JP4764434B2 - Island equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a ball storage tank of a game ball circulation mechanism in a game machine installation island (sometimes referred to as an installation island, a game island, or an island) of a game hall where a plurality of game machines (for example, pachinko machines, etc.) are installed. .

  A conventional game ball circulation mechanism in a game store uses a lifting device to lift a ball stored in a lower tank to the upper tank, and the lifted ball (lifted ball) passes through a replenishment rod connected to the upper tank. When supplied to the pachinko machine and the replenishment basket is full, the lifted ball flows into the overflow basket as an overflow ball, and the discharge ball and overflow ball from the pachinko machine flow down to the lower tank and are stored. As disclosed in Patent Document 1, the lower tank has a support arm 32 bridged between both side walls, a distribution rod 31 is disposed on the support arm 32, and a ball is placed in the lower tank by the distribution rod 31. Evenly stored.

JP 2002-355434 A

By the way, the conventional lower tank may cause a situation in which the ball flowing down the distribution basket 31 collides with the support arm 32 and the support arm 32 is damaged.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a sphere storage tank that can prevent breakage of a support member that supports a basket for uniformly storing spheres in the tank.

The sphere storage tank according to claim 1 of the present application is a sphere storage tank formed of a rectangular concave chamber that opens upward.
The concave chamber is
A plurality of erection members that are suspended on both side walls erected along the longitudinal direction of the concave chamber and spaced upward from the bottom of the concave chamber;
An inclined plate placed on the plurality of erection members and having an upper surface inclined along the longitudinal direction;
One side covering member and the other side covering member respectively covering both side walls of the erection member;
A ball quantity sensor that is provided on one side wall of the both side walls and detects a storage level of the sphere in order to control a restricting member that restricts the inflow of the sphere from the upper opening;
Arranging the inclined plate so as to be sandwiched between the inner ends of the one side covering member and the other side covering member,
The ball quantity sensor is disposed at a position lower than the inclined plate,
The one side covering member and the other side covering member can change the distance from the both side walls of the inclined plate by changing the length of the concave chamber in the short direction.

Moreover, as a preferable aspect of the present invention, for example, as described in claim 2, the erection member is configured by a rod-shaped member that is inserted through a through hole formed in each of the both side walls,
The one side covering member and the other side covering member may be inserted into the rod-shaped member in a loosely fitted state.

According to the sphere storage tank according to claim 1 of the present application, the inclined plate functions as a cage for uniformly storing the spheres in the tank, and the erection member functions as a support member for supporting the cage. And since both the side wall sides of a construction member are each coat | covered with the one side coating member and the other side coating member, it can prevent effectively that a construction member is damaged by the ball | bowl which flows down an inclination board. In addition, since the inclined plate is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the inner end portions of the one side covering member and the other side covering member, the inclined plate can be positioned so as to be separated from both side walls, and from each of the gaps on both sides of the inclined plate. The sphere can be dropped and the storage state of the sphere storage tank can be made appropriate.
In addition, it is difficult to change the mounting position of the ball quantity sensor in a state where the sphere is stored in the sphere storage tank, but the sphere can be changed by changing the length in the short direction of the one side covering member and the other side covering member The maximum storage amount of the storage tank can be adjusted without changing the mounting position of the ball sensor. It should be noted that adjustment of the maximum storage amount is necessary depending on the ball possession amount of the amusement store. Also, when one side covering member is made shorter than the other side covering member (the inclined plate is moved closer to the ball sensor), the other side covering member is made shorter than the one side covering member (the inclined plate is moved away from the ball amount sensor). Is smaller in the amount of balls stored (maximum storage amount) before being detected by the ball sensor.

  Further, according to the ball storage tank of claim 2, the erection member is constituted by a rod-shaped member that is inserted into a through-hole formed in each of the both side walls, and the one-side covering member and the other Since the side covering member is inserted into the rod-like member in a loosely fitted state, it is easy to change the lengths of the one side covering member and the other side covering member in the short direction.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
A. Schematic Configuration of Entire Game Facility Equipment First, a schematic configuration of the entire game facility is described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view for explaining the entire equipment of the game hall. FIG. 2 is a front view showing an internal structure of a gaming island 10b described later. 1 and 2 show a state where a board and a gaming machine covering the front of the island are removed.
The equipment of this example is configured by installing a plurality of groups of a plurality of islands. As shown in FIG. 1, three islands 10 a, 10 b, and 10 c are installed in parallel to form a group 1. Next to this group 1, another group (not shown) of the same island arrangement or a different island arrangement is arranged, and the movement (exchange) of game balls between the groups is performed. For example, a group having the same configuration as that of group 1 is arranged adjacent to each other, and exchange is performed via islands located at the ends (in the group 1, for example, island 10c).
In this case, the island 10a is a wall island installed along the wall of the game hall, and the ball storage tank 200 that is not on the other islands 10b and 10c is on the back side (side facing the wall of the game hall). It is a parent island. On the other hand, the other islands 10b and 10c are child islands that have a much smaller amount of spheres than the parent island because there is no sphere storage tank 200.

In each gaming island, gaming machines (not shown) such as pachinko machines in which a game is played using gaming balls are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction. In this case, on the parent island 10a which is a wall island, a plurality of gaming machines are installed side by side on the front side (opposite to the wall of the game hall). In addition, on the other islands 10b and 10c, a plurality of gaming machines are installed side by side on both the front side and the back side. A counter 12 (only the mounting table 12a on which the counter 12 is placed is shown in FIG. 1) is installed at one end or both ends of a specific game island (for example, the central island 10b in the case of FIG. 1). . The counter 12 is a well-known machine that accepts paid out game balls (that is, prize balls), counts the quantity thereof, records the quantity information, etc. on a predetermined medium (receipt, card, etc.) and outputs it. The game balls received from the counters 12 are directly collected in the game island where the counters 12 are installed.
Needless to say, the arrangement and number of game islands, the arrangement of counters, and the like are not limited to those described above.

An upper tank 13 is provided on the upper side of the center of each game island, and the transported internal game balls are temporarily stored for intra-island circulation or inter-island circulation. It consists of a tank 13a and an upper auxiliary tank 13b. Among these, the islands 16 and 17 which connect between adjacent game islands are connected to the upper auxiliary tank 13b.
Here, the islands 16 and 17 are provided so as to be inclined obliquely downward in the direction in which the game balls flow down, and by flowing down the game balls by their own weight, It should be moved to other islands in the group or other groups.
Reference numerals 14 and 15 in FIG. 2 indicate connection ports of the island ridges in the upper auxiliary tank 13b, and reference numeral 14 indicates a connection port of the island ridges 17 from the other island (island 10c) to the own island (island 10b). Reference numeral 15 indicates a connection port of the island-to-island 16 heading from the own island (island 10b) to another island (island 10c).

