which the shielding member 150 is slid and displaced to the insertion position as described above, and inserts it behind the front frame 2. The ball removal operation can be performed by pressing the lever portion 122 of the operation connecting member 120 disposed in alignment with the rear of the ball removal operation hole 132 (see FIG. 8). That is, it is not necessary for the clerk of the game facility to release the closed and locked state of the glass door 5 and the front frame 2 one by one when performing the ball removal operation, and the ball removal operation can be performed from the front side of the pachinko machine PM.

  On the other hand, such a ball removal operation needs to be performed with both hands standing in front of the pachinko machine PM. For this reason, a great sense of resistance will be created for fraudulent players who perform mischief while paying attention to the gaze of surrounding players and the presence of surveillance cameras for crime prevention, and to exert a deterrent effect that suppresses such mischief Can do.

  In the shielding mechanism 105, an operation pin 157 is provided on the slide side portion 151, and can be lifted and lowered from the front of the pachinko machine with the glass door 5 opened. For this reason, for example, when it is necessary to remove the ball when the glass door 5 is opened and maintenance work is performed, the shielding member 150 is slid to the insertion position by placing a finger on the operation pin 157. It is also possible to perform a ball removal operation by inserting a heart key into the ball removal operation hole 132.

  Therefore, according to the ball removal device 100 described above, the deterrence of the player against mischief is improved with a compact and inexpensive device configuration without deteriorating the workability of the ball removal work performed by the staff of the game facility. A ball removal device can be provided.

  Next, another configuration example of the shielding mechanism is shown in FIG. 9, and the shielding mechanism 205 will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the shielding mechanism 205 when the upper left portion of the front frame 2 is viewed obliquely from the rear. The shielding mechanism 205 is mainly composed of a shielding member 250 that can be displaced from the side of the glass door in a state in which the glass door 5 is closed, and a biasing spring 160 that biases the shielding member 250 to the shielding position. In the present embodiment, an example in which a position detection structure 270 is added to the shielding mechanism 205 to configure a ball removal device is shown. In addition, the arrangement | positioning position of the shielding mechanism 205 and the whole structure form are the same as that of the shielding mechanism 105 mentioned above, and below, it attaches | subjects the same number to the same component, it abbreviate | omits duplication description and demonstrates centering on a different part. To do.

  A shielding member mounting portion 18 is provided on the upper left edge of the front frame 2 adjacent to the ball removal operation hole 132. The shielding member mounting portion 18 is formed through the door receiver 2b in the front-rear direction and receives a long pin-shaped pin guide hole 18c for guiding the up-and-down displacement of the operation pin 257 and a screw 158 from the rear surface side of the door receiver and screwed together. It comprises a screw receiving hole for holding, a sensor mounting portion for attaching the position detection sensor 271, and a notch portion 18 d for inserting the detection lever of the position detection sensor 271 by cutting out the rib 2 c behind the door receiver.

  The shielding member 250 includes a slide side 251 formed in an arc shape along the rear surface of the door receiver 2b, a lead-out side 252 that extends rearward by bending the right end side of the slide side 251 in accordance with the formation position of the rib 2c, and lead-out. A shutter piece portion 253 formed by bending the rear end portion of the side portion 252 to the right at a right angle, a slide operation portion 255 bent at the front end portion of the slide side portion 251 in accordance with the tip shape of the door receiver 2b, etc. The slide side portion 251 has an elongated guide hole 251b at the substantially central portion thereof, the lead portion 252 has a screw hole 252c for receiving the screw 162 at the central portion thereof, and the lower portion of the lead side portion 252 has a tongue-like shape. A guide clip 252e is formed on the upper and lower sides of the shutter piece 253 at the rear end of the detected piece 252d and the lead-out side so as to match the thickness of the rib 2c. An operation pin 257 is fixed to the slide side 251 so as to protrude forward. The shielding member 250 is formed by the same processing means using the same metal material as the shielding member 150 described above.

