JP5095188B2 - Ball launcher - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a ball launcher in a pachinko machine or the like, and more specifically, using a clapper type electromagnetic solenoid, a pachinko ball (hereinafter simply referred to as a ball) at a ball launch position of a launch rail is directed to a game board. The present invention relates to an improvement of a launching device.

  Conventionally, as a device for launching a ball in a pachinko machine, a striking portion is provided at the tip of a plunger that linearly moves in a direct acting electromagnetic solenoid, and a return spring is assembled to the other end of the plunger, and the plunger is on an extension line of the launch rail. There was what was assembled | attached to the support frame so that it might be located in (refer patent document 1).

  This is because the electromagnetic solenoid is arranged on the extension line of the launch rail, so that a long installation part is required in the left and right direction of the game board of the pachinko machine, and the coil of the electromagnetic solenoid is required to give the ball the necessary striking energy. Since the diameter of the part is thick, there is a problem that it cannot be made compact.

  In order to solve the problem of the above arrangement, in the invention described in Patent Document 2, a direct acting electromagnetic solenoid is arranged at an upper position away from the extension line of the firing rail, and the plunger of the electromagnetic solenoid and the ball firing position of the firing rail The structure which provided the launching rod which rotates by the protrusion movement of a plunger between these is proposed.

On the other hand, in Patent Document 3, a base end of a suction piece (movable element) is pivotally attached to one end of a yoke of a clapper (also referred to as a flapper type) solenoid, and a dowel hole is provided in the middle of the suction piece. The solenoid iron core (stator) is configured so that the tip of the solenoid enters the dowel hole, while an urging spring is installed between the yoke and the suction piece to reduce the urging force of the urging spring when the solenoid is released. Thus, a configuration is disclosed in which a ball is hit with a hammer provided at the tip of the suction piece. Moreover, the structure which provides the elastic electromagnetic body which touches both an iron core and an attraction | suction piece between a yoke and an attraction | suction piece and raises the attraction | suction force at the time of an attraction | suction start is disclosed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-272228 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-108945 JP-A-10-261518

  However, since the configuration of Patent Document 2 is a direct-acting electromagnetic solenoid, the thickness of the coil portion is large as in Patent Document 2, and the rotating launcher is disposed at a distant position. Bulky as a whole. On the other hand, in the configuration of Patent Document 2, the impact energy applied to the sphere is not based on the magnetization of the solenoid, but is applied by the biasing force of the biasing spring when the solenoid is released from suction. The problem that it is necessary separately and the number of parts increases and cannot be made compact cannot be solved.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and is compact and energy efficient while using a clapper-type electromagnetic solenoid (electromagnet), and the accuracy of each component and An object of the present invention is to provide a ball launcher having stable performance while being able to moderate assembly accuracy.

In order to achieve the above object, a ball launcher according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a coil, an electromagnet including a stator and a mover, a hammer provided on the mover, and a hammer. In the ball launching device having the ball launching rail, the stator includes an inner core located on the inner diameter part of the coil and an L-shaped outer iron core disposed on one side of the outer diameter part of the coil. It is formed in a C-type comprising, at one end of said iron core, by the supply of operating current to the electromagnet, projecting head which is formed along the rotation direction of the mover suction recess to enable close The projecting head is formed in a truncated trapezoidal shape projecting toward the downstream side in the rotational direction of the movable element, and the suction recess is shaped in a truncated trapezoidal shape that allows the projecting head to fit and be close to each other. A dent is formed, and the hammer is more than the protruding head. And it is characterized in that it is provided far radially outward from moving shaft.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the ball launching apparatus according to the first aspect, the pivot support shaft of the mover is pivotally supported by a bearing provided on the outer iron core.

A third aspect of the present invention is the ball launcher according to the first or second aspect , further comprising a bias device for separating the hammer from the sphere.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the ball launching device according to the third aspect , the electromagnet, the hammer, the firing rail, and the bias device are arranged on one side of the base plate.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the ball launcher according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the protruding head is prevented from coming into contact with the suction recess when the ball is hit by the hammer. It has a plurality of stopper means.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the ball launcher according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a contact portion with respect to the stopper means is integrally formed of a synthetic resin material on either the stator or the mover. It is what.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the ball launcher according to any of the fifth to sixth aspects, the abutting portion for the hammer and the stopper means is made of a synthetic resin and is outsert with respect to the mover. It is configured by molding.

