JP5004323B2 - Pachinko machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a pachinko machine in which a game ball is held at a launch position by a ball holding mechanism, and the game ball is shot and fired into a game area.

  In conventional pachinko machines, a circular game area in which game nails, winning devices, etc. are arranged is formed on the front surface of the game board, and a game ball launched into the game area rolls in the game area. It is designed to flow down.

  In addition, a general pachinko machine has a ball feeding device that sends game balls stored in a firing ball storage dish one by one to a firing position, and a ball holding mechanism that holds the game balls sent by the ball feeding device at the firing position. And a striking device for striking and firing the game ball held at the launch position to the game area. In such a configuration, when the player operates the launch operation unit disposed on the front surface of the gaming machine main body, the ball feeding device and the striking device are actuated to start the launch operation. It will be guided to the upper part of the game area by a guide passage provided outside (see Patent Document 1, for example).

  A conventional ball holding mechanism includes a launch rail that supports a game ball from below at the launch position, and a ball stop member that is disposed above the launch position and that supports the game ball supported by the launch rail at the launch position. Composed. The launch rail is inclined upward toward the entrance of the guide passage, and has a function of guiding the game ball that has been shot and hit. The ball stop member serves to hold the game ball at the launch position so as not to roll on the inclined surface of the launch rail.

  By the way, the launching operation of the pachinko machine is generally performed by a ball feeding operation in which the ball feeding device sends out one game ball to the launch position and a batting pressure operation in which the hitting device strikes the game ball and launches it into the game area. Thus, during the launching operation, the ball feeding operation and the striking pressure operation are alternately repeated, so that the game ball is hit and fired in succession. In recent pachinko machines, about 100 game balls are shot and fired per minute by electrically controlling the operation of the ball feeding device and the pressure device.

  In addition, the conventional pachinko machine has a foul port that opens between the guide passage and the launch rail and communicates with the surplus sphere storage tray at the lower front of the gaming machine body. The game balls that have not been reached are caused to flow into the foul port and discharged to the surplus ball storage tray.

JP 2006-109975 A

  In a conventional pachinko machine, a game ball may remain at the launch position even though a hitting operation is performed. Specifically, when the game ball sent out by the ball feeder is stabilized at the launch position, the ball is pressed and the game ball is hardly hit, or the game area entrance is insufficient Such a situation occurs when a game ball that has not reached the point has not flowed into the foul mouth.

  In such a case, when a new game ball is sent out to the launch position, the game ball remaining at the launch position (hereinafter referred to as the residual ball) and the sent out game ball exist on the launch rail. It will be. It is sufficient that both of these game balls flow into the foul mouth in the next launching operation, but if even one of them returns to the firing position, the next striking operation will be incomplete. If both of them remain on the firing rail, the number of game balls on the firing rail will be further increased by the next ball feeding operation.

  Thus, when the generated residual ball can no longer be removed by the striking pressure operation, the conventional pachinko machine interrupts the game to expose the launch rail portion and directly remove the residual ball. However, such a solution is very inefficient because it requires work by a game shop clerk.

  This invention is made | formed in view of this present condition, and aims at provision of the pachinko machine which can discharge | emit easily the residual ball | bowl of a launch position.

  The present invention includes a ball feeding device that sends game balls stored in a launch ball storage tray one by one to a launch position, a ball holding mechanism that holds the game balls sent by the ball feed device at the launch position, and the launch A striking device for striking and firing the game ball held at the position to the game area, a launch operation unit for the player to perform a launch operation, and the game ball is continuously played based on the operation of the launch operation unit In the pachinko machine comprising the hitting device and the launch control means for operating the ball feeding device so as to launch the hitting pressure, the ball holding mechanism is capable of holding the game ball at the launch position. And a ball holding mechanism that converts the ball holding mechanism into the holding state and the non-holding state. Mechanism driving means and the ball holding mechanism A launch ball discharge path for discharging the game ball from the launch position to the front side of the gaming machine main body in the non-holding state, and an operation state determination unit that determines whether or not the launch operation unit is operated. And at least when the hitting device hits and discharges a game ball, the ball holding mechanism driving means is controlled so that the ball holding mechanism is in the holding state, and the operation state determining means is in the operation state. If it is determined that the ball holding mechanism is not, a pachinko machine comprising holding state control means for controlling the ball holding mechanism driving means so that the ball holding mechanism is in the non-holding state.

  In such a configuration, since the ball holding mechanism is in a non-holding state when the launch operation unit is not being fired, the game ball at the launch position passes through the launch ball discharge path without staying at the launch position. Thus, it is discharged to the front side of the gaming machine main body (for example, a surplus sphere storage tray). Therefore, in this configuration, when a residual ball is generated during the game as described above, the player can eliminate the residual ball by temporarily interrupting the operation of the launch operation unit. On the other hand, in this configuration, since the ball holding mechanism is controlled to be in the holding state at the time of the hitting operation, it is possible to reliably hit and fire the game ball newly sent out by the ball feeding operation without any trouble.

  Further, according to another aspect of the present invention, the ball holding mechanism has a holding state in which the game ball can be held at the launch position and a game ball cannot be held at the launch position. A ball holding mechanism driving means for converting the ball holding mechanism into the holding state and the non-holding state; and a game ball in the non-holding state of the ball holding mechanism. A ball discharge path for discharging the game ball from the launch position to the front side of the gaming machine main body, and the ball holding mechanism so that the ball holding mechanism is in the holding state when at least the hitting device hits and discharges the game ball. The ball holding mechanism is temporarily in the non-holding state between the time when the driving means is controlled and the hitting device hits and discharges the game ball. So as to control the ball holding mechanism driving means Is a pinball machine characterized by comprising a control means.

  In such a configuration, the ball holding mechanism is controlled to be held during the hitting operation, while the ball holding mechanism is temporarily controlled to be in the non-holding state during the interval from the hitting operation to the next hitting operation. Residual spheres can be discharged before the next striking operation. In a general pachinko machine, since the interval between the striking operation and the striking operation is short, it is not always possible to discharge the generated residual sphere in one interval, but the residual sphere can be discharged with a certain probability. Therefore, residual balls can be eliminated with a high probability by passing the interval of the hitting operation several times. Further, in this configuration, the ball holding mechanism is automatically converted to the non-holding state in accordance with the launching operation, so that the player can remove the remaining sphere from the launching position without performing a special operation.

