JP4649656B2 - Ball supply structure for gaming machines - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a ball supply structure for a gaming machine that drops a gaming ball from above a gaming area of the gaming machine and supplies the gaming ball into the gaming area.

  Generally, in a gaming machine such as a pachinko machine, a game area is formed on the front surface of the game board, a ball launcher is arranged below the game area, and a game ball launched by the ball launcher is guided in a substantially arc shape. The game area is driven upward along the rail (outer rail) from the side to be dropped into the game area. At this time, the falling position of the game ball in the left-right direction with respect to the game area is adjusted by adjusting the jump amount of the game ball by operating the launch force of the ball launcher with the launch operation handle.

  Thus, in the conventional method of adjusting the falling position of the game ball by operating the firing force of the ball launcher, when adjusting the falling position of the game ball, the player can quickly set the falling position of the game ball to a desired position unless the user is an expert. It is difficult to adjust to the target position, and waste balls (game balls that do not fall to the desired target position) increase.

  Therefore, as described in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-15157), a discharge nozzle for discharging a game ball is provided above the game area so as to be swingable in the left-right direction. There is one that adjusts the falling position of the game ball by manipulating the direction (the release direction of the game ball).

In addition, as described in Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-201899), a ball path on which a game ball rolls is arranged above the game area so as to extend in the left-right direction. In some cases, a drop opening for dropping the game ball is provided on the bottom surface so as to be movable in the left-right direction, and the position of the game ball is adjusted by operating the movement position of the drop opening with an operation handle.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-15157 (2nd page, FIG. 1 etc.) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-201899 (2nd page, FIG. 1 etc.)

  However, in the method of adjusting the game ball drop position by manipulating the direction of the discharge nozzle as in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to pour the continuously supplied game ball into the discharge nozzle. There is a possibility that ball clogging may occur in the vicinity of the entrance. As a countermeasure, if the hole diameter of the discharge nozzle is increased, there is a drawback that it is impossible to accurately adjust the falling position of the game ball.

  Further, as in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2, in the method of adjusting the falling position of the game ball by manipulating the moving position of the drop opening on the bottom surface of the ball passage, the game ball rolling on the ball passage jumps over the drop opening and falls There is a possibility that a false fall may occur in which a game ball falls from a location different from the mouth. As a countermeasure against this, there is a drawback that if the drop opening is made large, the drop position of the game ball cannot be adjusted with high accuracy.

  Furthermore, in the method of adjusting the game ball drop position by manipulating the movement position of the drop opening on the bottom surface of the ball passage as in Patent Document 2, the game ball rolling in the ball passage reaches the movement position of the drop opening. Since the game ball falls at that time, when the drop mouth is moved in the same direction as the rolling direction of the game ball, the next game ball falls to the drop mouth after the previous game ball falls to the drop mouth. In contrast to this, when the drop port is moved in the direction opposite to the rolling direction of the game ball, the next game ball falls after the previous game ball falls to the drop port. The time interval before dropping to the mouth is shortened. Thus, since the time interval at which the game ball falls when the drop opening is moved, the player may feel uncomfortable.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to enable the player to adjust the falling position of the game ball easily and accurately without being an expert, and to play the game ball. An object of the present invention is to provide a ball supply structure for a gaming machine that can stabilize the time interval during which the player falls.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is a game machine ball supply structure in which a game ball is dropped from above the game area of the game machine and the game ball is supplied into the game area. A ball supply means for supplying a game ball to one upper end side, and a game ball supplied to one end side above the game area by the ball supply means rolls from one end side to the other end side above the game area. An inclined passage arranged so as to be inclined, a ball dropping device which is provided so as to be movable in the left-right direction along the inclined passage and drops a game ball rolling on the inclined passage to the game area, and the ball dropping And a ball dropping device that operates to receive the game balls rolling on the inclined passage and drop the game balls one by one into the game area at a predetermined cycle. In addition, the left and right direction of the ball drop device with the operating means By operating the moving position is obtained by configured to adjust the falling position of the game ball.