The invention according to claim 8 is an inflection point from the shape of the downward convex curve in the solenoid magnetization characteristic curve showing the change of the magnetic flux of the electromagnet with respect to the magnetomotive force in the ball launching device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. Only the magnetic flux curve part having an upward convex curve exceeding the region is set as the operation region.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the stator of the electromagnet includes an inner iron core positioned at the inner diameter portion of the coil, and an L that is connected to the inner iron core and disposed on one side of the outer diameter portion of the coil. The outer core of the mold is formed into a C shape, and a projecting head formed along the rotational direction of the mover by the operation current supplied to the electromagnet is close to one end of the inner core A so-called C-type solenoid in which a suction recess is formed and a hammer is provided on the mover, so that the projecting head of the mover is electromagnetically attracted to the suction recess of the stator by energizing the coil. Since a ball such as a pachinko ball can be directly hit and launched by a hammer by electromagnetic attraction, the ball launcher can be made compact.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the hammer is provided on a radially outer side farther from the pivot shaft than the projecting head, and the projecting head is rotated by the movable element. Combined with the fact that the suction recess is formed in a truncated trapezoidal shape that allows the projecting head to be fitted and close, it protrudes toward the downstream side in the moving direction. When the attraction force is maximum, that is, when the mover is not obstructed by the outer end surface of the coil and the side surface of the mover is closest to the outer end surface of the coil, the mover is placed in the suction recess that is the opening recess of the stator. The projecting head of the hammer can be fitted to minimize the clearance (clearance) between the suction recess and the projecting head, and the hammer hitting force can be applied to the ball from the initial position (return position). The striking stroke until giving is increased, and In the configuration of the compact stator and the mover, it is possible to obtain a remarkable effect that it is possible to provide a striking efficient sphere launchers.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the pivot support shaft of the mover is pivotally supported by a bearing provided on the outer iron core, so that the clearance of the pivot support portion can be reduced, and the bearing It is easy to configure the with a magnetic material. In addition, a magnetic path (magnetic circuit) can be formed from the stator to the mover via the bearing, and loss during formation of the magnetic path from the stator to the mover can be reduced. In addition, if the bearing is a rolling bearing using a steel material, it is possible to minimize the backlash when the mover is rotated, and the impact point on the ball of the hammer's striking part will not be blurred and stable. The effect that it is possible to realize the skipping of the ball is achieved.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a bias device for separating the hammer from the sphere is provided. Therefore, the biasing force of the compression coil spring of the bias device when firing the ball in the horizontal direction is reduced to such an extent that the movable element can freely rotate downward by its own weight, thereby resisting the electromagnetic attractive force when the coil is energized. By reducing the bias force, it can contribute to increasing the ball launch force.

According to invention of Claim 4 , since the said electromagnet, a hammer, a launching rail, and the bias apparatus are arrange | positioned at the single side | surface of a base board, a ball launching device is attached to the attachment board surface of a pachinko ball game device. The mounting restrictions can be reduced.

According to the invention of claim 5 , since it has one or more stopper means for preventing the protruding head from coming into contact with the suction recess when the ball is hit by the hammer, When the energization time (ON-Time) exceeds the rating, or when the mover receives a strong suction force from the inner iron core of the stator, the protruding head is prevented from coming into contact with the suction recess, The mover and the inner iron core can be prevented from being deformed or damaged, and the durability can be improved. In particular, if the projecting head repeatedly collides with the suction recess, the shape of both parts will change, and the required operating gap (clearance) distance will become uneven. Since this changes from the state and deteriorates, this phenomenon can be eliminated.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since either one of the stator and the movable element is integrally formed with a synthetic resin material with a contact portion with respect to the stopper means, The structure of the part is simplified, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

According to invention of Claim 7 , since the contact part with respect to the said hammer and a stopper means is a product made from a synthetic resin, and is comprised by the outsert molding with respect to the said needle | mover, between a hammer and a needle | mover, Good integrity (fixation). In particular, if the connecting portion penetrating in the thickness direction of the mover is outsert-molded integrally with the hammer portion, the hammer can be reliably prevented from falling off the mover.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, only a curved portion having a downward convex curve in which the drive current waveform applied to the electromagnet exceeds the inflection point from the upward convex curve shape is defined as the operation region. Therefore, the dimensional accuracy of the stator and mover, especially the dimensional accuracy of the truncated trapezoidal shape of the protruding head and suction recess, and the minimum clearance tolerance due to the assembly accuracy error of the mover relative to the stator are set strictly. Even if it is not, there is an effect that variation in hitting energy applied to the ball by the hitting portion in the hammer 7 can be reduced, and variation in ball flying can be reduced.