  Further, according to another aspect of the present invention, the ball holding mechanism has a holding state in which the game ball can be held at the launch position and a game ball cannot be held at the launch position. A ball holding mechanism driving means for converting the ball holding mechanism into the holding state and the non-holding state; and a game ball in the non-holding state of the ball holding mechanism. From the launch position to the front side of the gaming machine main body, an operation state determination means for determining whether or not the launch operation unit is being operated, and the vicinity of the entrance of the game area A ball approach detection sensor for detecting that a game ball that has been hit and fired enters the game area, and at least when the hitting device hits and fires the game ball, the ball holding mechanism Hold the sphere to be in the holding state A holding state control unit that controls the structure driving unit, and a case where the operation state determination unit determines that the operation state is in the operation state for a predetermined time, and the ball approach detection sensor is the game ball A launch abnormality determining means for determining that the launch abnormal state is detected when entry into the game area is not detected; and when the launch abnormal state determining means determines that the launch abnormal state is present, the launch control means The operation of the ball feeding device and the striking device is controlled to be stopped for a predetermined time, and the ball holding mechanism is connected to the holding state control means while the ball feeding device and the striking device are stopped for the predetermined time. It is a pachinko machine characterized by comprising an abnormal state recovery means for controlling to convert to a non-holding state. Here, the “predetermined time” during which the abnormal state recovery means in the present invention stops the operation of the ball feeding device and the striking device is a time sufficient to exclude the game ball at the launch position from the launch position. desirable.

  In such a configuration, it is determined based on the detection signal of the ball approach detection sensor and the operation state of the launch operation unit whether or not the launch operation is abnormal (launch abnormal state). That is, in the operation state of the launch operation unit, normally, the game balls that have been shot and fired are continuously released to the game area. When the entry of the game ball is not detected for a predetermined time, it is determined that the launch operation is abnormal (launch abnormal state). And when it determines with it being in a launch abnormal state, while stopping operation of a ball feeding device and a hammering device for a predetermined period of time, by changing a ball holding mechanism into a non-holding state during the stop, If it has occurred, the residual sphere is discharged, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, the normal firing operation is restored. In other words, according to this configuration, when a residual ball is generated in a game ball and a malfunction occurs in the launching operation, the pachinko machine automatically detects the firing abnormality and automatically recovers to the normal state. Therefore, the player does not need to perform a special operation.

  The firing operation unit in the present invention includes a touch sensor that detects contact with the launch operation unit, and an operation amount detection sensor that detects an operation amount of the launch operation unit, and the operation state determination unit includes: The touch sensor detects contact and the operation amount detection sensor determines that the operation state is detected when the operation amount of the launch operation unit is detected to be greater than zero. Is proposed. In many pachinko machines, since the operation amount detection sensor for detecting the operation amount and the touch sensor for detecting whether the player is touching the discharge operation unit are arranged in the launch operation unit, According to this configuration, it is possible to easily determine the operation state of the launch operation unit using the existing configuration.

  Here, the ball holding mechanism is disposed above the launch position, supporting a game ball from below at the launch position, and guiding the game ball that has been hit and fired obliquely upward, and the launch position, A ball stop member that locks the game ball supported by the launch rail at the launch position, and the launch rail is movably disposed below the launch position to drive the ball holding mechanism. A movable rail portion whose position is converted by means, and in the holding state of the ball holding mechanism, the movable rail portion is held at a position immediately below the firing position, whereby the firing position is formed by the upper surface of the movable rail portion. In the non-holding state of the ball holding mechanism, the movable rail portion retreats downward and the inclination angle of the upper surface of the movable rail portion becomes steep. Te, the configuration allows the guide to the shot ball discharge passage game balls of the firing position by the upper surface of the movable rail portion is proposed.

  According to such a configuration, when the ball holding mechanism changes from the holding state to the non-holding state and the movable rail portion retreats downward, the game ball at the launch position locked on the ball stopping member on the movable rail portion is It will roll off on a movable rail part away from a stop member. Here, in such a non-holding state, the inclination angle of the upper surface of the movable rail portion is steeper than in the holding state, so that the game ball can be discharged relatively smoothly from the launch position. That is, when the state in which the ball stop member is retracted from the firing position is set to the non-holding position, the residual sphere released from the ball stop member is moved along the inclination of the upper surface of the firing rail when converted to the non-holding state Although it only rolls down, in this configuration, the game ball can flow down quickly as much as the inclination of the movable rail portion becomes steep.

  Further, in the above-described configuration, the ball stop member is disposed so as to be retractable above the launch position, and is position-converted by the ball holding mechanism driving means. In the holding state, the ball stop member is held at a position where the game ball at the launch position can be locked, and in the non-holding state of the ball holding mechanism, the ball stop member locks the game ball at the launch position. A configuration is proposed in which it is held in an impossible position. Here, in this configuration, “the ball stop member is retracted above the launch position” is not limited to a configuration in which the entire ball stop member is retracted upward, and a portion of the ball stop member that locks the game ball is partially Includes a configuration for retracting above the launch position. In addition, “upward” is not limited to directly above, but includes an obliquely upward direction.

  In such a configuration, when the ball holding mechanism changes from the holding state to the non-holding state, the movable rail portion retracts below the firing position and the ball stop member retracts above the firing position. Compared to a configuration in which the rail portion only retreats downward, the game ball at the launch position quickly leaves the ball stop member and flows down on the movable rail portion. Therefore, in this configuration, when the ball holding mechanism is converted to the non-holding state, the game ball can be removed from the launch position in a very short time.

  In the present invention, the “firing control means”, “operation state determination means”, “holding state control means”, “firing abnormality determination means”, and “abnormal state recovery means” can be realized by a microcomputer, an electronic circuit, or the like. In the following embodiments, this is realized by the launch control board 80.

  As described above, the present invention controls the ball holding mechanism driving means so that the ball holding mechanism is in the holding state at least when the hitting device hits and discharges the game ball, and the operation state determining means. Is a pachinko machine that controls the sphere holding mechanism driving means so that the sphere holding mechanism is in a non-holding state, a residual sphere is generated and an abnormality occurs in the launching operation. The player can easily return to the normal state simply by interrupting the operation of the launch operation unit.