  In this configuration, the moving position of the ball dropping device operated by the operating means can be used as a guide for the falling position of the game ball to predict the falling position of the game ball to some extent. It can be adjusted to the target position, and the number of wasted balls can be reduced. In addition, instead of the discharge nozzle, drop port, ball guide wall, etc., the game ball that rolls on the inclined passage is received by the ball drop device and dropped to the game area, so there is almost no clogging of the ball, false fall, ball bounce, etc. Accordingly, the game ball rolling on the inclined passage can be reliably dropped to the game area at the moving position of the ball dropping device, and the falling position of the game ball can be accurately adjusted. Further, since the ball dropping device operates to drop the game balls one by one into the game area at a predetermined cycle, even when the ball dropping device is moved, the time interval at which the game ball falls into the game area is set to the predetermined interval. It can be adjusted, and the player can be prevented from feeling uncomfortable. Further, in the present invention, it is difficult to drop a game ball in a conventional general game machine (a game machine that adjusts a fall position of a game ball by operating a launch force of a ball launcher) (for example, The game ball can be easily dropped on the left edge of the game area, etc.), and there is an advantage that a new board surface configuration (such as arrangement of an accessory) and a new shape game area can be realized. .

  In this case, as in claim 2, the inclined passage is provided with a fall prevention portion for preventing the game ball rolling on the inclined passage from falling to the game area, and the ball dropping device includes the ball dropping device. It is preferable to provide a delivery member that sends out the game balls one by one in a predetermined cycle so that the game balls supplied to the player are released from the fall-prevented state by the fall prevention unit. In this way, the game ball that rolls in the inclined passage is reliably prevented from falling to the game area at a place other than the ball dropping device by the fall prevention unit, while the game is being played by the sending member at the moving position of the ball dropping device. Balls can be dropped into the game area one by one in a predetermined cycle.

  Furthermore, as described in claim 3, a ball that removes a subsequent game ball that has been prevented from entering the standby position by a game ball that has been waiting at a predetermined standby position until it is dropped by the ball dropping device from the inclined passage. A removing means may be provided. In this way, in addition to the game ball waiting at the standby position, extra game balls accumulate in or near the ball drop device, thereby moving the ball drop device in the left-right direction (more specifically, extra game balls accumulate). It is possible to prevent troubles in movement in the direction in which they are present.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the ball supply means includes a ball launching device disposed below the game area, and a guide passage for guiding the game ball launched from the ball launching device to one end side above the game area. It is good to provide. In this way, for example, when a ball in a ball tray arranged below the game area is used as a game ball, the game ball can be launched from the ball launcher and moved to one end above the game area. Therefore, it is not necessary to newly provide a device for lifting the game ball in the ball tray to one end side above the game area, and the cost can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described using two Examples 1 and 2.

A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
First, a schematic configuration of the front side of a pachinko machine (game machine) will be described based on FIG. A game board 12 is attached to the front side of the pachinko machine 11, and a game area 13 is defined on the front side of the game board 12 by an inner rail 14 or the like. In the central portion of the game area 13, a center accessory 16 (symbol display device) is provided. Below the center accessory 16, a start winning device 17 and a variable winning device 18 are provided. Ordinary winning ports 19 and the like are provided at a plurality of 13 locations.

  On the other hand, a lower part on the front side of the pachinko machine 11 is provided with a ball tray 20 for storing pachinko balls (game balls), an operation handle 21 (operation means) for operating a moving position of a ball dropping device 27 described later, and the like. A ball launching device 22 that launches a pachinko ball supplied from the ball tray 20 is provided on the lower left side of the machine 11 (lower left side of the game area 13). The ball launcher 22 hits the pachinko ball from below with a hitting ball 23 to launch the pachinko ball almost vertically upward. Pachinko balls launched from the ball launching device 22 are supplied above the game area 13 through a guide passage 24 formed between the inner rail 14 and the outer rail 15. The ball launching device 22, the guide passage 24, and the like constitute a ball supply means.