  Next, the form for implementing this invention is demonstrated with reference to FIGS. 1-6 which shows 1st Embodiment of the ball | bowl launching apparatus 1 of this invention. FIG. 1 is a front view of the ball launcher 1. All the components of the ball launcher 1 are assembled to the metal base plate 2. The components are a coil 4, a stator 5, a mover 6, a clapper type solenoid (electromagnet) 3 composed of these parts, a hammer 7 fixed to the mover 6, a firing rail 9, a bias device 10, and a plurality of stopper means. 11a to 11c.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the stator 5 includes an inner iron core 5a disposed in a cylinder of the cylindrical coil 4, and an L-shaped outer iron core 5b connected to the base end of the inner iron core 5a. Consists of. The inner iron core 5a and the outer iron core 5b are formed by laminating a large number of silicon steel plates, which are soft magnetic materials. However, a high magnetic permeability alloy such as an iron nickel alloy (permalloy) plate may be used. It may be fired after compression molding into a predetermined shape.

  In the embodiment, a silicon steel plate is punched and formed in a C-shape (U-shape) in front view in order to obtain a stator 5 in which an inner iron core 5a and an outer iron core 5b are integrated. When magnetic plates are stacked, they are caulked and fixed by caulking pins 12 or the like at a plurality of locations shown in the figure. L-shaped metal reinforcing plates 13 and 13 are disposed at the lowermost and uppermost positions of the outer iron core 5b, and a shield is provided between the lowermost reinforcing plate 13 and the base plate 2. A resin plate 14 for (magnetic shielding) is inserted (see FIG. 3).

  The stator 5 is fixed to the base plate 2 at an accurate installation position by a plurality of positioning pins 15 and a plurality of set screws 16. A suction recess 17 that is an open magnetic pole surface is formed at the tip of the inner iron core 5a (a portion that can be approached and opposed to a protruding head 20 of a mover 6 described later, and a magnetic pole surface) (see FIG. 1, see FIG. The suction recess 17 is formed in the shape of a truncated cone having inclined surfaces 17b and 17c having a flat bottom surface 17a and a pair of side surfaces extending in the opening direction.

  Similarly to the stator 5, the mover 6 is formed by laminating a large number of magnetic plates such as silicon steel plates, and is fixed by caulking pins 12 or the like at a plurality of locations shown in FIG. A projecting head 20 is integrally formed on the movable element 6. When the coil 4 is energized, the end surface (top surface) 20a of the projecting head 20 of the movable element 6 and the pair of inclinations with respect to the bottom surface 17a and the pair of inclined surfaces 17b, 17c of the above-described suction recess 17 of the inner iron core 5a. The suction recess 17 and the protruding head 20 are formed in a truncated trapezoidal shape so that the side surfaces 20b and 20c come close to each other with a predetermined operating gap (clearance) (see b in FIG. 6B). ).

  As described above, the suction recess 17 and the projecting head 20 are formed in a truncated cone shape, and the area of the side facing the bottom surface 17a and the end surface (top surface) 20a is defined as the opening end of the suction recess 17 and the projecting head. By setting it to be smaller than the cross-sectional area of the base portion of the movable element 6 relative to the movable element 6, when the movable element 6 is returned to the initial position, the clearance (clearance) between the suction recess 17 and the protruding head 20 is more than necessary. The initial suction force at a predetermined initial position (return position, solid line position of the mover 6 in FIG. 2) does not increase but can be prevented from becoming extremely small. Further, it is possible to contribute to increasing as much as possible the suction force in the rotational tangential direction of the protruding head 20 in the movable element 6 that rotates about the rotation support shaft 24.