An upper shutter 14a (shown in FIG. 3) for opening and closing the entrance is provided at the game ball entrance (the connection port 14 in FIG. 2) on the inclined lower end side of the island in the upper tank 13. The upper shutter 14a corresponds to the limiting member of the present invention.
Each island is provided with an island control device (not shown), and the devices in each island including the upper shutter 14a are controlled by these island control devices. The island control devices of each island are connected to each other.
Details of the upper tank 13 will be described later.

B. Next, the configuration of each game island and the outline of the flow of game balls will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIGS. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the lower tank 31 and the ball storage tank 200 of the island 10a. 6 and 7 are perspective views for explaining the flow path of the game ball from the lower tank 31 toward the ball lifting device 33. FIG. Here, FIG. 6 shows a state where a plate-like member 61a and the like which will be described later are removed, and FIG. 7 shows a state where an inclined plate 78 and an oblique partition plate 79 which will be described later are further removed.
The island 10a (parent island) is different from the other islands 10b and 10c in that the game ball that has the ball storage tank 200 and flows down from the upper tank 13 first flows down to the ball storage tank 200. The presence or absence of the counter 12 also varies depending on the island. However, the configuration of each island is the same for other configurations.

As shown in FIG. 2, in addition to the upper tank 13 described above, each gaming island has a lower tank 31 that is disposed relatively lower in the island and stores gaming balls, and the longitudinal direction of the island (the left and right sides where the gaming machines are lined up) Direction), a ball lifting device 33 disposed below each gaming machine so as to extend to both sides around the ball lifting device 33, and the upper tank 13 Connected to both lower sides of the upper tank 13 for supplying the game balls of the upper tank 13 to the respective gaming machines, and a descending flow path 36 for causing the game balls in the upper tank 13 to flow down toward the lower tank 31 in the own island. And a lower shutter 37 provided at the bottom of the lower tank 31 and in the vicinity of the ball lifting device 33 (on the downstream side of the game ball collecting basket 34).
The parent island 10a is provided with a descending passage 38 (shown in FIGS. 1 and 5) for causing the game balls flowing down from the upper tank 13 to flow into the ball storage tank 200 instead of the descending passage 36. . In addition, the game ball moving path (each kite and flow path) other than the lifting path by the ball lifting device 33 is such that the game ball moves by its own weight. Further, the above-described upper tank 13, lower tank 31, ball lifting device 33, ball storage tank 200 (only for the parent island), the descending flow path, and the like constitute a game ball circulation mechanism of each island. In addition, the game ball collection basket 34 constitutes the bottom of the lower tank 31.

Here, the lower tank 31 is a tank that uses an empty space above the game ball collection basket 34 as its installation space. The lower tank 31 (hereinafter simply referred to as the tank 31 in some cases), the game ball collecting basket 34, and the lower shutter 37 are provided one on each of the left and right sides of the ball lifting device 33.
In this example, the descending flow path 36 is a tubular flow path that extends downward by being connected to the upper main tank 13a. A game ball that has flowed in from other islands via an island or an overflowed game ball (details) (To be described later) flows down toward the left and right lower tanks 31. In FIG. 2, since the illustration of the descending flow path 36 is simplified, it appears that the descending flow path 36 is connected to the upper auxiliary tank 13 b, but in this example, actually, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Is connected to the upper main tank 13a. The lower end of the descending flow path 36 is disposed toward the starting end (ball dropping portion) of the leveling rod 61 described later, and the sphere from the upper tank 13 is dropped onto the ball dropping portion of the leveling rod 61. As shown in FIG. 5, in the case of the parent island 10a, a discharge basket 210 of a ball storage tank 200, which will be described later, is arranged toward the ball dropping part, and the ball storage tank is placed in the ball dropping part of the leveling basket 61. The ball from 200 falls.

  The lower shutter 37 is controlled by the island control device. For example, when the sphere storage amount of the own island (the sphere storage amount in the lower tank 31) is small, the lower shutter 37 is directed from the lower tank 31 to the entrance of the ball lifting device 33. This is for shutting off the flow path of game balls and stopping the supply of game balls to other islands. Thus, there is an advantage that the load of the ball lifting device 33 is reduced by appropriately stopping the inflow of the game ball to the entrance of the ball lifting device 33.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lower tank 31 is provided with a leveling rod 61 and an inclined rod 81 for bypass.
The leveling kit 61 is a kite made of a band plate-like member arranged so as to partially cover the upper surface side of the game ball collection basket 34 above the game ball collection basket 34 (that is, above the lower tank 31). As shown in FIG. 5, the center of the wake side (island end side) is cut into a rectangular shape, so that inclined ridges 65 projecting from the side walls of the lower tank 31 in the wake side portion, 66 (portion where the game ball rolls toward the island end along the side wall of the lower tank 31). The leveling rods 61 are provided on both sides of the ball lifting device 33 so as to extend from the position in the vicinity of the ball lifting device 33 toward the island end, and are inclined in the opposite direction to the game ball collecting cage 34. ing. That is, the game ball collecting basket 34 is inclined upward from the center side of the island (in the vicinity of the ball lifting device 33) toward the island edge, whereas the leveling basket 61 is moved from the center of the island to the island. It is inclined downward toward the end (see FIG. 2). For this reason, the game ball on the leveling basket 61 flows basically from the center of the island toward the island edge, contrary to the game ball collection basket 34. Then, the game ball that has flowed on the leveling rod 61 (the inclined protrusions 65 and 66) to its end flows down to the starting end position of the game ball collection rod 34, and this time, as long as the game ball is not full, It is configured to flow on the bottom side of the game ball collection basket 34 toward the center of the island.

In addition, a lower end opening of the descending flow path 36 is disposed at a position slightly above the starting end portion of the leveling rod 61, and a starting end portion of the leveling rod 61 (a portion where the lower end opening of the descending flow channel 36 faces). However, it is a ball dropping part where game balls from the descending flow path 36 fall. The game ball that has fallen to the ball dropping portion is configured to flow to either one of the leveling pots 61 arranged on the left and right of the island.
Further, a part of the leveling rod 61 (a portion between the start ends of the inclined protrusions 65 and 66) is constituted by a rectangular plate member 61a shown in FIG. 6 and 7 show a state in which, in addition to the plate-like member 61a, the inclined protrusion 66 on one side and the side wall in front of the lower tank 31 are removed.

