JP5346789B2 - Coin insertion device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a coin chute that reduces the size of a coin path and production cost. <P>SOLUTION: The coin chute includes: a first slot 10 through which a user drops each coin C to pass; a coin container 12 which stores a plurality of coins C and has a slope 16a allowing the user to slide a stored coin upward; and a second slot 20 arranged below the first slot 10 and below the upper end of the slope 16a to allow each coin C to pass. The coin chute also includes a chute 2 along which coins C slide down. The chute 2 guides coins C so that a coin C passing the first slot 10 and a coin C moved along the slope 16a pass the second slot 20. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a coin insertion device used for inserting coins into a game device.

  As examples of game devices that use coins, a coin pusher and a slot machine are known. Such a game apparatus is provided with a coin insertion device for inserting coins.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a coin insertion mechanism used for a coin pusher. The coin insertion mechanism includes a storage unit that stores coins, a first inclined wall that allows a user to move the coins upward from the storage unit, and a coin that is moved on the first inclined wall. Has a first insertion port that passes one sheet at a time while sliding down. Further, the coin insertion mechanism includes a second inclined wall that allows the user to move the coin from the storage unit while sliding the coin, and a coin that has been moved on the second inclined wall slides down at a time. It has the 2nd slot which passes 1 sheet. When the user moves the coin upward from the storage unit using the first or second inclined wall and releases the hand from the coin upstream of the first or second insertion slot, the coin slides down and the first Or it passes through the second inlet.

  In order to continuously insert a plurality of coins in this coin insertion mechanism, the user may place a plurality of coins in an area upstream of the first or second insertion slot. One coin passes through the first or second slot at one time, and as a result, a plurality of coins are continuously inserted. According to this coin insertion mechanism, since it is easy to continuously insert coins, the user can be enthusiastic about the game without worrying about the operation of the coins. This coin insertion mechanism is convenient for users who are not familiar with the coin insertion operation.

JP 2007-54489 A

  However, in the coin insertion mechanism described in Patent Document 1, a coin path having a first inclined wall and a first insertion slot and a coin path having a second inclination wall and a second insertion slot are provided separately. This increases the size of the mechanism and the manufacturing cost.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a coin insertion device that can be easily miniaturized with respect to the coin path and that can suppress the manufacturing cost.

The coin insertion device according to the first aspect of the present invention is arranged below the first reception port and a first reception port through which a user can drop a coin one at a time and allow it to pass through. A coin container that opens upward and can accommodate a plurality of coins, and a coin that is located below the first receiving port and accommodated in the coin container can be inserted by a user A second reception port, and a chute that guides the coin that has passed through the first reception port and the coin that has passed through the second reception port.
According to this configuration, since the chute is used for both the first reception port and the second reception port, it is not necessary to provide separate coin paths. For this reason, since the constituent members of the apparatus can be shared with respect to the coin path, the manufacturing cost can be suppressed.

Preferably, the coin insertion device further includes a slope for a user to lift the coin accommodated in the coin container while sliding, and the second reception port is below the upper end of the slope, A coin that falls from the upper end of the slope and slides down the chute and a coin that passes through the first receiving port and slides down the chute can pass one at a time.
According to this configuration, the coin that the user has passed through the first reception port slides down the chute and passes through the second reception port. Coins raised by the user while sliding on the slope from the coin container also fall from the upper end of the slope, and then slide down the chute and pass through the second reception port. The first reception port has a structure that allows the user to drop and pass one coin at a time, so that a user who is proficient in coin operation inserts a plurality of coins continuously. Each of the coins may be inserted into the first receiving port at a desired time. Thereby, a user who is proficient in the operation of coins can insert each coin into the game device at a desired time.
On the other hand, a user who is unskilled in the operation of the coins may raise the coin while sliding the slope from the coin container and supply it to the chute. When a plurality of coins are continuously inserted using the slope, the time when each coin is inserted into the game device does not depend on the time when the user releases the coin, and the coin is actually in the second receiving port. Depends on the time of passing. However, when coins are inserted using the slope, coins can be inserted into the game device more easily than when the first reception port is used. By raising the coin using the slope, the coin is also inclined, so that the coin that has fallen onto the chute from the upper end of the slope can easily enter the second reception port. Therefore, both unskilled and proficient users of coin operations will be satisfied.
Also, even when the same user uses, it is possible to use the first reception port and the second reception port properly according to the game state or scene.

The second receiving port is preferably disposed immediately below the upper end of the slope of the coin container, and is defined by the wall having the slope and the chute.
According to this configuration, the coin that has dropped after passing through the first reception unit slides down the chute and immediately passes through the second reception port. On the other hand, when the user raises the coin while sliding the slope, the coin falls over the upper end of the slope, then falls on the chute, slides down the chute, and immediately passes through the second reception port. Therefore, a route from the coin container to the second reception port can be easily formed.