  Next, a fall position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the fall position of the pachinko balls supplied above the game area 13 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the exit portion 24a of the guide passage 24 is formed to curve downward at the left end portion above the game area 13, and is discharged from the exit portion 24a to the exit portion 24a of the guide passage 24. A deceleration passage 25 for decelerating the pachinko ball is connected. Behind this deceleration passage 25, an inclined passage 26 extending in the left-right direction faces rightward so as to roll the pachinko ball supplied from the deceleration passage 25 from the left end side above the game area 13 toward the right end side. A ball dropping device 27 that is disposed so as to be inclined downward and drops a pachinko ball rolling on the inclined passage 26 to the game area is provided so as to be movable in the left-right direction along the inclined passage 26.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the deceleration passage 25 is formed to be curved so that the pachinko ball discharged from the outlet portion 24 a of the guide passage 24 flows down to the upstream portion of the inclined passage 26, and the outlet portion 24 a of the guide passage 24. The pachinko ball discharged from the vehicle is rapidly decelerated and the occurrence of a collision sound when the pachinko ball hits is prevented. The deceleration passage 25 is formed of a material (for example, resin, rubber, or the like) that hardly generates a pachinko ball collision sound.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a passage groove 28 is formed with a predetermined width dimension (a width dimension slightly smaller than the diameter of the pachinko sphere) at the center in the front-rear direction of the inclined passage 26. The pachinko ball rolls in the inclined passage 26 with the lower part of the pachinko ball fitted therein. In this case, the front upper end portion 26 a of the inclined passage 26 serves as a fall prevention portion that prevents the pachinko ball rolling on the inclined passage 26 from falling into the game area 13. The inclined passage 26 is disposed behind the front surface of the game board 12 and provides a space for the pachinko ball to fall in front of the inclined passage 26 (between the front surface of the game board 12 and the glass 29 disposed in front thereof). I try to secure it.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, the ball dropping device 27 is provided with a stopper 30 for receiving a pachinko ball that rolls on the inclined passage 26 so as to protrude above the inclined passage 26. By confirming the position, the moving position of the ball dropping device 27 in the left-right direction can be recognized. The stopper 30 is formed of an impact absorbing material (for example, urethane resin) that absorbs an impact when the pachinko ball hits, and reduces rebound when the pachinko ball hits the stopper 30.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the ball dropping device 27 is provided with a delivery cam 31 (feeding member) for feeding the pachinko ball received by the stopper 30 forward so as to be positioned in the passage groove 28 of the inclined passage 26. It has been. A motor 32 for driving the delivery cam 31 is disposed behind the delivery cam 31, and a rotary plate 33 that is rotationally driven by the motor 32 and the delivery cam 31 are connected via a link member 34. Yes. As shown in FIG. 4, the link member 34 is disposed so as to be able to swing in the vertical direction with the support shaft 35 at the right end as a fulcrum, and rotates in a connecting hole 36 formed in the center portion of the link member 34. A connecting shaft 37 fixed to the eccentric position of the plate 33 is inserted, and a connecting shaft 39 fixed to the lower portion of the delivery cam 31 is inserted into a connecting hole 38 formed in the left end portion of the link member 34. Yes.

  As a result, the rotational motion of the rotating plate 33 that is rotationally driven by the motor 32 is converted into the reciprocating motion in the vertical direction of the delivery cam 31 via the link member 34, as shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 4 (a). As shown in FIGS. 3 (b) and 4 (b), the delivery cam 31 protrudes above the inclined passage 26 so that the pachinko ball is moved forward. A sending operation for reciprocating between the sending position and the sending position is performed.

  The upper surface of the delivery cam 31 is formed in an inclined surface shape inclined downward toward the front so as to send the pachinko ball forward in a direction substantially perpendicular to the inclined passage 26, and the pachinko ball sent forward by the delivery cam 31. Is configured to fall substantially vertically downward toward the game area 13 after exceeding the front upper end portion 26a (falling prevention portion) of the inclined passage 26. Further, on the inner surface of the glass 29 disposed in front of the game board 12, a transparent or translucent impact absorbing sheet 40 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) is attached to the inclined passage 26 and a portion facing the periphery thereof. The impact absorbing sheet 40 is used to absorb the impact when the pachinko ball collides.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, on the back side of the game board 12, a drive pulley 42 that is rotated by a stepping motor 41 and a rotatable driven pulley 43 are arranged at a predetermined interval. A belt member 44 such as a wire, a chain, a belt, a cable rack (a rack that can be bent and deformed with a wire or the like as a core) is hung around the drive pulley 42 and the driven pulley 43. The ball dropping device 27 or a member fixed to the ball dropping device 27 slides in the left-right direction integrally with the lower portion of the belt member 44 on the lower portion of the belt member 44 spanned between the pulleys 42 and 43. It is connected to move.