  The shielding member 250 engages the upper and lower guide clips 252e with the rib 2c from the rear surface side of the door receiver 2b, engages the operation pin 257 with the pin guide hole 18c, and connects the slide operation portion 255 to the rear side of the door receiver 2b. It is attached to the shielding member mounting portion 18 by being fitted to the tip. Next, the screw 258 is screwed into the screw receiving hole through the guide hole 251b from the rear side of the door receiver 2b, so that the sliding support is supported only in the vertical direction within a predetermined range defined by the guide hole 251b and the pin guide hole 18c. .

  When the shielding member 250 supported as described above is slid downward, the shutter piece portion 253 is positioned below the ball removal operation hole 132 at the lower end position of the sliding range and is inserted through the heart key 180. On the other hand, when the shielding member 250 is slid upward from this insertion position, the rear surface of the opening is shielded by being positioned behind the ball removal operation hole 132 and the insertion of the heart key 180 is restricted. The position and the shape dimension are set as follows.

  Further, the guide hole 251b and the pin guide hole 18c are each formed in a long hole shape with a groove width slightly larger than the outer diameter of the screw 258 and the operation pin 257, respectively, and the vertical dimension is determined by the shutter size. The stroke at which the opening at the rear end of the ball removal operation hole 132 can be switched between the shielding state and the insertion state by the one-sided portion 253 is set. That is, the guide hole 251b and the pin guide hole 18c define the raising / lowering range of the shielding member within the slide range in which the shutter piece portion 253 opens and closes the opening of the ball removal operation hole 132, and the slide operation portion 255 and the guide clip 252e. Coupled with the guide action, the shielding member 250 is guided so as to move up and down smoothly in this sliding range.

  Then, on the rear surface side of the door receiver 2b, the hook portions at both ends of the biasing spring 160 are locked to the screw 162 screwed into the screw hole 252c on the lead-out side portion and the screw screwed to the rib 2c thereabove. Then, the biasing spring 160 is stretched with a predetermined initial tension. As a result, the shielding member 250 has the shutter piece portion 253 positioned behind the ball removal operation hole 132 to shield the ball removal operation hole 132, and located below the ball removal operation hole 132 and the heart key 180. It is mounted so as to be slidable up and down with respect to the insertion position allowing insertion, and is always disposed at a shielding position where it is urged upward by the spring force of the urging spring 160 to block the ball removal operation hole 132.

  On the other hand, a position detection structure 270 is provided on the rear side of the front frame 2 located below the ball punching operation hole. The position detection structure 270 is mainly configured by a position detection sensor 271 attached to a sensor mounting portion below the ball punching operation hole. In the figure, a form using a limit switch having a detection lever as the position detection sensor 271 is illustrated, and the detection lever is disposed on the sliding locus of the detected piece 252d of the shielding member 250 through the notch 18d. Then, by detecting the height position of the detected piece portion 252d, the position of the shielding member 250, that is, whether the shielding member 250 is in the shielding position or the insertion position is detected. A detection signal from the position detection sensor 271 is input to the main controller 81.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 9, when the shielding member 250 is in the shielding position, the detected piece portion 252d is located above the notch portion 18d away from the detection lever of the position detection sensor 271, and the position detection sensor 271 is From the angular position of the detection lever, it is detected that the shielding member 250 is at the shielding position, and a detection signal (for example, OFF number) corresponding to this is output to the main control device 81.

  On the other hand, when the shielding member 250 is slid downward against the spring force of the biasing spring 160, the detected piece 252d that moves downward engages with the detection lever of the position detection sensor 271 and swings the detection lever. The contact point of the position detection sensor is reversed at the insertion position where the shutter piece 253 opens the rear end opening of the ball removal operation hole 132. Accordingly, the position detection sensor 271 detects that the shielding member 250 has been switched to the insertion position, and outputs a detection signal (for example, an ON signal) corresponding thereto to the main controller 81.

  The main control device 81 performs an alarm operation when the input detection signal is a signal indicating the insertion position (ON signal in the above example). For example, either the display lamp 16 provided on the front frame 2 or the display lamp 26 provided on the game board 20 is turned on or blinked, a predetermined alarm sound is generated from the speaker 13, or an external relay terminal An alarm operation is performed such that an alarm is displayed on a notification lamp on a gaming island or a display device of a hall computer via the substrate 85, or an alarm signal is transmitted to an income carried by a staff member of the gaming facility via the hall computer. Do.