  The slope is preferably formed by a bottom wall of the coin container. Thereby, it is possible to raise the coin easily from the coin container using the slope immediately. In addition, the coin that has failed to be inserted into the second reception port from the slope returns to the coin container and can be raised again on the slope.

The coin insertion device according to the second aspect of the present invention is arranged below the first reception port, a first reception port through which a user can drop a coin one at a time and allow it to pass through. A coin container that opens upward and can accommodate a plurality of coins, and a coin that is located below the first receiving port and accommodated in the coin container can be inserted by a user a second reception port, and a chute for guiding the coins has passed through the first coin and the second has passed through the reception opening of the reception opening, said coin container, the second reception of the chute The second receiving port is defined by the bottom wall and the chute immediately below the end of the bottom wall. The bottom wall is located above the downstream portion of the port. According to this configuration, when too many coins are dropped from the bottom wall onto the chute, some coins pass through the second receiving port, while other coins return from the chute to the coin container.
Preferably, an end portion defining the second receiving port of the bottom wall is formed obliquely with respect to the coin traveling direction in a plan view. According to this configuration, the second receiving port can be made larger than the configuration in which the end of the bottom wall is formed in parallel with the coin traveling direction in a plan view. This makes it easier for coins to pass through the second reception port, and it is possible to avoid coin traffic on the chute above the second reception port.

It is a perspective view which shows the coin insertion apparatus which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which looked at the said coin insertion device from another direction. It is the perspective view which looked at the said coin insertion device from another direction. It is the perspective view which looked at the said coin insertion device from diagonally downward. It is a perspective view which shows one usage method of the said coin insertion apparatus. It is the VI-VI arrow directional view of FIG. 1 which shows the 1st reception port of the said coin insertion device, and its vicinity. It is the VII-VII line arrow directional view of FIG. 1 which shows the 2nd reception port of the said coin insertion device, and its vicinity. It is sectional drawing of the wall with the slope of the said coin insertion device. It is sectional drawing of the modification of the wall with the said slope. It is sectional drawing of the other modification of the wall which has the said slope. It is sectional drawing of the other modification of the wall which has the said slope. It is a perspective view which shows another usage method of the said coin insertion apparatus.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The coin insertion device according to this embodiment is used to insert a coin C having a predetermined size into a game device (not shown). A coin is a disk-shaped object, which may be a coin as a currency or a token coin, and is sometimes called a medal. Therefore, the coin insertion device according to the present invention can also be called a medal insertion device. In the drawing, the coin C is indicated by a virtual line.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a coin insertion device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a chute 2 that is a curved flat plate, and two substantially parallel side walls (first first) on both sides of the chute 2. It has a side wall 4 and a second side wall 6). The chute 2, the first side wall 4 and the second side wall 6 form a passage for guiding the coin C. The coin C slides down on the chute 2 with its one side facing the chute 2.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a first receiving port 10 through which a user can drop and pass one coin C at a time is disposed at the top of the coin insertion device. The coin C that has passed through the first reception port 10 slides down the chute 2.

  The first side wall 4 has a protruding portion 4a extending in the lateral direction at the upper portion thereof, and the second side wall 6 also has a protruding portion 6a extending in the lateral direction at the upper portion thereof similarly to the protruding portion 4a. Between the protrusions 4a and 6a, a flat coin-carrying base 8 is attached. As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of coins C to be passed through the first receiving port 10 can be placed on the coin mounting base 8. The coin placing table 8 is formed with a recess 8a which is a coin guide groove for facilitating placing the coin C as shown in FIG. 5 on the coin placing table 8 in an almost upright state. The surface of the concave portion 8a is slightly inclined so that the one closer to the chute 2 becomes lower. Due to the protrusions 4 a and 6 a disposed on both sides of the coin platform 8, the coin C disposed on the coin platform 8 is difficult to drop from the coin platform 8.

  The chute 2 extends upward from the coin mount 8. That is, the upper part 2 a of the chute 2 protrudes upward from the coin mounting base 8.

  The first receiving port 10 is defined by the upper part 2 a of the chute 2, the protruding parts 4 a and 6 a of the side walls 4 and 6, and one end of the coin mount 8 (first end closer to the chute 2). ing. The dimensions of the first receiving port 10 are designed so that one coin C can pass at a time. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the first receiving port 10 has a length larger than the diameter of the coin C, and has a width w1 larger than the thickness of the coin C. However, since the width w1 of the first receiving port 10 is sufficiently smaller than the total thickness of the two coins C, a plurality of coins C are prevented from being jammed in the first receiving port 10.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a coin container 12 that opens upward and can accommodate a plurality of coins C is provided at the bottom of the coin insertion device. The coin container 12 is formed of a curved side wall 14, a lower portion 4 b of the first side wall 4, and a bottom wall 16. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, one end of the curved side wall 14 is fixed to the middle part of the second side wall 6, and the other end is fixed to the end of the lower part 4 b of the first side wall 4. .