  Accordingly, when the lower portion of the belt member 44 moves in the left-right direction as the driving pulley 42 is rotated by the rotation of the stepping motor 41, the driving force is transmitted to the ball dropping device 27, and the ball dropping device 27 is moved. Moves in the left-right direction along the inclined passage 26.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the operation handle 21 includes a touch sensor 45 that detects that a player has touched the operation handle 21, and a rotation sensor 46 that detects a rotation direction and a rotation amount of the operation handle 21. Is provided. Output signals of the touch sensor 45 and the rotation sensor 46 are input to the control circuit 47 of the pachinko machine 11. The control circuit 47 controls the ball launching device 22, the ball dropping device 27, and the stepping motor 41 based on output signals from the touch sensor 45 and the rotation sensor 46 as follows.

  When the touch circuit 45 detects that the player has touched the operation handle 21, the control circuit 47 causes the ball launching device 22 to be launched at a predetermined speed (for example, 100 times / minute) and with a constant launching force. . Accordingly, the pachinko balls are supplied one by one from the ball launching device 22 to the left end side above the game area 13 at a predetermined cycle (for example, at intervals of 0.6 s), and the pachinko balls are located above the game area 13 along the inclined passage 26. Roll from the left end to the right end.

  Further, when the touch circuit 45 detects that the player has touched the operation handle 21 (or after starting the launching operation of the ball launching device 22), the control circuit 47 controls the delivery cam 31 of the ball dropping device 27. The sending operation is performed at a predetermined speed (for example, 100 times / minute). As a result, the pachinko balls supplied to the ball dropping device 27 by rolling on the inclined passage 26 are dropped into the game area 13 one by one at a predetermined cycle (for example, at intervals of 0.6 s).

  When the rotation sensor 46 detects that the operation handle 21 has been rotated in the normal rotation direction (for example, counterclockwise in FIG. 1), the control circuit 47 controls the stepping motor 41 according to the rotation amount. The lower part of the belt member 44 is moved to the left by rotating in the forward rotation direction (for example, clockwise in FIG. 6). Thereby, the ball dropping device 27 is moved in the left direction along the inclined passage 26 in accordance with the rotation amount of the operation handle 21 in the forward rotation direction.

  On the other hand, when the rotation sensor 46 detects that the operation handle 21 is rotated in the reverse rotation direction (for example, clockwise direction in FIG. 1), the stepping motor 41 is rotated in the reverse rotation direction (for example, FIG. 6, the lower part of the belt member 44 is moved rightward. Accordingly, the ball dropping device 27 is moved in the right direction along the inclined passage 26 according to the rotation amount of the operation handle 21 in the reverse rotation direction.

  In this way, by operating the left and right movement position of the ball dropping device 27 with the operation handle 21, the pachinko ball rolling on the inclined passage 26 is sent forward by the ball dropping device 27 and falls from the inclined passage 26. By adjusting the position, the falling position of the pachinko ball in the left-right direction with respect to the game area 13 is adjusted.

  In place of the touch sensor 45, a game switch for starting / stopping the launching operation of the ball launching device 22 and the delivery operation of the ball dropping device 27 is provided on the operation handle 21 or other place (for example, the front panel of the pachinko machine 11). It is good also as a structure provided in. In this case, after operating the movement position of the ball dropping device 27 in the left-right direction with the operation handle 21, the launching operation of the ball launching device 22 and the sending operation of the ball dropping device 27 can be started with the game switch.

  In the first embodiment described above, since the moving position of the ball dropping device 27 operated by the operation handle 21 can be used as a guide for the falling position of the pachinko ball, the falling position of the pachinko ball can be predicted to some extent. The falling position can be easily adjusted to a desired aiming position, and waste balls can be reduced. Moreover, since the pachinko ball rolling on the inclined passage 26 is received by the ball dropping device 27 and dropped to the game area 13, the slant passage 26 rolls without causing a ball clogging, a false fall, or a ball rebounding. The pachinko ball to be moved can be reliably dropped to the game area 13 at the moving position of the ball dropping device 27, and the falling position of the pachinko ball can be adjusted with high accuracy.

  Further, since the ball dropping device 27 operates so as to drop the pachinko balls to the game area 13 at a predetermined cycle (for example, at intervals of 0.6 s), even when the ball dropping device 27 is moved, the pachinko balls are played. The time interval of falling into the region 13 can be adjusted to a predetermined interval, the player can be prevented from feeling uncomfortable, and the pachinko ball is shorter than a predetermined period (for example, 0.6 s interval). It is possible to prevent the game area 13 from falling. In addition, in a conventional general pachinko machine (a pachinko machine that adjusts the falling position of the pachinko ball by operating the launch force of the ball launcher), it is difficult to drop the pachinko ball (for example, the left edge of the game area) The pachinko ball can be easily dropped also in the game portion 13 and the like, and there is an advantage that a game area 13 having a new shape and board configuration (arrangement of the accessory, etc.) that is not available in the past can be realized.