  The hammer 7 is integrated with the mover 6 by outsert molding (see FIG. 6A), and the hammer 7 has a plurality of connecting portions 7a penetrating in the plate thickness direction of the mover 6 so that the hammer 7 It is impossible to drop out.

  The striking portion 22 of the hammer 7 is positioned at a position (distance L2) longer (radially outward) than the distance L1 from the center of the support shaft hole 21 (rotation support shaft 24) of the mover 6 to the protruding head 20. To do. In order to reduce the rotational moment (moment of inertia) on the hammer 7 mounting side (radially outer side) of the mover 6, the number of laminated magnetic bodies on the hammer 7 mounting side is reduced and the stepped portion 6 a is formed. A hammer 7 is integrally formed. Similarly, in order to reduce the rotational moment, a hollow hole 6b is formed on the distal end side of the mover 6. Accordingly, the weight of the entire movable element 6 can be reduced.

  In order to carry out the ball jumping stably, it is necessary to continuously apply acceleration force to the ball while the hammer is in contact with the ball after the hammer hits the ball. For this purpose, it is conceivable to increase the moment of inertia by increasing the drive pulse width or increasing the size of the mover. However, on the other hand, the kinetic energy of the mover after the ball is separated from the hammer also increases, and the collision energy with the first stopper means 27 and the second stopper means 28 described later increases. As a result, the energy consumed by the stopper is increased, the energy efficiency is deteriorated, and the stress applied to each stopper means is increased.

  In the embodiment, the driving pulse is turned off before hitting. The source of the ball striking force is the kinetic energy of the mover 6 obtained by the suction of the solenoid. As described above, the mass of the mover 6 greatly affects the launch performance. The point of action of various forces on the mover 6 also affects the performance.

  Regarding the action point of various forces acting on the mover 6, the action point of the solenoid attraction force is the center of gravity (center of mass) position in the rotational movement of the mover 6, and the action point of the striking force is the striker (center of momentum, In order to reduce the burden on the stopper, the point of action of the reaction force by the first stopper means 27 is efficiently placed at the outermost side of the rotation radius of the mover 6 at the position of the sweet spot).

  The action points of these three forces in the mover 6 are a solenoid suction part, a hammer hitting part, and a first stopper means 27 in order from the rotation support shaft 24 of the mover 6.

  If the mover 6 has the same length and the link ratio between L1 and L2 is large, the solenoid gap decreases in a linear proportion, but the suction force increases in proportion to the square. The hitting energy applied to 23 can be increased. However, the operation time of attraction to impact is shortened, and higher machining accuracy of the parts forming the magnetic path is required instead. There is no merit of further shortening the current drive pulse 7 ms with respect to the hitting cycle 600 ms of 100 balls (balls) 23 shots per minute as stipulated by law.

  In the embodiment, L1 is 32 mm, L2 is 54 mm (L1 is about 1 when L1 is 1), and L3 (distance from the rotation support shaft 24 to the operating point of the first stopper 27) is 63 mm.

  Regarding the mass of the mover 6, the equivalent mass at the suction position is about 6 times, and the equivalent mass at the hitting position is about twice the mass of the sphere 23. The center of gravity of the mover 6 is 22 mm from the rotary support shaft 24, and the strike center of the hitting portion 22 is 40 mm.

  In this embodiment, it is possible to provide a ball launching device 1 with energy saving of about 700 mJ and stable launching performance with respect to the input energy 1000 to 3000 mJ of other companies' ball launching.

  Further, the hammer 7 is integrally formed with a hitting portion 22 for hitting a pachinko ball (ball) 23. The synthetic resin material of the hammer 7 has a high resistance (fatigue resistance) against repeated collisions with the ball 23, has an appropriate compressive elastic force (bounce repulsion force), and further has high moldability and high sliding. It is preferable that the material is highly resistant and wear-resistant, and examples thereof include polyetherimide, polyethersulfone, polyetherketone, polyamideimide, and thermoplastic polyester elastomer (trade name: “Hytrel”).

  A pair of reinforcing plates 13 on one side of the outer iron core 5b of the stator 5 is provided with a rotating support shaft 24 fitted in the support shaft hole 21 at the base end of the mover 6 so that the rotating support shaft 24 can rotate with less rotational resistance. A pair of bearings (rolling bearings) 25 for supporting are fixed (see FIG. 3).