  In addition, at least when the ball striking device hits and releases the game ball, the ball holding mechanism driving means is controlled so that the ball holding mechanism is in the holding state, and after the ball hitting device hits and discharges the game ball. When the ball holding mechanism driving means is controlled so that the ball holding mechanism is temporarily in a non-holding state until the next game ball is shot and fired, the player The residual sphere can be discharged without performing any special operation while operating.

  Further, when the ball holding mechanism determines that the firing abnormal state determining means is in the abnormal firing state, the firing control means controls the operation of the ball feeding device and the striking device to stop for a predetermined time, and the holding state control. If the ball holding mechanism is controlled to be converted to the non-holding state for a predetermined time, the player can perform any operation when a residual ball is generated during the game and the firing operation becomes abnormal. It becomes possible to return to a normal state without being forced. Therefore, the player can concentrate on the game without worrying about the occurrence of a residual ball.

  Further, when it is determined that the touch sensor detects a touch and the operation amount detection sensor detects that the operation amount of the firing operation unit is greater than 0, the existing configuration Can be used to appropriately determine the operation state of the firing operation unit.

  Also, when the movable rail part is retracted downward and the inclination angle of the upper surface of the movable rail part is steep when the ball holding mechanism is not held, the ball holding mechanism is converted to the non-holding state. When this happens, residual balls can be discharged quickly. Further, in such a configuration, when the ball retaining member is retracted upward in the non-holding state of the ball holding state, the game ball at the launch position is removed when the ball holding mechanism is converted to the non-holding state. It can be discharged in a shorter time. In this way, if the remaining sphere can be removed in a short time when the sphere holding mechanism is converted to the non-holding state, the sphere holding mechanism is set to the non-holding state for a short period between the hitting operations as described above. In this case, it becomes easy to discharge the residual sphere. Also, in the configuration in which the ball hitting device and the ball feeding device are temporarily stopped as described above and the game ball is discharged from the launch position, it is possible to recover from the launch abnormal state to the normal state in a short time. The launching operation can be resumed promptly when an abnormal condition occurs.

  Embodiments of the present invention are described according to the following examples.

<First Example>
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pachinko machine 1 according to the first embodiment includes a wooden outer frame 2 fixed to the game island equipment, and a gaming machine main body 3 attached to an opening portion of the outer frame 2. It is configured.

  The gaming machine main body 3 includes a plate-shaped main body frame 5, and the main body frame 5 is pivotally attached to the outer frame 2 via a hinge member 4. A front frame door 6 is disposed on the front side of the main body frame 5 so as to be openable and closable, and a back mechanism plate 7 is disposed on the rear side of the main body frame 5.

  A plywood game board 8 is attached to the main body frame 5 from the upper part to the center part. A guide rail 13 is attached to the front surface of the game board 8, and the guide rail 13 divides a substantially circular game area 12 and a guide passage 20 that guides the game ball 12 that has been shot and fired to the game area 12. The In the game area 12, game parts such as game nails, winning devices, and liquid crystal devices are arranged.

  1 and 2, a lower panel 23 is provided at the front lower portion of the main body frame 5, and a surplus ball storage tray 11 for storing surplus game balls is arranged at the front center of the lower panel 23. It is installed. In the lower panel 23, a ball discharge port 24 is opened at a position facing the surplus ball storage tray 11, and a game ball is discharged from the ball discharge port 24 into the surplus ball storage tray 11. Further, a ball extraction hole 25 for discharging a game ball is formed at the bottom of the surplus ball storage tray 11, and the ball extraction hole 25 is opened by moving the ball extraction slider 26 provided at the bottom of the surplus ball storage tray 11. The game balls in the surplus ball storage tray 11 can be discharged downward.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a firing mechanism plate 16 made of a metal plate is disposed at a position below the game board 8 of the main body frame 5. A launch position P for hitting and firing a game ball is set at the lower right of the front surface of the launch mechanism plate 16, and the launch mechanism plate 16 has a ball holding mechanism 14 that holds the game ball at the launch position P. In addition, a striking device 15 for striking and firing the game ball held at the firing position P is disposed.

  The ball holding mechanism 14 includes a firing rail 18 that extends from the lower position of the firing position P to the upper left and a ball stop member 31 that is disposed above the firing position P. The launch rail 18 includes a short movable rail portion 45 disposed immediately below the launch position P, and a long fixed rail portion 46 fixed to the upper left of the movable rail portion 45. The game ball x at the launch position P is supported by the upper surface of the movable rail portion 45. The movable rail portion 45 and the fixed rail portion 46 are formed by sheet-metal processing a stainless steel plate piece into an M-shaped cross section. Normally, the upper surfaces of the movable rail portion 45 and the fixed rail portion 46 are continuous without a step. The game ball x, which is inclined upward to the left toward the entrance of the guide passage 20 and is struck, is guided from the launch position P to the guide passage 20 by the upper surface. The ball stop member 31 is made of a rubber piece, and is fixed to the front surface of the firing mechanism plate 16 so as to come into contact with the game ball x at the launch position P from the upper right, and the game ball x is moved downward on the movable rail portion 45 to the lower right. It works to lock so as not to fall down. In the present embodiment, the movable rail portion 45 is pivotably disposed, and the game ball x at the firing position P can be discharged by moving the movable rail portion 45 below the firing position P. It has become. Since such a configuration relates to the main part of the present invention, details will be described later.

  The hitting device 15 includes a launcher 17 that hits a game ball and a launcher solenoid 19 that drives the launcher 17. The firing solenoid 19 is a rotary solenoid, and is fixed to the back side of the firing mechanism plate 16. A rotating shaft rod of the firing solenoid 19 penetrates the firing mechanism plate 16 and protrudes to the front side, and a firing rod 17 is fixed to the tip of the rotating shaft rod. The launch rod 17 is installed so that the hitting portion at the tip faces the launch position P from the right. The firing solenoid 19 is connected to a firing control board 80 (see FIG. 9) disposed on the back mechanism plate 7 described later, and the striking portion of the launching rod 17 is in accordance with a signal input from the firing control board 80. The launch rod 17 is reciprocated between a position retracted to the right of the launch position P (see FIG. 4A) and a position where the hitting portion strikes the game ball x at the launch position P (see FIG. 4B). To drive. Further, a stopper 47 for restricting the rotation of the launching rod 17 is provided at the upper right portion of the front surface of the launching mechanism plate 16.