  The inclined rod 81 is provided at the center position in the front-rear direction in the lower tank 31. The inclined rod 81 is formed between the inclined protrusions 65 and 66 described above with a predetermined distance from the protruding end of each inclined protrusion, and the bottom of the inclined rod 81 is on the ball lifting device side (that is, the game ball collecting rod). 34 in the same direction). The upper surface of the inclined rod 81 is open. The end of the inclined rod 81 is connected to an upper opening 72 (shown in FIG. 6) formed in the upper portion of the end wall 70 shown in FIGS. In addition, an out ball collection box (not shown) for counting and discharging game balls discharged from each gaming machine is configured to allow the game balls to flow down between the inclined protrusions 65 and 66 and the inclined rod 81. It has become. Thereby, in a state where the amount of game balls stored in the lower tank 31 is small and the game balls are not piled up in the lower tank 31, most of the game balls flowing down from the leveling basket 61 and each out-ball collection box are The ball falls on the game ball collecting bowl 34 (outside the inclined bowl 81) and is located at the bottom via a main flow path mainly passing through a bottom opening 71 (shown in FIG. 7) formed in the bottom of the end wall 70. It flows to the entrance of the ball lifting device 33 in order from the game ball. However, when the amount of game balls stored in the lower tank 31 increases and the game balls are piled up so that the game balls are piled up at a height near the leveling bowl 61, the game balls that have fallen to the ball drop part Most of the game balls dropped from each out-ball collection box are guided by the piled balls and flow into the inclined rod 81, and the bypass channel (the main channel is connected to the upper channel 72) through the inclined rod 81 and the upper opening 72. It is configured to flow in a short circuit to the inlet of the ball lifting device 33 via a detouring flow path).

  In addition, the flow path of the game ball from the lower tank 31 to the ball lifting device 33 is configured as shown in FIGS. That is, the partition wall 73 is substantially parallel to the end wall 70 (that is, in the vertical direction) below the leveling rod 61 and closer to the ball lifting device 33 than the end wall 70 described above. Is provided. Between the partition wall 73 and the end wall 70, a merge space 74 is formed in which game balls from the lower tank 31 are merged. The merge space 74 is located below the plate-like member 61a (shown in FIG. 5). A groove channel 75 having a depth corresponding to one game ball (that is, a depth corresponding to the height of one game ball) is formed at the bottom of the merge space 74. As shown in FIG. 7, the groove channel 75 is formed from the aforementioned bottom opening 71 to the introduction opening 76 to the ball lifting device 33 formed at the bottom of the partition wall 73. The bottom opening 71 has a height corresponding to one game ball, and only one game ball passes through in the height direction. For this reason, the group of game balls flowing out from the bottom opening 71 flows to the introduction opening 76 through the groove channel 75 as indicated by the arrow in FIG. go. The introduction opening 76 is provided with the lower shutter 37 described above. That is, the lower shutter 37 opens and closes the introduction opening 76. However, the lower shutter 37 is such that the opening / closing body protrudes in the vertical direction from the bottom of the introduction opening 76, and even when the opening / closing body protrudes upward (shown in FIG. 6), the protrusion height of the opening / closing body is low. The height is one game ball. For this reason, even if the lower shutter 37 is controlled to be in the closed state, it only stops the gaming ball having a height corresponding to one line flowing through the main flow path and flowing from the groove flow path 75 described above. When the lower shutter 37 is in the open state (shown in FIG. 7), all the game balls that can flow down from the introduction opening 76 are allowed to flow down. Unlike the bottom opening 71, the introduction opening 76 has a height corresponding to a plurality of game balls.

Further, on the side below the leveling rod 61 and closer to the ball lifting device 33 than the partition wall 73, there is provided a lifting introduction rod 77 for flowing the game ball toward the entrance of the ball lifting device 33. ing. The lifting introduction rod 77 is connected to the introduction opening 76 described above, and the game ball flowing down from the introduction opening 76 flows toward the entrance of the ball lifting device 33.
In the merge space 74, as shown in FIG. 6, an inclined plate 78 and an oblique partition plate 79 are provided. The inclined plate 78 and the oblique partition plate 79 are members for causing the game balls flowing down from the upper opening 72 to join from above the one game ball flowing down the groove flow path 75. First, the inclined plate 78 is disposed below the upper opening 72 so as to cover the upstream side of the groove channel 75, and is attached so that the upper surface is inclined downward toward the downstream side (the ball lifting device 33 side). It is a shaped member. In addition, the diagonal partition plate 79 is erected so as to extend upward from the upper surface of the inclined plate 78, and the end wall as viewed from the upper surface so that the game ball flowing down from the upper opening 72 flows toward the front side of the groove channel 75. It is a plate-like member disposed obliquely from the front side to the front side. For this reason, the game ball flowing down from the upper opening 72 first flows down on the upper surface of the inclined plate 78 along the diagonal partition plate 79 as shown by an arrow in FIG. And then flows down onto a single game ball of the groove channel 75.
Therefore, the game ball that has flowed down from the lower tank 31 via the bypass flow path described above is the upper part of the game ball that is stopped by the lower shutter 37 even when the lower shutter 37 is closed. It is configured to flow over to the lifting introduction rod 77 and to be sent to the ball lifting device 33. As a result, even in the above-described multisphere storage state in which the amount of balls stored in the lower tank 31 is large, game balls (especially game balls discharged from each game machine) that flow down to the lower tank 31 are sent to the ball lifting device 33. The advantage is that the ball can be polished quickly.

The game ball is generally configured to circulate in the island as follows.
In other words, the game balls from the upper tank 13 and the game balls discharged from each gaming machine (out balls, etc.) are the above-described descending passage 36 (in the case of the parent island 10a, the descending passage 38 and the ball storage tank 200). ) And the out ball collection box, first, as described above by the game ball collection basket 34 (or the above-mentioned equalizing basket 61 and the inclined basket 81) provided at the lower part of the island (below each gaming machine). And is collected at a position near the bottom of the center of the island via a lifting introduction rod 77 (shown in FIG. 6) opened and closed by the lower shutter 37. An entrance on the lower end side of the ball lifting device 33 is disposed at this position, and the game balls collected at this position enter the ball lifting device 33 in an orderly manner by an alignment device (not shown). It is lifted while being polished by the device 33, and discharged from the upper end side outlet 33a (shown in FIG. 3) of the ball lifting device 33 to the upper portion of the upper main tank 13a in the upper tank 13.

Note that the game ball received by the counter 12 is also from the discharge port (not shown) protruding from the back side of the counter 12 (inside the side wall of the island). ) And is collected in the same manner as the game balls discharged from the gaming machine and sent to the ball lifting device 33.
Next, the game balls discharged from the ball lifting device 33 to the upper part of the upper main tank 13a are supplied with priority in the order of the island cage, the game ball supply cage 35, and the descending channel 36 (or descending channel 38). Is done. That is, it is first supplied to an island fence that sends a ball to another island. When the entrance of this island fence is full of game balls, it is supplied to the game ball supply bowl 35, and the entrance of the game ball supply bowl 35 is supplied by a game ball. When it is full, it is supplied to the descending channel 36 (or descending channel 38) (details will be described later).