  The launch rail 9 is fixed to the base plate 2 with a set screw 16 and the like together with a launch plate 26 having an L-shaped section made of synthetic resin. The firing rail 9 has a V-shaped guide surface (sliding surface) on which the ball 23 is placed. Of the ceiling portion 26a of the launch pad 26 facing the guide surface of the launch rail 9, a launch start portion by the hammer 7 is provided with an inclined portion 26b for preventing the ball 23 from dropping off to the movable element 6 side. .

  The ball launching device 1 of the present invention is provided with a plurality of stopper means. The first stopper means 27 is fixed to the base plate 2 facing the front end side of the movable element 6 (a part farther away from the rotary support shaft 24 in the radial direction than the hammering portion 22 of the hammer 7). In this configuration, a hard rubber or synthetic resin wear-resistant block body 27a is fitted and fixed to the holding body 27b, and the holding body 27b is screwed to the base plate 2. The coil 4 is energized, and the projecting head 20 of the mover 6 that rotates in the direction of arrow A (suction rotation direction) in FIG. By this operation (striking operation), after the ball 23 of the firing start portion on the firing rail 9 is struck by the striking portion 22 of the hammer 7, the contact portion 6 c integrally formed on the distal end side of the mover 6 is the first. The stopper means 27 is configured to collide with the front end surface of the block body 27a.

  The second stopper means 29 is configured such that after the abutting portion 6c collides with the front end surface of the block body 27a, the projecting head 20 reaches the suction recess 17 due to the suction force of the projecting head 20 by the inner iron core 5a. This is for maintaining a minute required operation gap between the projecting head 20 and the suction recess 17 in a state of approach (so that the projecting head 20 does not collide with the suction recess 17). The second stopper means (projection part) 29 is formed integrally with the end surface of the inner iron core 5a, and the abutting part 28 against the second stopper means (projection part) 29 has excellent wear resistance. The protrusion is formed integrally with the hammer 7, and this protrusion is located in the vicinity of the base of the protruding head 20 of the mover 6. As another embodiment of the second stopper means, a synthetic resin component is provided on the end surface side of the inner iron core 5a, and a contact portion to be in contact with this is integrally formed on the movable element 6 or the hammer 7 with the respective materials. May be.

  By adopting the two-stage stopper configuration of the first and second stopper means 27 and 29, the impact force of the collision that cannot be absorbed by one stopper means can be efficiently absorbed. In addition, with one stopper means, an excessive external force (impact force) acts on a specific part of the mover 6, and the mover 6 is easily deformed or damaged by the repeated impact, but this is prevented. This is to improve durability. In particular, if the projecting head 20 repeatedly collides with the suction recess 17, the shape of both parts changes, and the characteristics of the attraction force by the electromagnet, such as the uneven distance of the required operating gap (clearance), are present. This is to eliminate this phenomenon because it changes from the initial state and deteriorates.

  The third stopper means 30 is for setting an initial position (return position) in which the projecting head 20 of the mover 6 is farthest from the suction recess 17 of the stator 5 and similarly has wear resistance. The block body 30a made of synthetic resin is fixed to the base body 2 with screws 31 or the like. In order to enable adjustment of the initial position (return position) of the mover 6, an attachment hole (not shown) is opened at a position eccentric from the center line of the cylindrical block body 30a. Through this mounting hole, the contact position with respect to the contact portion 6d integrally formed on the back surface of the mover 6 with respect to the peripheral surface of the block body 30a can be changed and adjusted via the screw 31.

  A bias device (biasing means) 10 for returning the mover 6 to the initial position (return position) when the suction of the mover 6 by the stator 5 is released (energization of the coil 4 is released) is an outer iron core. 2b and the outer surface of the coil 4 (between the rotation support shaft 24 of the mover 6 and the outer surface of the coil 4) and the like, the suction side surface of the mover 6 is in the return direction, the direction of arrow B in FIG. The base end of the compression coil spring 34 that presses against the base plate 2 is fitted on the round shaft portion 35a of the bracket 35 fixed to the base plate 2 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

  When the mover 6 is positioned below the stator 5 and the suction of the mover 6 is released, the position (initial position (return position) of the third stopper means 30 is caused by the dead weight of the mover 6. The bias device 10 is not particularly required in the configuration of returning to the position) In such a case, when the coil is energized, the movable element 6 (hammer 7) is rotated upward, and the upward striking portion 22 is moved. The orientation of the ball launcher 1 can be set so that the ball 23 can be launched upward.