  Also in the ball removing device provided with the shielding mechanism 205 configured as described above, a person who intends to cheat from the front side of the glass door 5 performs the ball removal from the front side of the glass door 5 in the same manner as the ball removing device provided with the shielding mechanism 105 described above. Even when a wire or the like is inserted into the punching operation hole 131, the tip of the wire hits the shutter piece 253 of the shielding member and the wire cannot be inserted behind the front frame 2. A mischievous action cannot be performed on the punching mechanism 101.

  On the other hand, a slide operation portion 255 of the shielding member 250 is operably disposed at a rear position of the glass door 5 that is not directly visible from the line of sight of the player seated on the chair in front of the pachinko machine. By placing the finger on the operation unit 255 and sliding the shielding member 250 to the insertion position, the insertion state is set in which the heart key 180 can be inserted. For this reason, the clerk of the game facility slides the shielding member 250 to the insertion position, inserts the heart key 180 into the ball removal operation hole 130 (131, 132), and presses the lever portion 122 to remove the ball. The ball removing operation can be performed from the front side of the pachinko machine PM without releasing the closed and locked state of the glass door 5 and the front frame 2.

  On the other hand, such ball pulling operation requires standing with the front of the pachinko machine PM and using both hands, so an unauthorized person who cares about the gaze of surrounding players and the existence of security surveillance cameras. It is possible to induce a great sense of resistance and to effectively prevent mischief. Further, in the ball removing device of this configuration, when the shielding member 250 is disposed at the insertion position, the state is detected by the position detection sensor 271, and a predetermined alarm operation is performed by the main control device 81. For this reason, a staff member or manager of the game facility can detect at an early stage that the pachinko machine PM is ready for the ball removal operation, and can take a prompt and appropriate response depending on the situation. .

  Further, in the shielding mechanism 205, an operation pin 257 is provided on the slide side portion 251 so that it can be lifted and lowered from the front of the pachinko machine with the glass door 5 opened. For this reason, when it is necessary to remove the ball when the glass door 5 is opened and maintenance work is performed, a finger is placed on the operation pin 257 to slide the shielding member 250 to the insertion position, It is also possible to perform a ball removal operation by inserting a heart key into the ball removal operation hole 132.

  Therefore, according to the ball removal device as described above, a ball removal device is provided that can increase the deterrence against the player's mischief and provide a quick response by detecting the act of mischief early. can do.

  The position detection sensor 171 only needs to be a detector that can detect the height position of the shielding member 250. In addition to the illustrated limit switch type detector, a detector such as a proximity switch or a photo interrupter may be used. . Further, in the embodiment described above, the mode in which the ball removal operation hole 130 is switched between the shielding position and the insertion position by sliding the shielding member up and down is exemplified. However, the transition form of the shielding member is the sliding displacement in the vertical direction. For example, it may be a slide displacement in the left-right direction in the plane orthogonal to the ball removal operation hole, a rocking displacement in the vertical direction, a rotational displacement around the axis orthogonal to the ball removal operation hole, etc. Good.

It is a front view of the pachinko machine shown in the state which opened the glass door and the upper ball tray as an example of a bullet ball game machine provided with a ball removal device concerning the present invention. It is a rear view of the pachinko machine. It is the perspective view which looked at the upper part of the right frame ridge from back diagonally in the state which removed the cover member which covers the back of a waiting passage member. It is a disassembled perspective view of the shielding mechanism in the ball removal apparatus concerning the present invention. It is a front view of the shielding mechanism in a shielding position. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional plan view taken along arrow VI-VI in FIG. 5. It is a left view of the ball removal device concerning the present invention. It is a front view which shows the state which set the shielding mechanism to the insertion position and made the heart key penetrate. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the other structural form of the ball removal apparatus which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