  The game balls that have flowed into the game ball supply cage 35 are supplied to each game machine by the game ball supply cage 35 provided in an inclined state in the left-right direction at the upper part of the island (upper side of each game machine). The game ball replenishment rod 35 is provided with a game ball distributor (not shown) called a chute at a plurality of locations corresponding to each game machine, and a game machine or game that needs to be appropriately replenished by the operation of this distributor. The game balls are replenished from the game ball replenishment cage 35 to the ball lending machine attached to the machine.

In addition, a game ball (a game ball supplied from another island) that has flowed in from the islands flows down into the descending flow path 36 in the lower tank 31 in a normal state (a closed state of an opening 130 in FIG. 4 described later). (In the case of the parent island 10a, it is supplied to the ball storage tank 200 via the descending flow path 38). However, in the open state in which the flow path switching member 131 described later opens the opening 130, the game balls that have flowed in from the islands flow into the game ball replenishment rod 35 and are supplied to each game machine and ball lending machine. (Details will be described later).
In addition, when the above-described upper shutter 14a is closed, the inflow of game balls from this island is stopped. The island control device described above closes the upper shutter 14a when, for example, the amount of game balls stored on its own island is larger than that of other islands. In particular, in the case of the parent island 10a including the ball storage tank 200, the upper shutter 14a is closed based on detection of game balls by ball quantity sensors 251 and 252 described later provided in the ball storage tank 200.

  Although the detailed description with reference numerals is omitted, the ball lifting device 33 includes, for example, a conveyor belt that is arranged in the up-down direction and circulates, and a polishing cloth that is disposed to face one side of the conveyor belt. A guide member disposed in a state in which a semicircular cross-sectional groove corresponding to the outer diameter of the game ball is formed in the vertical direction and holding the back side of the polishing cloth, and a drive of a motor or the like that drives the conveyor belt And a mechanism for rolling the game balls up in an orderly manner while rolling the game balls in an aligned state with the game balls sandwiched between the conveyor belt and the polishing cloth. It is. The ball lifting device 33 is basically driven at all times.

C. Configuration of Upper Tank Next, the configuration of the upper tank 13 will be described with reference to FIGS.
Here, FIGS. 3 to 4 are views showing the upper tank 13. FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the upper tank 13 with a part of the outer wall removed. FIG. 4 is a back side perspective view showing a state in which a later-described standing wall 128 and the like are removed in addition to a part of the outer wall.

As described above, the upper tank 13 includes the upper main tank 13a and the upper auxiliary tank 13b. The upper auxiliary tank 13b is provided adjacent to the right side of the upper main tank 13a when viewed from the front shown in FIG. 2 (left side when viewed from the back of FIGS. 3 and 4). Both the upper main tank 13a and the upper auxiliary tank 13b have a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole.
As shown in FIG. 3, the upper main tank 13 a includes a front plate portion 101, a back plate portion 102, a top plate portion 103, an inner plate portion 104, and an outer plate portion 105 as plate-like portions constituting the outer wall. The upper auxiliary tank 13b includes a front plate portion 106, a back plate portion 107, a top plate portion 108, and an outer plate portion 109 as plate-like portions constituting the outer wall. Here, the top plate portion 103 and the top plate portion 108 are horizontal plate-like portions, and are arranged on the upper surfaces of the tanks 13a and 13b. Further, the front plate portion 101 and the front plate portion 106, and the back plate portion 102 and the back plate portion 107 are plate-like portions arranged in the vertical direction on the front and back surfaces of the tanks 13a and 13b, respectively. Moreover, the inner side board part 104, the outer side board part 105, and the outer side board part 109 are plate-shaped parts arrange | positioned at the vertical direction on the side surface of each tank 13a, 13b.
The inner plate portion 104 of the upper main tank 13a also functions as the inner plate portion of the upper auxiliary tank 13b. In other words, the inner plate portion 104 partitions the upper main tank 13a and the upper auxiliary tank 13b adjacent to each other on the left and right.

Moreover, the opening which comprises the connection ports 14 and 15 of the above-mentioned island gap is formed in the front board part 106. FIG. In the case of the island 10b, since islands are connected to the front and rear sides of the upper auxiliary tank 13b, the back plate portion 107 has openings similar to the connection ports 14 and 15. Further, in the case of the island 10c in FIG. 1, since the island gap is connected only to the back surface side of the upper auxiliary tank 13b, the opening similar to the connection ports 14 and 15 is formed only in the back plate portion 107. This opening on the back plate 107 side is not shown in FIGS.
In addition, a notch 110 is formed in the upper end portion of the front plate portion 101 at a position corresponding to the outlet 33 a on the upper end side of the ball lifting device 33, and the game ball discharged from the outlet 33 a of the ball lifting device 33. First, the notch 110 flows into the upper portion of the upper main tank 13a. Also, reference numerals 111 and 112 in FIG. 3 are replenishment rod connection openings formed in the lower portions of the outer plate 105 and the inner plate 104, respectively. In FIG. 2, the start end of the left game ball supply rod 35 is connected to a supply rod connection opening 111 formed in the outer plate portion 105, and the start end of the right game ball supply rod 35 is formed in the inner plate portion 104. Connected to the replenishment rod connection opening 112.