  According to this configuration, the game ball sent to the launch position P by the ball feeding device 50 described later is held at the launch position P by the ball holding mechanism 14, and is hit and fired to the upper left by the operation of the hitting device 15. As a result, it is discharged to the upper part of the game area 12 through the guide passage 20.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a foul port 21 is formed below the gap between the entrance of the guide passage 20 and the launch rail 18 for discharging the game ball that has returned without reaching the game area 12. . The game balls that have flowed into the foul port 21 are discharged from the ball discharge port 24 to the surplus ball storage dish 11 through a ball passage (not shown).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a game ball discharged from a ball discharge port 55 of a ball feeder 50 described later is closed on the lower panel 23 provided at the lower portion of the main body frame 5 as shown in FIG. 2. Is formed upward. The discharge ball communication port 27 communicates immediately upstream of the ball discharge port 24 so that the game balls flowing in from the discharge ball communication port 27 are discharged to the surplus ball storage dish 11 through the ball discharge port 24. It has become. Further, below the launch position P, a launch ball discharge port 22 that receives a game ball discharged from the launch position P is formed. As shown in FIG. 4, the projecting ball discharge port 22 communicates with a portion immediately upstream of the ball discharge port 24 via a projecting ball discharge path 44 disposed in the lower panel 23. The game balls that have flowed in from are discharged to the surplus ball storage dish 11 through the ball discharge port 24.

  In addition, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a firing operation unit 28 protrudes to the right of the surplus sphere storage dish 11. A launch lever 29 that can be rotated is provided on the outer periphery of the launch operation unit 28, and an operation amount detection sensor 82 that detects the amount of pivot operation of the launch lever 29 is provided inside the launch operation unit 28. A touch sensor 81 that detects contact with the firing operation unit 28 is provided. The operation amount detection sensor 82 and the touch sensor 81 are electrically connected to a launch control board 80 described later (see FIG. 9). The touch sensor 81 is turned on when the player holds the firing operation unit 28, and transmits a contact detection signal to the firing control board 80. The operation amount detection sensor 82 transmits a detection signal corresponding to the operation amount to the launch control board 80 when the player rotates the launch lever 29. The launch control board 80 controls the operation of the ball holding mechanism 14 and a ball feeding device 50 described later based on detection signals from these sensors 81 and 82.

  Further, the above-described back mechanism plate 7 is attached to the back side of the main body frame 5, and a ball tank 30 for storing game balls supplied from the game island facility is provided on the upper part thereof. A payout device and a ball passage for paying out the game balls in the ball tank 30 are disposed below the ball 30 (not shown). Further, the back mechanism plate 7 is provided with various substrates such as a main control board 79 that controls the game in an integrated manner and a launch control board 80 that controls the launch operation (see FIG. 9).

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the front frame door 6 described above is pivotally attached to the main body frame 5 by a hinge member 32 at the left edge. Here, the front frame door 6 is provided so as to almost entirely cover the area above the lower panel 23 from the front surface, and in the state of being closed by the main body frame 5, The pressure device 15 is to be covered from the front.

  In the center of the front frame door 6, a substantially circular game area opening 34 for holding the transparent plate 33 is formed. With the front frame door 6 closed, The game area 12 of the game board 8 described above can be viewed from the front.

  In addition, a launch ball storage tray 10 is disposed on the lower front surface of the front frame door 6, and a ball for supplying game balls to the launch ball storage tray 10 on the left side of the launch ball storage tray 10. A discharge port 36 is opened. An alignment portion 38 for aligning game balls is formed inside the right side of the firing ball storage tray 10, and a ball outlet that allows game balls to flow out to the back side of the front frame door 6 is formed at the right end of the alignment portion 38. (Not shown) is open. The inner bottom surface of the launch ball storage tray 10 is inclined downward in the right direction so that the game balls flow down the alignment portion 38 and flow out of the ball outlet. In addition, a ball removal button 42 for discharging a game ball from a ball feeding device 50 to be described later is disposed on the upper right edge of the firing ball storage tray 10 so as to be pressed.

  On the back side of the front frame door 6, a reinforcing back panel plate 40 is fixed to a lower portion of the game area opening 34. And on the back surface of the back panel board 40, a ball feeding device 50 for feeding the game balls flowing out from the above-mentioned ball outlets one by one to the launch position P is disposed.

The above-described ball feeding device 50 will be described.
The ball feeding device 50 is attached to the back panel plate 40 of the front frame door 6 so as to be positioned on the front side of the above-described launch position P in the closed state of the front frame door 6. The ball feeding device 50 takes in the game balls that have flowed out of the above-mentioned launch ball storage tray 10 and sends them one by one to the launch position P. Further, when the ball removal button 42 is operated, the game balls that have flowed out of the firing ball storage tray 10 are discharged to the surplus ball storage tray 11.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the ball feeding device 50 includes an electric ball feeding mechanism that feeds game balls one by one in the housing 51. An intake inflow port (not shown) through which game balls that have flowed out from the launching ball storage tray 10 flow into the housing 51 is formed in the upper front portion of the housing 51. In addition, a ball feeding member 52 that is pivotable in the front-rear direction is pivotally supported in the housing 51 so that the front frame door 6 is in a closed state and is located immediately before the firing position P of the firing rail 18. ing. Furthermore, a ball guiding path 54 is provided that communicates the position directly above the ball feeding member 52 with the intake inlet.