  In the first embodiment, the slant passage 26 is provided with a fall prevention portion (front side upper end portion 26 a) that prevents the pachinko balls rolling on the slant passage 26 from falling onto the game area 13. In addition, there is provided a delivery cam 31 that sends out the pachinko balls one by one at a predetermined cycle so that the pachinko balls supplied to the ball dropping device 27 fall over the fall prevention portion (front upper end portion 26a) to the game area 13. Since it did in this way, it is prevented by the fall prevention part (front side upper end part 26a) that the pachinko ball which rolls in the inclination path | route 26 falls to the game area | region 13 in places other than the ball drop apparatus 27, and a ball drop apparatus. In the movement position of 27, the pachinko ball can be dropped to the game area 13 at a predetermined cycle one by one by a simple configuration in which the pachinko ball is lifted upward by the delivery cam 31. It is possible to improve the reliability of the location adjustment mechanism.

  Further, in the first embodiment, a ball launching device 22 is disposed below the game area 13, and a pachinko ball supplied from the ball tray 20 is launched from the ball launching device 22 so that the pachinko ball passes through the guide passage 24 and plays a game. Since it is supplied to the left end side above the area 13, it is not necessary to newly provide a device for lifting the pachinko ball in the ball tray 20 above the game area 13, and the cost can be reduced. Further, since it is only necessary to keep the launch force of the ball launching device 22 at a constant value, launch control is simpler than the method of adjusting the falling position of the pachinko ball by changing the launching force as in the conventional ball launching device. To lower the cost.

  Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to eliminate the variation in the firing intensity caused by the accuracy of the ball launching device, which is seen in the conventional ball launching device of the pachinko machine.

  Next, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. However, substantially the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description will be simplified. The parts different from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the inclined passage 48 is formed so as to be slightly downwardly inclined from the rear portion toward the front and the rear from the center portion in the front-rear direction, and at the front end portion of the inclined passage 48, A fall prevention wall 49 (fall prevention part) that prevents the pachinko ball rolling in the inclined passage 48 from falling into the game area 13 is arranged. As a result, the pachinko ball comes into contact with the fall prevention wall 49 at the front end of the inclined passage 48 and rolls.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the ball dropping device 50 is provided with a guide member 51 that guides a pachinko ball that rolls in the inclined passage 48 to the rear of the inclined passage 48. A standby chamber 52 for receiving the induced pachinko ball is provided behind the inclined passage 48. Further, a delivery cam 31 is disposed on the right side of the standby chamber 52 (that is, downstream of the inclined passage 48), and a pachinko ball rolls forward of the inclined passage 48 in front of the delivery cam 31. An inclined plate 53 inclined downward is disposed. As shown in FIG. 9, the bottom surface of the standby chamber 52 is disposed at the same height as or slightly below the inclined passage 48, and as shown in FIG. 10, the inclined plate 53 is more than the fall prevention wall 49. Is also arranged above.

  Then, the ball dropping device 50 receives the pachinko ball waiting in the waiting chamber 52 as the delivery cam 31 moves downward as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 10 and the delivery position as shown by the solid line in FIG. The cam 31 moves upward to perform a sending operation that reciprocates between the sending position where the pachinko ball is sent to the front inclined plate 53. The pachinko ball delivered to the inclined plate 53 by the delivery cam 31 rolls on the inclined plate 53 and passes over the inclined passage 48 and the fall prevention wall 49 and then falls substantially vertically downward toward the game area 13. It is like that.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, on the side wall of the standby chamber 52, a subsequent pachinko ball that has been prevented from entering the standby chamber 52 by the pachinko ball waiting in the standby chamber 52 is placed behind the inclined passage 48. A return port 54 (ball removing means) is provided to be dropped to the side, and a ball collection basket 55 for collecting pachinko balls dropped from the return port 54 is disposed along the inclined passage 48 below the rear side of the inclined passage 48. ing. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, a ball return passage 56 that allows the pachinko balls in the ball collection basket 55 to flow down to the ball tray 20 is connected to the downstream end of the ball collection basket 55.