3 and 4, a switch-type ball detection sensor 113 is installed on the upper left side of the upper main tank 13a in the upper main tank 13a (position adjacent to the notch 110). The detection signal from the ball detection sensor 113 is turned on when the game ball is filled up to the vicinity of the upper end in the upper main tank 13a. Then, when the detection signal of the sphere detection sensor 113 is turned on, the island control device closes the lower shutter 37.
Next, as shown in FIG. 3 and the like, a first shelf 114 is provided in the upper part of the upper main tank 13a. The first shelf 114 is a plate-like part installed in a slightly inclined state with respect to the horizontal so as to partition the upper end in the upper main tank 13a and the lower part thereof. The first shelf 114 is inclined downward toward the left side when viewed from the back surface shown in FIG. Further, in FIG. 3 and the like, a notch 115 is provided at the left rear corner of the first shelf 114 to allow communication between the upper and lower sides of the first shelf 114. In the upper main tank 13 a, the space above the first shelf 114 and the space below the first shelf 114 are communicated only by this notch 115.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3 and the like, a second shelf 116 is provided in the upper part of the upper auxiliary tank 13b. This second shelf board 116 is installed in a state slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal so as to partition the upper end of the upper auxiliary tank 13b (the space communicating with the above-mentioned connecting port 15 of the island fence) and the lower part thereof. It is the plate-shaped part made. The second shelf 116 is inclined downward in the direction toward the connection port 15 in FIG.
In addition, the upper part of the inner side plate part 104 communicates with the inside of the adjacent upper main tank 13a (upper side of the first shelf part 114) and the upper auxiliary tank 13b (upper side of the second shelf part 116). A mouth 117 is formed.
With the configuration as described above, the game ball that has been lifted by the ball lifting device 33 and discharged from the outlet 33a first flows down from the above-described notch 110 onto the first shelf 114, and is indicated by an arrow in FIG. It flows as shown. That is, the game balls that have flowed down on the first shelf 114 are given an initial speed toward the front side (rear side) when discharged from the outlet 33a, so that the game balls are played on the second shelf 116. If the ball is not full, it basically flows on the second shelf 116 via the communication port 117 and is supplied to other islands via the connection port 15 between the islands. And if it is in the state where the game ball is full on the 2nd shelf board part 116, it will fall below rather than the 1st shelf board part 114 in the upper main tank 13a via the notch 115. FIG.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4, a third shelf 118 is provided below the first shelf 114 in the upper main tank 13a. The third shelf 118 is formed so as to protrude rearward from the front plate 101, and a standing wall 118a is formed so as to protrude upward at a right angle on the protruding end edge. The third shelf 118 extends from the position of the inner plate 104 (a position below the notch 115) toward the outer plate 105, one end is joined to the inner plate 104, and the other is outer. It extends to a position where a predetermined gap 119 (shown in FIG. 4) is formed with the plate portion 105. The third shelf 118 is inclined downward in the direction from the inner plate 104 to the outer plate 105.
With the above configuration, the game ball dropped from the above-described notch 115 falls onto the third shelf 118, and as shown by the arrow in FIG. While being prevented from flowing down, the air flows on the third shelf 118 toward the outer plate 105 and falls downward from the gap 119 described above.

Next, a fourth shelf 120 is provided below the gap 119 in the upper main tank 13a. The fourth shelf 120 is formed so as to protrude inward from the outer plate 105, and a standing wall 121 is formed to extend vertically at a protruding end edge. The fourth shelf 120 is extended to a position where one end is joined to the front plate 101 and the other is joined to the back plate 102. Of the fourth shelf 120, a relatively short portion on the back plate portion 102 side constitutes a downstream portion 120b, and a relatively long portion on the front plate portion 101 side constitutes an upstream portion 120a. The upstream portion 120a is inclined downward toward the back side (that is, in the direction toward the back plate portion 102), and the downstream portion 120b is inclined downward toward the inside (that is, in the direction toward the inner plate portion 104). is doing. Further, the above-mentioned standing wall 121 is provided only at the position of the upstream portion 120a, and is not provided at the protruding end of the downstream portion 120b.
With the above configuration, the game ball that has fallen from the gap 119 falls onto the fourth shelf 120, and the upstream portion 120a of the fourth shelf 120 is on the back side as shown by the arrow in FIG. After flowing inward, the air flows in the downstream portion 120b of the fourth shelf 120, and falls from the protruding edge of the downstream portion 120b.

Next, a fifth shelf 122 is provided at the bottom of the upper main tank 13a. The fifth shelf board portion 122 is a plate-like portion installed substantially horizontally so as to close the lower end in the upper main tank 13a. The upper surface of the fifth shelf plate portion 122 has a mountain shape, and the approximate center position in the left-right direction is the highest position, and is inclined downward from the highest position in the left-right direction. That is, the plate portion 122a on the outer plate portion 105 side in the fifth shelf plate portion 122 is inclined downward toward the outer plate portion 105, and the plate portion on the inner plate portion 104 side in the fifth shelf plate portion 122. 122b is inclined downward toward the inner plate 104.
Then, as shown in FIG. 4, a rectangular drop opening 123 is formed at a position where the highest position of the fifth shelf 122 is centered in the left-right direction. This drop opening 123 is connected to the upper end of the cylindrical member constituting the descending flow path 36. The opening 123 for dropping is substantially joined to the inner surface of the front plate portion 101 in the front-rear direction, but a predetermined distance corresponding to the downstream portion 120b is formed between the opening 123 and the inner surface of the back plate portion 102. It is arranged at the position.

Of the four sides constituting the inner periphery of the opening 123 for dropping, the above-mentioned standing wall 121 extends upward from the side on the outer plate 105 side, and the standing wall from the side on the inner plate 104 side. 126 extends upward, and an upright wall 127 having a slight height is provided so as to protrude upward from the side on the back plate portion 102 side. In addition, the standing wall 127 is provided in a state where a standing wall 128 described later is joined. Thereby, the periphery of the opening 123 for dropping is surrounded by the front plate portion 101, the standing wall 121, the standing wall 128 (and the standing wall 127), and the standing wall 126, and the game balls on the fifth shelf plate portion 122 are The structure does not directly flow into the opening 123 for dropping.
Further, the replenishment rod connection opening 111 and the replenishment rod connection opening 112 described above are provided at positions corresponding to the left and right ends of the fifth shelf 122.
With the above configuration, the game balls that have dropped from the protruding edge of the downstream portion 120b of the fourth shelf 120 have the above-described predetermined interval in the fifth shelf 122, as indicated by arrows in FIG. It falls to the part, flows down to the left or right depending on the inclination of the upper surface of the fifth shelf 122, and is supplied to the gaming machine or the ball lending machine via the supply hook connection opening 111 or the supply hook connection opening 112. .
Note that the upper end of the standing wall 126 is approximately the same height as the fourth shelf 120, and is set at a position significantly lower than the upper end of the standing wall 121.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4, a sixth shelf 129 that extends to the inner surface of the inner plate 104 is formed from the upper end of the above-mentioned standing wall 126 in the upper main tank 13 a. The sixth shelf 129 is actually divided into two on the upright wall 126 side and the inner side plate 104 side by an opening 130 described later, but is described as an integral one for convenience of explanation. The front end of the sixth shelf 129 (the back end in FIG. 4) is joined to the inner surface of the front plate 101 in the same manner as the standing wall 126, but the rear end of the sixth shelf 129 ( The front end in FIG. 4 is separated from the inner surface of the back plate portion 102 by the above-described predetermined interval, similarly to the standing wall 126.