  The ball feeding member 52 has a curved concave surface 74 on its upper surface, and is pivotally supported by the housing 51 so that the curved concave surface 74 faces upward and receives the game ball x from the ball guiding path 54. A ball receiving state (see FIG. 6 (a)) that is possible and a ball-sending state (see FIG. 6 (b)) in which the game ball x received with the curved concave surface 74 facing backward can be released to the firing position P. It can be turned. Further, the ball feeding member 52 is mechanically connected to a ball feeding solenoid 61 disposed in the housing 51, and receives a ball when the ball feeding solenoid 61 is OFF (non-energized state). When the ball feeding solenoid 61 is ON (energized state), it is converted and held in the ball feeding state. The ball feeding solenoid 61 is connected to a firing control board 80 (see FIG. 9). During the firing operation, the firing control board 80 repeatedly converts the ball feeding solenoid 61 to ON and OFF. The ball feeding member 52 is reciprocally rotated to sequentially release the game balls x from the ball guide path 54 to the launch position P.

  As described above, the ball guiding path 54 communicates the intake inlet (not shown) formed in the upper front portion of the casing 51 and the ball feeding member 52 disposed below the intake inlet. To do. That is, the game balls x that have flowed in from the launch ball storage tray 10 through the intake inlet flow in sequence in a row in a row due to their own weight. The game balls x are sequentially accommodated in the curved concave surface 74 of the ball feeding member 52 as the ball feeding member 52 is reciprocally rotated.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a ball discharge port 55 for discharging the game ball in the ball guide path 54 to the outside of the ball transfer device 50 is formed in the casing 51 of the ball transfer device 50 described above. It is formed downward. In the housing 51, a ball extraction passage 56 that connects the ball discharge port 55 and the ball guide path 54 in the vertical direction is provided. Further, the casing 51 is slidably held in the left-right direction, and closes the ball outlet 57 (see FIG. 5A) and opens the ball outlet position (see FIG. 5B). And a ball-opening / closing piece 58 for converting the position to the above. The ball extraction opening / closing piece 58 is normally urged to a closed position by an urging spring (not shown), and is operated from the closed position (see FIG. 5A) by the operation of the above-described ball extraction button 42 (see FIG. 5A). 5 (b)). That is, when the ball extraction button 42 is pressed during the game, the ball extraction port 57 is opened and the game ball x in the ball guide path 54 flows into the ball extraction passage 56 as shown in FIG. And discharged from the ball discharge port 55. The game ball x discharged from the ball discharge port 55 flows into the discharge ball communication port 27 (see FIG. 2) and is discharged to the surplus ball storage tray 11.

  Below, the structure which concerns on the principal part of this invention is demonstrated in detail.

  In the present embodiment, the ball holding mechanism 14 can be converted into a holding state in which the game ball can be held at the launch position P and a non-hold state in which the game ball cannot be held at the launch position P.

  Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the movable rail portion 45 is pivoted up and down by being pivotally supported by a pivot shaft 37 protruding from the front surface of the firing mechanism plate 16. The holding position α (see FIG. 7 (a)), which is located directly below the launch position P and can support the game ball at the launch position P from below, is rotated 15 ° downward from the hold position α. It can be displaced to a non-holding position β (see FIG. 7B) that is retracted below the firing position P. The movable rail 45 is locked by a locking mechanism (not shown) so as not to rotate downward from the non-holding position β.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, a permanent magnet 64 is attached to the lower right portion of the movable rail portion 45 so as to be exposed to the firing mechanism plate 16 side. An electromagnet 63 that converts the movable rail portion 45 into the holding position α and the non-holding position β by acting on the magnet 64 is disposed. That is, in the electromagnet 63, the iron core portion penetrates the firing mechanism plate 16 and is exposed to the front surface of the firing mechanism plate 16, and when the electromagnet 63 is turned on (energized state), the permanent magnet 64 of the movable rail portion 45 is turned on. It is attracted to this and converted and held at the holding position α. On the other hand, when the electromagnet 63 is turned off (non-energized state), the movable rail portion 45 is converted and held at the non-holding position β by its own weight. The electromagnet 63 is connected to the launch control board 80 (see FIG. 9), and the firing control board 80 switches the energization state of the electromagnet 63 to select the movable rail portion 45 to the holding position α or the non-holding position β. It is supposed to convert. In the present embodiment, the ball holding mechanism driving means according to the present invention is configured by the electromagnet 63, and the holding state control means according to the present invention is configured by the firing control board 80.

  The ball holding mechanism 14 sets the state where the movable rail portion 45 is at the holding position α as the holding state, and sets the state where the movable rail portion 45 is at the non-holding position β as the non-holding state. In the holding state of the ball holding mechanism 14, as shown in FIG. 7A, the game ball x at the launch position P is supported from below by the movable rail portion 45 at the holding position α, and on the movable rail portion 45. The upper right part is locked by the ball stop member 31 so as not to roll off and is held at the firing position P. Further, in such a holding state, the hitting portion of the launcher 17 can hit the game ball x at the launch position P through the gap between the movable rail portion 45 and the ball stop member 31. Further, at the holding position α, the upper surface of the movable rail portion 45 is flush with the upper surface of the fixed rail portion 46, and the game ball x fired by hitting is smoothly guided to the upper left.

  On the other hand, in the non-holding state of the ball holding mechanism 14, as shown in FIG. 7B, the movable rail portion 45 is positioned at the lower non-holding position β, and the gap between the movable rail portion 45 and the ball stop member 31 is widened. As a result, the game ball x on the movable rail 45 is not locked to the ball stop member 31, and the game ball x cannot be held at the launch position P. Therefore, in the non-holding state, the game ball x on the movable rail portion 45 flows down to the lower right on the movable rail portion 45 and falls from the right end of the movable rail portion 45 to the firing ball discharge port 22. Then, it passes through the launch ball discharge path 44 and is discharged to the surplus ball storage tray 11. In this non-holding state, the slope of the upper surface of the movable rail portion 45 is steeper than in the holding state, so that the game ball x on the movable rail portion 45 is quickly discharged to the lower right.

  FIG. 9 shows a control circuit related to the launch control of the game ball.

  The launch control board 80 constituting the microcomputer is provided with a board circuit for controlling the launch operation of the pachinko machine 1 and the like. This launch control board 80 performs overall control of the game. The launch control means, operation state judgment means, holding state control means, launch abnormality judgment means, and abnormal state recovery means according to the present invention are the main ones. This launch control board 80 implements this. On this board circuit, a central control unit CPU for launch control is arranged. In this central control CPU for launch control, a storage device ROM for storing an operation program used for arithmetic processing and a storage device RAM capable of reading and writing necessary data as needed are unilaterally provided with information for specifying an address for reading and writing data. Are connected via an address bus (not shown) for transmitting data to and from a data bus (not shown) for exchanging data, and constitute a board circuit of the launch control board 80.