  A plurality of coins C are placed on the bottom wall 16 of the coin container 12 with their one side facing the bottom wall 16. The bottom wall 16 has a slope 16a that is gently inclined so as to become higher toward the left side of FIG. The user can raise the plurality of coins C accommodated in the coin container 12 while sliding on the slope 16a.

  A second receiving port 20 through which one coin C can pass at a time is arranged immediately below the upper end 16b of the slope 16a, that is, on the back side. The second receiving port 20 is defined by the bottom wall 16 having the upper end 16b of the slope 16a, the chute 2, and the side walls 4 and 6. The dimensions of the second receiving port 20 are designed so that one coin C can pass at a time. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the second receiving port 20 has a width w2 that is larger than the thickness of the coin C. However, since the width w2 of the second receiving port 20 is sufficiently smaller than the total thickness of the two coins C, a plurality of coins C are prevented from being jammed in the second receiving port 20.

  The coin C raised by the user on the slope 16a of the bottom wall 16 gets over the upper end 16b of the slope 16a and temporarily falls onto the chute 2. The coin C slides down the chute 2 and passes through the second reception port 20. On the other hand, the coin C that has dropped through the first receiving port 10 also slides down the chute 2 and passes through the second receiving port 20.

  As best shown in FIG. 3, the upper end 16 b of the slope 16 a of the bottom wall 16 is formed obliquely with respect to the direction in which the coin C travels. Accordingly, the length L of the second receiving port 20 is wider than the interval INT between the side walls 4 and 6 of the passage of the coin C, which makes it easier for the coin C to pass through the second receiving port 20. It is possible to avoid the traffic jam of coins C on the chute 2 above the second receiving port 20.

  In the lower part of the coin insertion device, the bottom wall 16 of the coin container 12 and the chute 2 partially overlap each other with a gap therebetween, and the coin C passes through this overlapping portion. As shown in FIG. 4, the overlapping portion has an opening 22, and the coin C that has passed through the overlapping portion falls from the opening 22 and is supplied to a game device (not shown).

  As shown in FIG. 8, the inclined surface 16a has a flat surface 17 in the vicinity of the upper end 16b. The flat surface 17 is also a part of the slope 16a. However, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the structure in the vicinity of the upper end 16b of the slope 16a is not limited to that shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the vicinity of the upper end 16b may be rounded, as shown in FIG. 10, the upper end 16b may be sharp, or as shown in FIG. There may be another small slope on the opposite side of 16a.

  With reference to FIG. 5, one method of using the coin insertion device according to this embodiment will be described. This method of use is suitable for users who are proficient in the operation of coins. The user passes the coin C through the first receiving port 10. The coin C passed by the user through the first receiving port 10 slides down the chute 2 and passes through the second receiving port 20, falls from the opening 22 shown in FIG. Supplied.

  Since the first reception port 10 has a structure that allows the user to drop and pass one coin C at a time, a user who is proficient in the operation of coins continuously receives a plurality of coins C. When inserting, each of the coins C may be inserted into the first receiving port 10 at a desired time. Thereby, a user who is proficient in the operation of coins can insert each coin C into the game apparatus at a desired time.

  When a plurality of coins C are continuously inserted using the first receiving port 10, the user can use the coin mount 8 as shown in FIG. 5. The user can temporarily place a plurality of coins C in an almost upright state in the recess 8 a of the coin placing base 8. Then, the user operates these coins C to place one coin C at a time directly above the first receiving port 10. For example, by pinching a plurality of coins C with the thumb T and the index finger F and moving the thumb T appropriately, the coins C can be released one by one and passed through the first receiving port 10 when desired. At this time, the upper part 2 a of the chute 2 functions as a guide for guiding the coin C to the first receiving port 10. That is, the upper portion 2a of the chute 2 serves as a guard that restricts the first receiving port 10 from being positioned in the left direction in FIG. 5, thereby preventing the coin C from falling from the coin insertion device. Thus, since the upper part 2a of the chute 2 serves as a guard, the user can easily insert the coin C into the first receiving port 10.

  The position of the plurality of coins C that are waiting to be inserted into the first receiving port 10 can be stabilized by the coin mounting table 8, and the ease of insertion can be improved. As a result, when a plurality of coins C are continuously inserted into the first receiving port 10, the user can easily take the insertion timing of each coin C.

  The coin container 12 is disposed below the first receiving port 10 and opens upward. In addition, the coin mount 8 has a first end that forms the first receiving port 10 close to the first receiving port 10 and a second end that is far from the first receiving port 10. The end of 2 is arranged directly above the coin container 12. For this reason, even if the coin C falls down accidentally from the second end of the coin placing base 8, the coin container 12 can receive the coin. Thus, the coin is prevented from falling from the coin insertion device.