  The sixth shelf 129 is inclined downward in the direction from the inner plate 104 to the outer plate 105. A rectangular opening 130 for dividing the sixth shelf 129 is formed in the middle of the sixth shelf 129, and the flow path switching member 131 is detachably attached in the opening 130. Yes. Here, the flow path switching member 131 has a shape and size that fits within the opening 130, and the upper surface thereof is formed substantially flush with the upper surface of the sixth shelf 129, and the upstream edge and the downstream edge of the opening 130. Can be converted into a closed state in which the opening 130 is closed and an open state in which the opening 130 is opened. In this case, the flow path switching member 131 can be slid by human power as described above, extracted from the opening (not shown) formed in the front plate portion 101 to the front side, and removed to be in the open state. Yes.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4 and the like, a seventh shelf board portion 134 is provided in the lower portion of the upper auxiliary tank 13b. The seventh shelf board part 134 is installed in a state slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal so as to partition the lower part in the upper auxiliary tank 13b (the space communicating with the connection port 14 of the above-mentioned island fence) and the outer side below it. It is the plate-shaped part made. The seventh shelf board portion 134 is inclined downward in the direction from the outer plate portion 109 toward the inner plate portion 104.
In addition, the lower part of the inner side plate part 104 is connected to allow communication in the adjacent upper main tank 13a (upper side of the sixth shelf 129) and upper auxiliary tank 13b (upper side of the seventh shelf 134). A mouth 135 is formed.
With the configuration as described above, game balls (game balls supplied from other islands) flowing in from the connection port 14 between the islands first flow down onto the seventh shelf board part 134, as shown by arrows in FIG. Flowing. That is, when the opening 130 is closed by the flow path switching member 131, the game ball that has flowed down on the seventh shelf portion 134 is connected to the sixth via the communication port 135 as shown by the arrow in FIG. It flows on the shelf plate portion 129 and the flow path switching member 131, falls over the upper end of the upright wall 126 to the drop opening 123, and is supplied to the lower tank 31 side through the descending flow path 36 (parent island). In the case of 10a, it is supplied to the sphere storage tank 200 via the descending flow path 38). When the flow path switching member 131 is removed and the opening 130 is in an open state, it falls from the opening 130 of the sixth shelf 129 and falls onto the plate 122b of the fifth shelf 122. Then, it is supplied to the gaming machine or the ball lending machine via the supply basket connection opening 112 or the supply basket connection opening 111.

Note that an eighth shelf board 136 is provided above the sixth shelf 129 in a state slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal. The eighth shelf plate portion 136 extends from the upper edge of the communication port 135 to the upper position of the standing wall 126 toward the outer plate portion 105 in the left-right direction. The front end of the eighth shelf 136 is joined to the inner surface of the front plate 101 in the same manner as the sixth shelf 129, but the rear end of the eighth shelf 136 is the sixth shelf. Similarly to 129, it is separated from the inner surface of the back plate portion 102 by the interval described above. A standing wall 137 extends upward from the protruding end of the eighth shelf plate portion 136 in the left-right direction. The standing wall 137 is located substantially on the extension of the standing wall 126 described above, and extends upward to substantially the same height as the standing wall 121 described above.
In addition, a ninth shelf 138 is provided between the upper end of the standing wall 137 and the upper end of the standing wall 121. Similarly to the sixth shelf 129 and the like, the ninth shelf 138 is joined at the front end to the inner surface of the front plate 101, but the rear end is the inner surface of the back plate 102 by the aforementioned interval. Away from.

The standing wall 128 (shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) includes the standing wall 121, the standing wall 126, the standing wall 137, the sixth shelf 129, the eighth shelf 136, and the ninth shelf 138. This is a portion that closes the space (the space communicating with the descending flow path 36 or 38) formed from the back side, and is provided with such a shape and size. However, a predetermined gap is provided between the upper end of the upright wall 128 and the ninth shelf 138, and this gap constitutes an overflow opening 139 (shown in FIG. 3).
With the above configuration, when the amount of game balls in the upper main tank 13a increases, game balls can be stored on the fourth shelf 120 and further on the eighth shelf 136. When the game ball is filled beyond the upper end of the upright wall 128, the overflowing game ball as shown by the arrow in FIG. 3 is passed through the opening 139 into the descending channel 36 (in the case of the parent island 10a, the descending channel 38). Inside)

D. Configuration of Sphere Storage Tank Next, the configuration of the sphere storage tank 200 of the parent island 10a (the sphere storage tank of the present invention) will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 11 and FIG. 5 described above.
Here, FIGS. 8 to 11 are diagrams showing the sphere storage tank 200. Among these, FIG. 8 is a top view of the sphere storage tank 200. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a main part of the sphere storage tank 200. In addition, what is shown by the code | symbol 38a in FIG. 9 etc. is the discharge port (outlet of the downflow path 38 mentioned above) from the upper tank 13. FIG. The discharge port 38a is arranged at the upper center of the ball storage tank 200 (that is, in a concave chamber 201 described later), and the game ball that has flowed down the descending flow path 38 falls into the ball storage tank 200 from this position. It has become.
The sphere storage tank 200 is formed with a rectangular concave chamber 201 opened upward, and has side walls 202 and 203 (both side walls) on the front side and the back side, and ends on both end sides. It has walls 204 and 205, and bottom walls 206 and 207 at the bottom.
The side walls 202 and 203 are erected along the longitudinal direction of the concave chamber 201 (in this case, also the longitudinal direction of the island 10a, and in some cases, referred to as the left-right direction).
The end walls 204 and 205 are arranged in the short direction of the concave chamber 201 (in this case, the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the island 10a) at the left and right ends of the ball storage tank 200 so as to close the left and right ends of the side walls 202 and 203. And, in some cases, referred to as the front-rear direction). A space surrounded by the side walls 202 and 203, the end walls 204 and 205, and the bottom walls 206 and 207 is a concave chamber 201.

The bottom walls 206 and 207 constitute the bottom of the concave chamber 201, and the upper surface thereof (that is, the bottom surface of the concave chamber 201) is inclined downward toward the center in the left-right direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 9, the bottom wall 206 on the left side as viewed from the back side extends from the inner surface of the end wall 204 at the left end toward the center and is inclined downward toward the center. Similarly, the right bottom wall 207 extends from the inner surface of the right end wall 205 toward the center and is inclined downward toward the center.
A discharge guide rod 208 is formed at the center position in the left-right direction at the bottom of the concave chamber 201 to flow the game ball toward the front side of the island 10a in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 8, the discharge guide rod 208 is provided so as to cross the bottom of the concave chamber 201 in the front-rear direction, and is inclined downward toward the front side of the island 10a. The bottom walls 206 and 207 described above extend to the edge of the discharge guide rod 208.
As shown in FIG. 10, a discharge port 209 is formed at a position communicating with the discharge guide rod 208 of the side wall 202 on the front side. Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 10, a discharge basket 210 is formed on the outer surface of the side wall 202 so as to extend from the discharge port 209 to the front. The tip of the discharge rod 210 is installed toward the ball drop portion of the leveling rod 61 described above.