  Further, the board circuit of the launch control board 80 is provided with a clock device (not shown) for outputting a predetermined clock pulse, and is connected to the launch control central control unit CPU. Then, the central control unit CPU for launch control performs arithmetic processing in time series by clock pulses at regular intervals, and sequentially executes a series of processing operations. A timer TM is also connected for counting time by counting clock pulses output from the clock device.

  The board circuit of the launch control board 80 is provided with an input port (not shown) and an output port (not shown) through which the launch control central control unit CPU performs data communication with peripheral devices. When the firing control board 80 outputs an electrical signal via the, the operation control of the firing solenoid 19, the ball feeding solenoid 61, the electromagnet 63, and the like can be performed. On the other hand, the touch sensor 81, the operation amount detection sensor 82, and the main control board 79 for comprehensively controlling the game are connected to the input port. Then, the firing control board 80 checks the detection signals from the sensors 81 and 82 and the signal from the main control board 79 every predetermined time, and activates the firing solenoid 19 and the like based on these signals.

  Next, control modes such as a launch operation performed on the launch control board 80 will be described.

  The launch control board 80 starts the launch operation when it is determined that the launch operation unit 28 has been rotated while receiving the launch permission signal from the main control board 79. Specifically, by switching the energized state of the launching solenoid 19 and the ball feeding solenoid 61 at a predetermined timing, the ball feeding operation and the striking operation are alternately performed, and the game balls are continuously transferred to the game area 12. Strike pressure. Here, switching of the energized state of the launching solenoid 19 and the ball feeding solenoid 61 is performed according to a program, and the game ball is launched at a pace at which about 100 game balls are fired per minute by the launch operation. Will be fired continuously. The hitting strength when hitting the game ball is determined according to the amount of rotation of the launch lever 29.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the firing operation unit 28 is in the operating state, the launch control board 80 controls the ball holding mechanism 14 to be in the holding state and determines that it is not in the operating state. In this case, control is performed so that the sphere holding mechanism 14 is not held.

  Specifically, the firing control board 80 receives a contact detection signal from the touch sensor 81 (touch sensor ON), and an operation amount in which the detection signal transmitted from the operation amount detection sensor 82 is greater than “0”. Is determined to be in the operation state. In this case, the firing control board 80 turns on the electromagnet 63 and holds the movable rail portion 45 at the holding position α (see FIG. 7A), thereby bringing the ball holding mechanism 14 into the holding state.

  On the other hand, when the detection signal is not transmitted from the touch sensor 81 (touch sensor OFF), or the launch control board 80 receives a signal indicating that the operation amount is “0” from the operation amount detection sensor 82. Is determined not to be in an operating state. In this case, the firing control board 80 turns the electromagnet 63 OFF and sets the movable rail portion 45 to the non-holding position β (see FIG. 7B), thereby setting the ball holding mechanism 14 to the non-holding position.

  A control mode of the launch control board 80 associated with a specific launch operation will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 10, a firing permission signal is constantly transmitted from the main control board 79. In FIG. 10, at time t0, the firing operation unit 28 is not operated, the touch sensor 81 is OFF, and the operation amount detection sensor 82 is the operation amount “0”. In such a state, the firing solenoid 19 and the ball feeding solenoid 61 are kept OFF (non-energized state), and neither the ball feeding operation nor the striking pressure operation is performed. In such a state, the electromagnet 63 is OFF, and the ball holding mechanism 14 is kept in a non-holding state.

  From the above state, when the player holds the firing operation unit 28 and rotates the firing lever 29 (t1 in FIG. 10), the touch sensor 81 is turned on, and the firing operation unit 28 rotates the firing lever 29. A detection signal corresponding to the amount of dynamic operation is output. Thereby, the firing control board 80 determines that the operation state has been reached, and converts the electromagnet 63 to ON to convert the ball holding mechanism 14 to the holding state, thereby enabling the game ball to be held at the launch position P. . Then, when the electromagnet 63 is turned on, the launch control board 80 alternately turns on the launch solenoid 19 and the ball feed solenoid 61 at a predetermined timing, and sends out the game balls one by one to the launch position P. The game balls thus obtained are successively fired by the launcher 17 (t1 to t2 in FIG. 10).

  From the above state, when the player stops the turning operation of the launch lever 29 and the launch lever 29 returns to the position of the turn amount “0” (t2 in FIG. 10), the launch control board 80 detects the operation amount. Based on the detection signal from the sensor 82, it is determined that a non-operation state has been established, and the firing operation is stopped by holding the firing solenoid 19 and the ball feeding solenoid 61 OFF. At the same time, the launch control board 80 converts the ball holding mechanism 14 to the non-holding state by converting the electromagnet 63 to OFF. As a result, if there is a residual sphere at the launch position P when the operation of the launch lever 29 is stopped, the residual sphere is discharged from the launch position P to the surplus sphere storage dish 11.

  As described above, in this embodiment, when the shooting operation unit 28 is not operated, the ball holding mechanism 14 is in a non-holding state, so that when the player starts or restarts the game, the shooting position P There is no residual sphere, and the firing operation is performed normally. Further, even when a game ball remains at the launch position P during the game and an abnormality occurs in the launch operation, the player can return to a normal state by simply interrupting the operation of the launch operation unit 28.

  In particular, in this embodiment, since the slope of the upper surface of the movable rail portion 45 is steep when the sphere holding mechanism 14 is not held (see FIG. 7), the sphere holding mechanism 14 is converted to the non-holding state. The residual sphere can be eliminated in a short time.

<Second Example>
The present embodiment is characterized in that the ball holding mechanism is intermittently converted to the non-holding state while the game ball is being continuously shot and fired. In this embodiment, the control mode of the launch control board 80 is changed from the first embodiment, and the configuration of the pachinko machine is the same as that of the first embodiment. To do.