  Thereby, for example, the time interval for the pachinko ball to reach the ball dropping device 50 by moving the ball dropping device 50 in the left direction (that is, the direction opposite to the rolling direction of the pachinko ball rolling in the inclined passage 48) is shortened. If the subsequent pachinko ball tries to enter the standby chamber 52 even though the pachinko ball is waiting in the standby chamber 52, such as when the delivery operation of the ball dropping device 50 is stopped, Subsequent pachinko balls hit the pachinko balls in the waiting chamber 52 and are prevented from entering the waiting chamber 52 and fall from the return port 54 to the ball collecting bowl 55, and the pachinko balls fall into the ball collecting bowl 55 and the ball return passage. 56 flows down and is returned to the ball tray 20.

  In the second embodiment described above, the subsequent pachinko balls that are blocked from entering the standby chamber 52 by the pachinko balls waiting in the standby chamber 52 are dropped from the return port 54 and then flow down the ball return passage 56. Since the extra pachinko balls other than the pachinko balls waiting in the standby chamber 52 are prevented from accumulating in the ball dropping device 50 or in the vicinity thereof, the extra pachinko balls are returned to the ball tray 20. Can be returned to the player side (for example, the ball tray 20) via the ball return passage 56.

  In the second embodiment, only one pachinko ball waits on the upstream side of the delivery cam 31. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and two or more pachinko balls wait on the upstream side of the delivery cam 31. It is good also as a structure.

  In each of the first and second embodiments, the ball dropping device 27 (or 50) is connected to a belt member spanned between a driving pulley and a driven pulley arranged at a predetermined interval to connect the ball dropping device 27 (or 50) is slid in the left-right direction, but the ball dropping device 27 (or 50) is connected to a drive pulley and a wire wound at both ends around a take-up roller arranged at a predetermined interval. The dropping device 27 (or 50) may be slid in the left-right direction. Further, the ball dropping device 27 (or 50) may be connected to a linear actuator such as a linear solenoid, a hydraulic cylinder, an air cylinder, or a linear motor to slide the ball dropping device 27 (or 50) in the left-right direction. .

  In each of the first and second embodiments, the entire inclined passage 26 (or 48) is arranged behind the front surface of the game board 12, but there is a space for the pachinko ball to fall in front of the inclined passage 26 (or 48). If it can be secured, the inclined passage 26 (or 48) may be arranged so that a part or the whole of the inclined passage 26 (or 48) protrudes forward from the front surface of the game board 12.

  In the first and second embodiments, the pachinko ball is supplied to the left end side above the game area 13 and the pachinko ball is rolled to the right end side by the inclined passage 26 (or 48). Conversely, a pachinko ball may be supplied to the right end side above the game area 13 and the pachinko ball may roll to the left end side through the inclined passage 26 (or 48). Furthermore, the inclined passage 26 (or 48) is not limited to a linear shape, and may be a curved shape (for example, a curved shape in which one end side is steeply inclined and the inclination becomes gentler toward the other end side).

  In the first and second embodiments, the pachinko machine 11 is configured to launch a pachinko ball substantially vertically upward from the ball launcher 22 disposed on one end of the pachinko machine 11. However, the present invention is not limited to this. A method of launching a pachinko ball obliquely upward from the ball launching device arranged at one end side toward the upper side of the other end side, or a method of launching a pachinko ball obliquely upward from a ball launching device arranged at the lower center of the pachinko machine 11 But it ’s okay.

  Further, the present invention is not limited to the configuration in which the pachinko ball in the ball tray 20 is supplied to the one end side above the game area 13 by the ball launching device 22. It is good also as a structure provided with the structure provided, and the apparatus which supplies the pachinko ball to the one end side above the game area 13 from the upper direction of the pachinko machine 11.

  Further, the ball dropping device 27 (or 50) may be configured such that the initial position is set to the right side and the ball dropping device 27 (or 50) is moved to the left side according to the operation of the operation handle 21, or the initial position is set to the left side. Then, the ball dropping device 27 (or 50) may be moved to the right according to the operation of the operation handle 21.

  Further, after the power of the pachinko machine 11 is turned on, a control for moving (returning) the ball dropping device 27 (or 50) to the initial position may be performed. Furthermore, when starting the game, after the movement of the ball dropping device 27 (or 50) is first stopped for a predetermined time, the ball launching device 22 may be controlled to start the launching operation.