  Accordingly, when the ball 23 is fired in the horizontal direction, the biasing force of the compression coil spring 34 of the bias device 10 is reduced to such an extent that the movable element 6 can freely rotate downward by its own weight, so that electromagnetic attraction when the coil is energized. By reducing the bias force against the force, it can contribute to increasing the ball launching power.

  For example, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 9, when the return spring force Fr in terms of the center of gravity of the mover 6 at the firing angle θ of the sphere 23 is assumed to be a value derived from the relational expression mg sinθ + Fr = mg, Different firing angles θx can be handled only by changing the return spring. In the above equation, m is the equivalent mass of the mover 6 and g is the gravitational acceleration.

That is, by reducing the urging force of the compression coil spring 34 that is the bias device 10 to such an extent that the mover 6 can freely rotate downward by its own weight, the stator 5 and the mover are moved according to the firing angle θ of the sphere 23. 6. The urging force of the compression coil spring 34 can be given in mg (1-sinθ) without changing the coil 4 and the like, and the ball launch force can be reduced by reducing the bias force against the electromagnetic attractive force when the coil is energized. Can be increased. Further, the arrangement position of the compression coil spring 34 which is the bias device 10 is arranged at a position closer to the rotation support shaft 24 than the suction position of the movable element 6 ( the position of the protruding head 20 with respect to the suction recess 17 of the stator 5 ). Thus, the change in the spring length of the compression coil spring 34 is small, which is advantageous for energizing mg (1-sin θ) (= a constant value).

  In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the shape of the suction recess 40 at the tip of the inner core 5 a in the stator 5 and the protruding head 41 of the mover 6 in the front view are the bottom surface 40 a of the suction recess 40 and the same. While reducing the area of the top surface 41a of the protruding head 41 facing the pair, the pair of side surfaces 40b and 40c along the rotation direction of the movable element 6 in the suction recess 40 and the rotation of the movable element 6 in the protruding head 41 are provided. A pair of side surfaces 41b and 41c along the direction are formed in a circular arc surface having a radius centered on the rotation support shaft 24 of the movable element 6, from the pair of side surfaces 40b and 40c to the bottom surface 40a, and the pair of side surfaces. The side surfaces from 41b and 41c to the top surface 41a are formed in a truncated trapezoidal shape. Therefore, when the mover 6 is in the initial position (return position), the gap (clearance) between the side surfaces 40c41c on one side (smaller radius side) can be reduced. As a result, the suction force at the beginning of the stroke can be increased, and the increase in the suction force at the end of the stroke can be moderated. In addition, since the structure of other components (member) etc. is the same as 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the same structure and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted. In addition, the operation and effect are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 7 shows a solenoid magnetization characteristic curve S (hereinafter simply referred to as a characteristic curve S) of the clapper type solenoid (electromagnet) 3 of the present invention, wherein the horizontal axis is magnetomotive force U (unit: AT, ampere turn), and the vertical axis is Magnetic flux Φ (unit: Wb). The characteristic of this characteristic curve S is that the tangential gradient in the characteristic curve S when the magnetomotive force has an arbitrary value tends to increase as the magnetomotive force U increases in the previous region S1 from the origin O to the inflection point Sh. It is in. In the region S2 in the later stage beyond the inflection point So, the tangential gradient in the characteristic curve S when the magnetomotive force has an arbitrary value tends to decrease as the magnetomotive force U increases in the initial stage. In other words, the characteristic curve S has a downward convex curve shape in the preceding region S1, and the upward convex curve shape in the subsequent region S2. In the present invention, the magnetomotive force U at the inflection point Sh is approximately 1200 (AT), and the magnetic flux density at that time (the value of the magnetic flux Φ is the sectional area of the opening surface of the suction recess 40 (in the embodiment, 6 mm × 8 mm)). The divided value was almost 1.4 (Wb / m2).