  In this embodiment, the control mode of the firing solenoid 19 and the ball feeding solenoid 61 is the same as that in the first embodiment. That is, when the firing operation unit 28 is rotated in a state where the main control board 79 is transmitting a firing permission signal, the firing control board 80 turns on the firing solenoid 19 and the ball feeding solenoid 61 alternately. By switching, the game balls are continuously shot and fired at a rate of about 100 per minute.

  In this embodiment, the firing control board 80 temporarily turns off the electromagnet 63 and temporarily holds the ball holding mechanism 14 while the game ball is hitting and firing at the above pace. Convert to state. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the launch control board 80 turns the electromagnet 63 off after the launch solenoid 19 is instantaneously turned on to strike the game ball and then the ball holding mechanism 14 is turned off. Is converted to an unretained state. Then, before the next game ball is shot and fired, the launch control board 80 accurately turns the electromagnet 63 before the ball game solenoid 61 is turned on and the next game ball is sent to the launch position P. It is converted to ON, and the ball holding mechanism 14 is returned to the holding state. In the state where the firing operation unit 28 is not operated, the electromagnet 63 is turned off and the ball holding mechanism 14 is controlled to be in a non-holding state as in the first embodiment.

  As described above, in this embodiment, even when the firing operation unit 28 is being operated, the ball holding mechanism is used between the time when the game ball is shot and fired and the time when the next game ball is shot and fired. Since 14 is temporarily converted to the non-holding state, when a game ball remains at the launch position P during the game, the remaining ball can be discharged without interrupting the launch operation. In addition, since the non-holding state during the launch operation is temporary, it is not always possible to reliably discharge the remaining sphere, but as shown in FIG. By converting to a non-holding state, residual spheres can be discharged with a high probability.

<Third embodiment>
In this embodiment, the configuration of the ball holding mechanism is changed from the first embodiment. Since the configuration other than the ball holding mechanism is the same as that of the above embodiment, the same reference numerals are used and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the ball stop member 31a constituting the ball holding mechanism 14a is movably disposed on the firing mechanism plate 16. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, the ball stop member 31a is pivotable by being pivotally supported by a pivot shaft 66 protruding from the front surface of the firing mechanism plate 16, and is downwardly movable. A holding position γ (see FIG. 12A) at which the game ball x at the launch position P can be locked by hanging down and rotated 25 ° to the upper right from the hold position γ and retracted above the launch position P. It can be converted to a non-holding position β (see FIG. 12B). Further, as shown in FIG. 12, a permanent magnet 67 is fixed to the lower back surface of the ball stop member 31a, and the firing control board 80 is energized by an electromagnet (not shown) disposed on the firing mechanism plate 16. By switching, the ball stop member 31a can be converted and held between the holding position γ and the non-holding position δ.

  The configuration of the firing rail 18 of the present embodiment is the same as that of the above embodiment. That is, as shown in FIG. 12, the movable rail portion 45 is converted into the above-described holding position α and non-holding position β by the control of the firing control board 80.

  In this embodiment, in the holding state of the ball holding mechanism 14a, the movable rail portion 45 is held at the holding position α, and the ball stop member 31a is held at the holding position γ (FIG. 12A). )reference). In the non-holding state of the ball holding mechanism 14a, the movable rail portion 45 is held at the non-holding position β, and the ball stop member 31a is held at the non-holding position δ (see FIG. 12B).

  That is, in the holding state of the ball holding mechanism 14a, as shown in FIG. 12A, the game ball x at the launch position P is supported from below by the movable rail portion 45 and rolls down on the movable rail portion 45. The upper right part is locked by the ball stop member 31a so as not to be held at the firing position P. On the other hand, in the non-holding state of the ball holding mechanism 14a, as shown in FIG. 12B, the movable rail portion 45 is retracted downward, and the ball stop member 31a is retracted upward. When the gap between the ball stop members 31a widens, the game ball x cannot be held at the launch position P, and the game ball x on the movable rail portion 45 falls from the lower right end of the movable rail portion 45 to the launch ball discharge port 22. It will be discharged to the surplus sphere storage tray 11.

  As described above, in this embodiment, since both the movable rail portion 45 and the ball stop member 31a are retracted from the firing position P when the ball holding mechanism 14a is not held, the ball holding mechanism 14a of this embodiment is used. Compared with the ball holding mechanism 14 of the first embodiment, the game ball at the launch position P quickly moves away from the ball stop member 31a and flows down on the movable rail portion 45 when converting to the non-holding state. It becomes. Therefore, according to the ball holding mechanism 14a of the present embodiment, the game ball x at the launch position P can be discharged in a short time. Therefore, as in the second embodiment (see FIG. 11), the ball holding mechanism 14a of the present embodiment is not used even in the configuration in which the ball holding mechanism is in the non-holding state for a short period between the striking operations. If used, the game ball can be discharged from the launch position P with high probability.

<Fourth embodiment>
The present embodiment includes a ball approach detection sensor that detects a game ball entering the game area from the guide passage, and the launch control board detects a launch abnormal state based on the detection signal of the ball approach detection sensor, and automatically In this configuration, the normal state is restored. Since most of the configuration of the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, common portions are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The pachinko machine of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings of the first embodiment. The pachinko machine of this embodiment is provided with the corresponding portion at the entrance portion (Q portion in FIG. 2) of the game region 12 where the guide passage 20 and the game region 12 communicate. A ball approach detection sensor 83 (see FIG. 13) for detecting the passing game ball x is provided. As shown in FIG. 13, the ball approach detection sensor 83 is connected to the launch control board 80 and is turned “ON” when a game ball is detected, and transmits a detection signal to the launch control board 80.

  The firing control board 80 determines whether or not it is in a firing abnormal state based on the operation state of the launching operation unit 28 and the detection signal from the ball approach detection sensor 83. The return operation is performed to return from the abnormal firing state to the normal state.

  Specifically, the launch control board 80 determines an operation state based on detection signals from the touch sensor 81 and the operation amount detection sensor 82 as in the first embodiment. In the state where it is determined that the operation state is detected, the interval between detection signals received from the operation amount detection sensor 82 is measured, and the detection signal is output from the operation amount detection sensor 82 for 5 seconds in spite of the operation state. If it is not transmitted, it is determined that the emission is abnormal.