  Further, the guide passage 24 is located behind the game area 13 (the surface of the game board 12) (for example, the rear face of the game board 12, a portion of the main body frame located behind the game area 13 on the side of the game board 12, You may make it provide in the inside of the game board 12, the mechanism board etc. which are arrange | positioned at the back side of the game board 12). Alternatively, the guide passage 24 may be located in front of the game area 13 (the surface of the game board 12) (for example, between the two glass panes of the glass door, inside the glass frame or the glass holding frame, or among the main body frames of the game board 12). It may be provided in a part located on the front side of the game area 13 on the side.

  Further, the ball dropping device is not limited to the structure described in each of the first and second embodiments, and may be appropriately changed as long as it can drop the game ball at a predetermined period. Further, the predetermined period for dropping the game ball may be a fixed value, but the predetermined period for dropping the game ball may be varied.

  The scope of application of the present invention is not limited to general pachinko machines, and the present invention may be applied to various gaming machines that drop gaming balls from above the gaming area, such as arranged pachinko machines.

It is a front view of the pachinko machine in Example 1 of the present invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the deceleration channel | path of Example 1, and its periphery. It is a figure for demonstrating delivery operation | movement of the ball | bowl drop apparatus of Example 1, (a) is a ball | bowl drop apparatus which shows the state which has a delivery cam in a retracted position, and the longitudinal cross-sectional view of the periphery, (b) is delivery. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the ball dropping device and its periphery showing a state where the cam is in the delivery position. It is a figure for demonstrating delivery operation | movement of the ball | bowl drop apparatus of Example 1, (a) is a front view of the drive mechanism of the delivery cam which shows the state which has a delivery cam in a retracted position, (b) is a delivery cam. It is a front view of the drive mechanism of the delivery cam which shows the state in a delivery position. It is a front view of a ball dropping device of Example 1, and its circumference. It is a front view of the moving mechanism of the ball dropping device of Example 1. It is a block diagram which shows electrical structures, such as a fall position adjustment mechanism. It is a cross-sectional view of the ball dropping device of Example 2 and its periphery. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG. It is a front view of the ball dropping device of Example 2 and its periphery.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Pachinko machine (game machine), 12 ... Game board, 13 ... Game area | region, 21 ... Operation handle (operation means), 22 ... Ball launching device (ball supply means), 24 ... Guide passage (ball supply means), 26 ... Inclined passage, 26a ... Front upper end (fall prevention part), 27 ... Ball drop device, 28 ... Passage groove, 30 ... Stopper, 31 ... Delivery cam (feed member), 32 ... Motor, 33 ... Rotating plate, 34 ... Link member, 48 ... inclined passage, 49 ... fall prevention wall (fall prevention part), 50 ... ball dropping device, 51 ... guide member, 52 ... standby room, 53 ... inclined plate, 54 ... return port (ball removing means), 55 ... Ball collection bowl, 56 ... Ball return passage

Claims (4)

In a ball supply structure of a gaming machine that drops a gaming ball from above the gaming area of the gaming machine and supplies the gaming ball into the gaming area,
Ball supply means for supplying the game ball to one end side above the game area;
An inclined passage disposed so as to incline so as to roll the game ball supplied from the one end side above the game area toward the other end side by the ball supply means;
A ball dropping device provided so as to be movable in the left-right direction along the inclined passage and dropping a game ball rolling on the inclined passage to the gaming area;
Operating means for operating the movement position in the left-right direction of the ball dropping device,
The ball dropping device operates to receive the game balls rolling on the inclined passages and drop the game balls one by one into the game area at a predetermined cycle. A gaming machine ball supply structure configured to adjust the falling position of the game ball by operating the movement position of the game machine. The inclined passage is provided with a fall prevention portion for preventing a game ball rolling on the inclined passage from falling to the gaming area,
In the ball dropping device, the game balls supplied to the ball dropping device are released from the fall prevention state by the fall prevention unit, and the game balls are sent out one by one at a predetermined cycle so as to fall into the game area. 2. A ball supply structure for a gaming machine according to claim 1, wherein a delivery member is provided.   Ball removal means for removing a subsequent game ball that has been prevented from entering the standby position by a game ball waiting at a predetermined standby position until it is dropped by the ball dropping device from the inclined passage. The ball supply structure for a gaming machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.   The ball supply means includes a ball launching device disposed below the game area, and a guide passage for guiding the game ball launched from the ball launching device to one end above the game area. A ball supply structure for a gaming machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Images