  FIG. 8A shows a voltage pulse P applied to drive the electromagnet 3 of the present invention, a driving current waveform I at that time, and a protruding head with respect to the bottom surface 17a (40a) of the suction recess 17 (40) of the striking portion 22. The state of the change with respect to time t of the distance Xt (distance in alignment with an X-axis direction in FIG. 2) of the approach direction of the top face 20a (41a) of the part 20 (41) is shown. By setting the width of the voltage pulse P to be applied to be long, a portion where the drive current waveform I curves upward from a convex curve and a downward convex curve through an inflection point Ih, and a predetermined maximum current value Im (restricted by a constant current circuit) A current is applied to the electromagnet 3 so as to extend to the portion of (value).

  In the present invention, since the drive current waveform above the inflection point Ih is used, the application time of the drive pulse P becomes longer and extra energy is required, but as described later, the stator 5 and the mover Strictly set the tolerance of the minimum clearance due to the dimensional accuracy of the protrusion 6, the dimensional accuracy of the truncated trapezoidal shape of the protruding head 20 (41) and the suction recess 17 (40), and the assembly accuracy error of the mover 6 with respect to the stator 5. Even if it does not, the effect that the variation of the striking energy applied to the ball 23 by the striking part 22 in the hammer 7 can be reduced and the variation of the ball 23 can be reduced. In other words, the mover 6 and eventually the hammer 7 Since the stroke adjustment range can be increased, it is easy to adjust the strength of the striking energy applied to the ball 23 by the striking portion 22 (adjustment of the strength of the ball jump).

  In the product of the first embodiment of the present invention, the current value at the inflection point Ih was approximately 3.1A. The appearance of such an inflection point Ih is the saturation region of the magnetic flux Φ beyond the inflection point Sh in the solenoid magnetization characteristic curve S showing the change of the magnetic flux Φ of the electromagnet 3 with respect to the magnetomotive force U in the present invention (rear) This verifies that only the step region S2) is the operation region.

  Note that the current waveform for reference shown in FIG. 8B is shown in the prior art (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 5-31230 and 8-141154).

  In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-31230, an on-time calculation circuit that is driven by a firing trigger pulse and has a switching function is connected to a solenoid driving circuit that drives a ball hitting ball that strikes a pachinko ball. A configuration is disclosed in which the driving time is controlled to correspond to one driving pulse width, and a means for controlling the pulse width of the driving pulse is provided to control the striking force of the hitting ball. In that case, as shown in FIG. 2 of the publication, the drive current waveform corresponding to one drive pulse width uses a curved portion having an upward convex curve.

  Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-141154 discloses that the jump amount of the ball is controlled by controlling the rising curve of the current input to the driving solenoid of the pachinko ball launching rod. Is a curved portion having an upward convex curve. As can be seen from these current waveforms (see FIG. 8B), no inflection point appears in the middle.

  In the present invention, as described above, in the characteristic curve S (see FIG. 7), when the magnetomotive force U increases at a constant rate, the range in which the rate of increase in the magnetic flux Φ (magnetic flux density) is small (the tangential gradient of the curve is By utilizing the small range, the subsequent region S2), the magnetic flux Φ (magnetic flux density) changes only slightly even if the magnetomotive force ΔU2 is greatly changed. In other words, the dimensional accuracy of the solenoid (electromagnet) stator 5 and the mover 6 which are factors that change the magnetomotive force, in particular, the dimensional accuracy of the truncated trapezoidal shape of the protruding head 20 (41) and the suction recess 17 (40). In addition, even if the tolerance of the minimum clearance due to the assembly accuracy error of the mover 6 with respect to the stator 5 is not set strictly, the variation of the striking energy applied to the ball 23 by the striking portion 22 in the hammer 7 can be reduced, and the ball 23 The effect that the variation in flying can be reduced, conversely, because the stroke adjustment range of the movable element 6 and eventually the hammer 7 can be increased, the adjustment of the strength of the striking energy given to the ball 23 by the striking part 22 (ball jumping) The adjustment of the strength of the image becomes easier.