As a result, the game balls in the concave chamber 201 flow down on the bottom walls 206 and 207 toward the center in the left-right direction and flow down into the discharge guide rod 208, flow through the discharge guide rod 208 toward the front side, Then, it passes through the discharge port 209 and falls from the discharge basket 210 to the ball dropping portion of the leveling basket 61 described above and flows into the lower tank 31 of the parent island 10a.
The discharge rod 210 may be provided with a shutter for opening and closing the discharge rod 210, and this shutter may be closed when the amount of balls in the lower tank 31 of the parent island 10a is sufficiently large. Alternatively, when the amount of balls in the lower tank 31 increases and the ball drop portion of the leveling basket 61 is filled with game balls, the filled game balls block the outlet of the discharge bowl 210 and games from the discharge bowl 210 It is good also as a structure which the outflow of a ball | bowl stops.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, above the bottom walls 206 and 207 in the concave chamber 201 of the sphere storage tank 200, a plurality of erection members 211 to 214 suspended from both side walls 202 and 203, Inclined plates 215 and 216 that are placed on the plurality of installation members 211 to 214 and whose upper surfaces are inclined in the longitudinal direction, one side covering members 217 to 220 that cover both side walls of the installation members 211 to 214, and Other side covering members 221 to 224 are provided. As shown in FIG. 9, an empty portion 201 a without an inclined plate is formed in the upper center of the concave chamber 201 (position between the inclined plates 215 and 216). In addition, the above-mentioned discharge port 38a is arrange | positioned toward this empty part 201a.
The erection members 211 to 214 are rod-like rod-shaped members (so-called through bolts) made of a metal such as carbon steel, for example, and have a predetermined tensile strength (a strength that does not extend due to the pressure of the game ball in the concave chamber 201). ) And screws are formed on the outer periphery of both ends. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 11, these erection members 211 to 214 are disposed with a space upward from the bottom of the concave chamber 201 in a posture in which the axial direction is the front-rear direction. Are provided in a state where both end portions are inserted into through-holes (not shown) formed at positions, and nuts 225 to 232 are tightened to the outer periphery of both end portions from the outside of the side walls 202 and 203, thereby to the side walls 202 and 203. Each is fixed. As shown in FIG. 9, when viewed from the back side, the erection member 211 is disposed near the left end wall 204, and the erection member 212 is slightly to the left of the center of the concave chamber 201 (lower left position in the vicinity of the discharge port 38 a). The erection member 213 is arranged slightly to the right of the center of the concave chamber 201 (lower right position near the discharge port 38a), and the erection member 214 is arranged relatively near the right end wall 205. Further, in order to realize an inclined posture described later of the inclined plates 215 and 216, the erection members 212 and 213 near the center are arranged at higher positions than the erection members 211 and 214 near the end walls.

  The inclined plates 215 and 216 are band plates whose width dimension is narrower than the concave chamber 201. Two convex portions 234 to 241 are formed side by side on the lower surfaces of both end portions of the inclined plates 215 and 216, and the installation members 211 to 214 are fitted into grooves formed between the aligned convex portions. Is engaged. That is, as shown in FIG. 9, the convex portions 234 and 235 are formed side by side on the lower surface of the left end of the inclined plate 215, and the erection member 211 is fitted into and engaged with the groove between the convex portions 234 and 235. The convex portions 236 and 237 are formed side by side on the lower surface of the right end of the inclined plate 215, and the erection member 212 is fitted in and engaged with the groove between the convex portions 236 and 237. In addition, the convex portions 238 and 239 are formed side by side on the lower surface of the left end of the inclined plate 216, and the erection member 213 is fitted into and engaged with the groove between the convex portions 238 and 239. Further, the convex portions 240 and 241 are formed side by side on the lower surface of the right end of the inclined plate 216, and the erection member 214 is fitted into and engaged with the groove between the convex portions 240 and 241. The inclined plates 215 and 216 are easily mounted on and removed from the installation members 211 to 214 by the engagement of the projections 234 to 241 and the installation members 211 to 214. The positional deviation of 216 does not occur.

As shown in FIG. 9, when viewed from the back side, the left inclined plate 215 is placed with the left end engaged on the erection member 211 and the right end engaged on the erection member 212. In this placement state, the unit is inclined downward from the right end (center side of the recessed chamber 201) toward the left end (left end of the recessed chamber 201). Similarly, the right inclined plate 216 is placed with its left end engaged on the erection member 213 and its right end engaged on the erection member 214. In this placement state, the left end ( It is inclined downward from the central side of the concave chamber 201 toward the right end (right end side of the concave chamber 201).
As a result, a large amount of game balls dropping from the discharge port 38a of the descending flow path 38 are collected on the concave chamber 201, particularly near the center of the bottom (near the discharge guide rod 208), and the inclined plate 215, When the game ball is accumulated to the vicinity of 216 (that is, the game ball is accumulated to the empty portion 201a), the game ball dropped from the discharge port 38a then flows down the upper surfaces of the inclined plates 215 and 216. By flowing from the center of the recessed chamber 201 to the relatively end side, game balls are also stored on the relatively end side of the recessed chamber 201 (end side on the bottom walls 206 and 207). The game balls are equalized and stored.
As described above, the game balls flowing on the upper surfaces of the inclined plates 215 and 216 also fall from the end side in the longitudinal direction of the inclined plates 215 and 216, but both edges of the inclined plates 215 and 216 in the width direction (that is, , And also from the inclined plates 215, 216 and the side walls 202, 203). For this reason, the inclined plates 215 and 216 equalize the storage state of the game balls in the longitudinal direction (left and right direction) of the concave chamber 201 and also equalize the storage state of the game balls in the short direction (front and rear direction) of the concave chamber 201. Has the effect of turning

  The one-side covering members 217 to 220 and the other-side covering members 221 to 224 are formed from, for example, an elastomer such as rubber having high elasticity (including natural rubber, synthetic rubber, and thermoplastic elastomer), or a synthetic resin other than the elastomer. A tubular member formed so as to have a flexibility and elasticity more than enough to alleviate the impact of a sphere, and a bellows-like member (for example, a drainage hose of a washing machine) Used). These one side covering members 217 to 220 and the other side covering members 221 to 224 are set to have an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the erection members 211 to 214, and the one side covering members 217 to 220 and the other side covering members 221. ˜224 is inserted into the erection members 211 to 214 in a loosely fitted state, so that it can be easily mounted on the outer periphery of the erection members 211 to 214. The one-side covering members 217 to 220 and the other-side covering members 221 to 224 have lengths substantially equal to the gaps between the inclined plates 215 and 216 and the side walls 202 and 203, respectively. -220 and the other side covering members 221 to 224 are arranged so as to sandwich the end portions of the inclined plates 215 and 216 between the inner end portions thereof. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the one side covering member 217 and the other side covering member 221 are mounted on the outer periphery of the erection member 211 and are disposed so as to sandwich the left end portion of the inclined plate 215 from both the front and rear sides. In other words, the one side covering member 217 is mounted on the outer periphery of the erection member 211 and is disposed in the gap between the side wall 202 and the inclined plate 215. The other side covering member 221 is attached to the outer periphery of the erection member 211 and is disposed in the gap between the side wall 203 and the inclined plate 215.