PM Pachinko machine PA Game area 1 Outer frame 2 Front frame (2a storage frame, 2b door support, 2c rib)
3a, 3b Hinge mechanism 4 Locking device 5 Glass door (5a receiving notch)
6 Upper ball tray 7a, 7b, 7c Hinge mechanism 8 Lower ball tray 9 Launch handle 10 Game ball launch device 11 Launch rail 12 Foul ball collection passage 13 Speaker 16 Display lamp 17 Shield member mounting portion (17a lead-out hole, 17b screw receiving hole 17c Screw guide hole)
18 Shielding member mounting part (18c pin guide hole, 18d cutout part)
20 game board 21 decorative board 22 guide rail 23 winning tool 24 image display device 25 out port 26 display lamp 29 ball-holding cover 30 back set board 31 base frame (31a support surface, 31b auxiliary support surface)
32 Window 33 Right frame rod 34 Support boss 35 Pivoting shaft 36 Engagement projection insertion hole 40 Ball storage / dispensing mechanism 41 Ball storage tank 42 Alignment rod member 44 Standby passage member (44a, 44b Standby passage, 44L, 44R passage wall)
45 Ball dispensing device 46 Ball dispensing passage 49 Lid member 81 Main controller 82 Ball dispensing control device 83 Lamp / voice control device 84 Power supply unit 85 External relay terminal board 100 Ball removal device 101 Ball removal mechanism 105 Shielding mechanism (first configuration) )
110 On-off valve member (110R swing passage wall)
112 support shaft hole 113 arm portion (113a closing holding engagement hole, 113b opening holding engagement side)
120 operation connection member (120A lever case, 120B lever member)
121 swinging main body 122 lever part 123 engaging projection 125 pivot shaft part 130 ball removal operation hole 131 ball removal operation hole 132 formed in the glass door ball removal operation hole 140 formed in the front frame 140 ball removal passage 150 shielding member 151 Slide side (151b guide hole)
152 Derived side (152c screw hole)
153 Shutter piece 155 Slide operation unit 157 Operation pin 158 Screw 160 Biasing spring 162 Screw 180 Heart key 205 Shielding mechanism (second configuration form)
250 Shield member 251 Slide side (251b guide hole)
252 lead side (252c screw hole, 252d detected piece, 252e guide clip)
253 Shutter piece portion 255 Slide operation portion 257 Operation pin 258 Screw 270 Position detection structure 271 Position detection sensor

Claims (2)

A front frame that houses and holds the game board;
A glass door which is provided in front of the front frame so as to be opened and closed and covers and holds the front surface of the game board in a game state;
A ball storage / dispensing mechanism having a ball storage unit that is provided behind the front frame and stores a game ball, and a ball payout device that pays out a game ball supplied from the ball storage unit according to a winning state;
The glass door is closed with an opening / closing valve member provided so that a part of a passage wall can be opened and closed in a ball passage connecting the ball storage portion and the ball dispensing device, and an operation member for opening / closing the opening / closing valve member. A ball removal operation hole that is received through the opening formed in the front surface of the glass door in a state of being inserted, and upstream of the on-off valve member when the on-off valve member is switched to the open position by the operation member A ball game machine comprising a ball removal mechanism having a ball removal passage for discharging a game ball located at
Provided behind the opening so as to be displaceable between an insertion position that allows the operation member to be inserted to the rear of the front frame through the ball punching operation hole and a shielding position that restricts the insertion of the operation member. A shielding mechanism having a shielding member that can be displaced from a side of the glass door in a state where the glass door is closed, and a biasing means that biases the shielding member to the shielding position,
In a state where the shielding member is displaced to the insertion position against the urging force of the urging means, the operation member is inserted from the opening into the ball removal operation hole to open and close the on-off valve member. A ball removing device for a ball game machine characterized by being configured as described above.   An insertion position detecting means for detecting that the shielding member is disposed at the insertion position, and an alarm operation when the insertion position detection means detects that the shielding member is disposed at the insertion position. The ball removing device for a ball game machine according to claim 1, further comprising alarm means for performing the operation.

Images