  When it is determined that the firing control board 80 is in a firing abnormal state, the firing solenoid 19 and the ball feeding solenoid 61 are turned off for 3 seconds to interrupt the firing operation, and the electromagnet 63 is turned off for the same period. The holding mechanism 14 is converted to a non-holding state, and the game ball is discharged from the launch position P. Then, when 3 seconds elapse, the firing control board 80 turns on the electromagnet 63 to convert the ball holding mechanism 14 to the holding state, and restarts the firing operation.

  Thus, in this embodiment, when a game ball remains at the launch position P, the launch control board 80 detects this and converts the ball holding mechanism 14 to the non-hold state for a predetermined time. Return to normal. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the player can recover from the abnormal firing state without performing any operation during the game.

  It should be noted that the pachinko machine of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  For example, in the second embodiment, the ball holding mechanism is in the non-holding state when it is not in the operation state and during the interval of the striking operation, but the ball holding mechanism is set to the non-holding state only during the interval of the striking operation. It may be.

  Also, the configuration of the ball holding mechanism can be variously changed. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the firing rail is configured by the movable rail portion and the fixed rail portion, but the entire firing rail may be disposed so as to be movable.

  Moreover, in the said Example, although the ball | bowl holding | maintenance mechanism drive means in this invention was comprised by the electromagnet, it may replace with an electromagnet and may use a motor and a solenoid.

It is a perspective view of the pachinko machine 1 in the state where the front frame door 6 is closed. It is a perspective view of the pachinko machine 1 in the state where the front frame door 6 is opened. 3 is a perspective view of a firing mechanism plate 16. FIG. It is the front view which expands and shows the firing mechanism board 16 part, (a) shows the state before the launcher 17 hits the game ball x, (b) shows the launcher 17 hit the game ball x. The state immediately after is shown. It is a fragmentary sectional view of ball feeder 50, (a) shows the state where ball opening and closing piece 58 is in a closed position, and (b) shows the state where ball opening and closing piece 58 is in a ball extraction position. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views taken along line FF in FIG. 5, in which FIG. 5A illustrates a state where the ball feeding member 52 is in a ball receiving state, and FIG. 5B illustrates a state where the ball feeding member 52 is in a ball feeding state. It is the front view which expands and shows the firing mechanism board 16 part, (a) shows the state in which the movable rail part 45 exists in the holding position (alpha), (b) shows the state in which the movable rail part 45 exists in the non-holding position (beta). Show. FIG. 8 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional side view illustrating a firing position P portion by longitudinally cutting a firing mechanism plate 16 at a GG portion in FIG. 7. It is a block diagram which shows the control circuit which concerns on launch control. It is a timing chart which shows the change of the energization states, such as a launching solenoid and a ball sending solenoid, accompanying a launching operation. It is a timing chart which shows the change of energization states, such as a launching solenoid and a ball sending solenoid, accompanying launching operation in the 2nd example. It is a front view which expands and shows the launch mechanism board 16 part in 3rd Example, (a) shows the state before the launcher 17 hits the game ball x, (b) shows the launcher 17 with the game ball. The state immediately after hitting x is shown. It is a block diagram which shows the control circuit which concerns on the launch control in 4th Example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pachinko machine 8 Game board 10 Launch ball storage tray 11 Surplus ball storage tray 12 Game area 13 Guide rail 14 Ball holding mechanism 15 Pressing device 16 Launch mechanism plate 18 Launch rail 19 Launch solenoid 20 Guide passage 21 Foul mouth 24 Ball release Exit 28 Firing operation section 31 Ball stop member 44 Firing ball discharge path 45 Movable rail section 50 Ball feeding device 61 Ball feeding solenoid 63 Electromagnet (ball holding mechanism driving means)
64 Permanent magnet 80 Launch control board 81 Touch sensor 82 Operation amount detection sensor 83 Ball approach detection sensor P Launch position x Game ball

Claims (2)

A ball feeding device that sends game balls stored in the firing ball storage dish one by one to the firing position;
A ball holding mechanism for holding the game ball sent out by the ball feeding device at the launch position;
A striking device for striking and firing the game ball held at the launch position to the game area;
A launch operation unit for a player to perform a launch operation;
In a pachinko machine comprising a firing control means for actuating the ball hitting device and the ball feeding device so as to continuously hit and blow game balls based on the operation of the launch operation unit,
The ball holding mechanism can be converted into a holding state in which the game ball can be held at the launch position and a non-hold state in which the game ball cannot be held at the launch position. ,
Furthermore, a sphere holding mechanism driving means for converting the sphere holding mechanism into the holding state and the non-holding state;
A launch ball discharge path for discharging the game ball from the launch position to the front side of the gaming machine main body in the non-holding state of the ball holding mechanism;
Operation state determination means for determining whether or not the firing operation unit is in an operated state;
At least when the hitting device hits and fires a game ball, the ball holding mechanism driving unit is controlled so that the ball holding mechanism is in the holding state, and the operation state determination unit is not in the operation state. If it is determined, the sphere holding mechanism comprises a holding state control means for controlling the sphere holding mechanism driving means so that the sphere holding mechanism is in the non-holding state ,
The ball holding mechanism supports the game ball from below at the launch position, guides the game ball that has been shot and fired obliquely upward, and is disposed above the launch position, and is provided by the launch rail. It is composed of a ball stop member that locks the supported game ball at the launch position,
The firing rail includes a movable rail portion that is movably disposed below the firing position and is position-converted by the ball holding mechanism driving means.
In the holding state of the ball holding mechanism, the movable rail portion is held at a position immediately below the launch position, so that the game ball at the launch position can be supported from below by the upper surface of the movable rail portion,
In the non-holding state of the ball holding mechanism, the movable rail portion retreats downward, and the inclination angle of the upper surface of the movable rail portion becomes steep, whereby the game ball at the launch position is moved to the movable rail portion. A pachinko machine capable of being guided to the discharge path of the projecting ball by an upper surface . The ball stop member is disposed so as to be retractable above the launch position, and is position-converted by the ball holding mechanism driving means,
In the holding state of the ball holding mechanism, the ball stop member is held at a position where the game ball at the launch position can be locked,
The pachinko machine according to claim 1, wherein in the non-holding state of the ball holding mechanism, the ball stopping member is retracted upward .

Images