As described above, the inclined plates 215 and 216 are merely engaged with and placed on the erection members 211 to 214, and the erection members 211 to 214 are side walls only by screwing the nuts 225 to 232. 202 and 203, and the one side covering members 217 to 220 and the other side covering members 221 to 224 are simply fitted on the outer periphery of the erection members 211 to 214, and the inclined plates 215, 216 and the side walls 202, 203 are It is attached in between. Therefore, as long as the game balls are not accumulated up to a height at which the one side covering members 217 to 220 and the other side covering members 221 to 224 are buried in the game balls, the one side covering members 217 to 220 and the other side covering members 221 to 224 is easily removable. That is, if the inclined plates 215 and 216 are lifted and removed, the nuts 225 to 232 are loosened and removed, and the erection members 211 to 214 are removed from the end walls 204 and 205, the one side covering members 217 to 220 and the other side covering members 221 to 224 can be easily removed from the outer periphery of the erection members 211 to 214, and can be easily attached by the reverse procedure.
And in this structure, the length of the front-back direction (short direction of the concave chamber 201) along the installation members 211-214 of the one side coating members 217-220 and the other side coating members 221-224 makes a pair. Any length can be used as long as the total length of the side covering member and the other side covering member (that is, the member attached to the same erection member) is approximately equal to the difference in width between the inclined plate 215 or 216 and the concave chamber 201. It's okay. Therefore, by preparing a plurality of members having different lengths satisfying the above conditions as the one-side covering members 217 to 220 and the other-side covering members 221 to 224, and replacing them, the one-side covering members 217 to 220 and The length in the front-rear direction of the other side covering members 221 to 224 can be changed.

  In addition, what is indicated by reference numerals 251 and 252 in FIG. In order to control the upper shutter 14a), a spherical quantity sensor for detecting the storage level of the sphere in the concave chamber 201. These ball quantity sensors 251 and 252 are attached to the inner surface of one side wall 202 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, when viewed from the back side, the ball sensor 251 is attached at a position slightly below the center of the left inclined plate 215, and the ball sensor 252 is slightly below the center of the right inclined plate 216. Is attached in position.

According to the ball storage tank 200 in the amusement island described above, the following operational effects are achieved.
That is, the inclined plates 215 and 216 function as a cage for evenly storing the balls in the tank 200, and the erection members 211 to 214 function as support members for supporting the cage. And since the both side walls of the erection members 211 to 214 are respectively covered with the one side covering members 217 to 220 and the other side covering members 221 to 224, the erection members 211 to 214 are damaged by the balls flowing down the inclined plates 215 and 216. Can be effectively prevented. Further, since the inclined plates 215 and 216 are arranged so as to be sandwiched between the inner ends of the one side covering members 217 to 220 and the other side covering members 221 to 224, the inclined plates 215 and 216 are separated from both side walls. Positioning is possible, the sphere can be dropped from each of the gaps on both sides of the inclined plate, and the storage state of the sphere storage tank 200 can be made appropriate.

  In addition, it is difficult to change the mounting position of the ball quantity sensors 251 and 252 in a state where the balls are stored in the ball storage tank 200, but as described above, the one-side covering members 217 to 220 and the other-side covering members 221 to 221 By changing the length of 224 (the length of the concave chamber 201 in the short direction), the maximum storage amount of the ball storage tank 200 can be adjusted without changing the mounting positions of the ball amount sensors 251 and 252. It should be noted that adjustment of the maximum storage amount is necessary depending on the ball possession amount of the amusement store. Further, the other side covering members 221 to 224 are covered with one side than the case where the one side covering members 217 to 220 are shorter than the other side covering members 221 to 224 (the inclined plates 215 and 216 are brought closer to the ball quantity sensors 251 and 252). In the case where the length is shorter than the members 217 to 220 (the inclined plates 215 and 216 are moved away from the ball quantity sensors 251 and 252), the quantity of balls stored until the ball quantity sensors 251 and 252 detect (maximum storage quantity). Less is. For this reason, the maximum storage amount of the ball storage tank 200 is increased in the increasing direction by changing the length in the short direction of each covering member in the direction in which the one side covering members 217 to 220 are shorter than the other side covering members 221 to 224. The maximum storage amount of the ball storage tank 200 can be adjusted in the decreasing direction by the reverse operation.

  In addition, it should be considered that the embodiment disclosed this time is illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

It is a perspective view showing a plurality of game islands. It is a front view which shows the internal structure of amusement island. It is a back surface side perspective view of the upper tank of the state where a part of outer wall was removed. It is a back surface side perspective view of the upper tank which shows the state where the standing wall etc. were removed in addition to a part of outer wall. It is a perspective view which shows the ball | bowl storage tank etc. of a wall island. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the flow path of the game ball which goes to a ball lifting apparatus from a lower tank. It is a perspective view for explaining the flow path of the game ball heading from the lower tank to the ball lifting device (in a state where an oblique partition plate or the like is removed). It is a top view of a ball storage tank. It is AA sectional drawing in FIG. It is BB sectional drawing in FIG. It is a principal part perspective view of a ball storage tank.

Explanation of symbols

10a, 10b, 10c Island (Amusement Island)
13 Upper tank 14a Upper shutter (restricting member)
31 Lower tank 33 Ball lifting device 200 Ball storage tank 201 Recessed chamber 202, 203 Side walls 211-214 Construction members 215, 216 Inclined plates 217-220 One side covering members 221-224 Other side covering members 225-232 Nuts 234-241 Convex parts 251 and 252 Ball sensor

Claims (2)

In a sphere storage tank formed of a rectangular concave chamber that opens upward,
The concave chamber is
A plurality of erection members that are suspended on both side walls erected along the longitudinal direction of the concave chamber and spaced upward from the bottom of the concave chamber;
An inclined plate placed on the plurality of erection members and having an upper surface inclined along the longitudinal direction;
One side covering member and the other side covering member respectively covering both side walls of the erection member;
A ball quantity sensor that is provided on one side wall of the both side walls and detects a storage level of the sphere in order to control a restricting member that restricts the inflow of the sphere from the upper opening;
Arranging the inclined plate so as to be sandwiched between the inner ends of the one side covering member and the other side covering member,
The ball quantity sensor is disposed at a position lower than the inclined plate,
The one side covering member and the other side covering member can change the distance from the both side walls of the inclined plate by changing the length of the concave chamber in the short direction. . The erection member is composed of a rod-shaped member that is inserted through a through hole formed in each of the both side walls,
The sphere storage tank according to claim 1, wherein the one-side covering member and the other-side covering member are inserted into the rod-shaped member in a loosely fitted state.

Images