  On the other hand, in FIG. 7, when the magnetomotive force ΔU1 increases at a constant rate, the magnetomotive force ΔU1 is slightly changed in the range where the change of the magnetic flux Φ (magnetic flux density) is large (the range where the tangential gradient of the curve is large). Since the change of the magnetic flux Φ (magnetic flux density) is large, the dimensional accuracy of the truncated trapezoidal shape of the projecting head 20 (41) and the suction recess 17 (40), which is a change factor of the magnetomotive force, and the stator 5 The variation in the striking energy given to the ball 23 by the striking portion 22 of the hammer 7 increases only with a small error in the assembly accuracy of the mover 6 with respect to. As a result, since the stroke adjustment range of the hammer 7 is small, it is difficult to adjust the strength of the striking energy applied to the ball 23 by the striking portion 22 (adjustment of the strength of the ball jump).

  Although not shown, the drive control circuit for energizing the electromagnet 3 is provided with a safety circuit that prevents the (ON-Time) of the drive pulse from exceeding a certain upper limit value when the solenoid energization time becomes longer. ing.

It is a front view of a ball launcher, and shows the position of a mover at the moment of hitting a ball with a hammer hitting part by a solid line. It is a front view of a ball launcher, and shows when the hammer is in the initial position with a solid line. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 1. It is the IV-IV arrow line view (bottom view) of FIG. It is a VV arrow directional cross-sectional view of FIG. (A) is a side view showing a part of a mover (with a hammer) in section, and (b) is a front view of the mover (with a hammer). 3 is a solenoid magnetization characteristic curve S according to the present invention. (A) is the voltage pulse P applied to drive the electromagnet 3 of the present invention, the drive current waveform I, and the projecting head 20 (41) of the striking portion 22 with respect to the bottom surface 17a (40a) of the suction recess 17 (40). The figure which shows the state of the change with respect to time t of the distance Xt (distance in alignment with an X-axis direction in FIG. 2) of the approach direction of the top surface 20a (41a) of FIG. FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows conversion of the return spring force of a bias apparatus. It is a figure which shows 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

1 ball launcher 2 base plate 3 electromagnet 4 coil 5 stator 6 mover 7 hammer 9 launch rail 10 bias device 17, 40 suction recess 20, 41 projecting head 22 striking part 24 rotation support shaft 25 bearings 27, 29, 30 stopper means

Claims (8)

In a ball launcher having a coil, an electromagnet including a stator and a mover, a hammer provided on the mover, and a launch rail of a ball hit by the hammer,
The stator is formed in a C-shape composed of an inner iron core positioned on the inner diameter portion of the coil and an L-shaped outer iron core disposed on one side of the outer diameter portion of the coil ,
At one end portion of the inner iron core, a suction recess is formed that allows a projecting head formed along the rotation direction of the mover to approach by supplying an operating current to the electromagnet ,
The projecting head is formed in a truncated trapezoidal shape that projects toward the downstream side in the rotational direction of the mover, and the suction recess is formed in a recess in a truncated trapezoidal shape to which the projecting head can be fitted and approached. ,
The ball launcher according to claim 1, wherein the hammer is provided on a radially outer side farther from the pivot shaft than the projecting head .   The ball launcher according to claim 1, wherein the pivot shaft of the mover is pivotally supported by a bearing provided on the outer iron core. The ball launcher according to claim 1 or 2 , further comprising a bias device for separating the hammer from the ball. The ball launcher according to claim 3 , wherein the electromagnet, the hammer, the launch rail, and the bias device are arranged on one side of the base plate . The ball launcher according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising one or more stopper means for preventing the protruding head from coming into contact with the suction recess when the ball is hit by the hammer. . 6. The ball launcher according to claim 5 , wherein a contact portion with respect to the stopper means is integrally formed of a synthetic resin material on either the stator or the mover . The ball launcher according to any one of claims 5 to 6 , wherein the abutting portion with respect to the hammer and the stopper means is made of a synthetic resin and is configured by outsert molding with respect to the movable element. . Claims, characterized in that the upwardly convex curved magnetic flux curve sites only the operation region of the shape beyond the inflection point of the shape of a downward convex curvature in the solenoid magnetization characteristic curve showing the change in magnetic flux of the electromagnet against the magnetomotive force Item 8. The ball launcher according to any one of Items 1 to 7 .

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