  With reference to FIG. 12, another method of using the coin insertion device according to this embodiment will be described. This method of use is suitable for users who are unskilled in the operation of coins. The user lifts one or more coins C while sliding the slope 16a of the bottom wall 16 from the coin container 12 using a hand (for example, palm), climbs over the upper end 16b of the slope 16a, and puts the hand from the coin C. Release it and drop it onto the chute 2. These coins C also slide down the chute 2 and pass through the second receiving port 20, fall from the opening 22 shown in FIG. 4, and are supplied to a game device (not shown). Since the second receiving port 20 has a structure that allows one coin C to fall and pass at a time, one coin C is supplied to the game device at a time.

  When one or more coins C are inserted using the slope 16a, the time when the coin C is inserted into the game device does not depend on the time when the user releases the coin C, and the coin C is actually the second one. It depends on the time of passing through the reception port 20. The time when the coin C actually passes through the second receiving port 20, and the time when the coin C is inserted into the game device, depends on the position on the chute 2 where the coin C has dropped and the acceleration given to the coin C before dropping. Dependent. Further, when a plurality of coins C are inserted using the inclined surface 16a, the coin C immediately upstream from the second reception port 20 immediately passes through the second reception port 20, but is succeeding upstream. Other coins C do not pass through the second reception port 20 until the preceding coin C passes through the second reception port 20. Therefore, it is difficult to control the time when the coin C passes through the second reception port 20 after the user releases his / her hand from one or more coins C. However, when the user uses the slope 16a for inserting coins, the coin C can be inserted into the game device more easily than when the first receiving port 10 is used. By raising the coin C using the inclined surface 16a, the coin C is also inclined, so that the coin that has dropped onto the chute 2 from the upper end of the inclined surface can easily enter the second receiving port 20.

  The slope 16 a is formed by the bottom wall 16 of the coin container 12. For this reason, it is possible to raise the coin C easily from the coin container 12 immediately using the slope 16a. Even if the coin C fails to be inserted into the second receiving port 20 from the slope 16a, the coin C returns to the coin container 12 surrounded by the lower portion 4b of the first side wall 4 and the curved side wall 14, It is possible to raise the slope 16a again. Thus, the coin C is prevented from falling from the coin insertion device.

  As is clear from the above, both users who are not yet skilled in coin operation will be satisfied. In this embodiment, since the second receiving port 20 and the chute 2 are used for these two applications, it is not necessary to provide a separate coin path for each application. For this reason, since the constituent members of the apparatus can be shared with respect to the coin path, the manufacturing cost can be suppressed.

  In addition, even when the same user uses, it is possible to use the first reception port 10 and the second reception port 20 properly according to the game state or scene. For example, when the game apparatus has a first mode in which a profit is given to the user if the coin insertion time is appropriate, and a second mode in which the coin insertion time and the profit given to the user are irrelevant. In the first mode, the user can use the first reception port 10, and in the second mode, the user can use the second reception port 20. Alternatively, the second reception port 20 can be used when a user who is familiar with the operation of coins gets tired.

  In this embodiment, the second receiving port 20 is disposed immediately below the upper end of the slope 16 a of the coin container 12, and is defined by the bottom wall 16 having the upper end 16 b of the slope 16 a and the chute 2. For this reason, the coin C dropped after passing through the first reception unit 10 slides down the chute 2 and immediately passes through the second reception port 20. On the other hand, when the user raises the coin C while sliding on the slope 16a, the coin C falls over the upper end 16b of the slope 16a, then falls onto the chute 2, and slides down the chute 2 to immediately start the second. Pass through the reception port 20. Therefore, a path from the coin container 12 to the second receiving port 20 is easily formed. When too many coins C are dropped from the slope 16a onto the chute 2, some coins C pass through the second receiving port 20, while other coins C pass through the slope 16a from the chute 2a. Returning to the container 12, the slope 16a can be raised again.

  A game device in which the coin insertion device according to this embodiment is used is not shown, but is preferably a coin pusher (sometimes called a medal pusher), for example. As a type of game device that advances a game by inserting coins, there is a game device that advantageously advances a game by inserting coins at an appropriate time, such as a coin pusher. When the game apparatus is a coin pusher, it is considered that there is a high demand for inserting each coin into the game apparatus at a desired time. The first reception port 10 matches such a request.

  However, the game device using this coin insertion device may be a slot machine or a game device using other coins. In a normal mode (the second mode described above), even in a game device in which a game progresses regardless of the coin insertion time, a mode in which the coin insertion time is associated with the game progress (the first mode described above). ). When playing these game machines, it is important to control the timing of coin insertion as desired.

  As described above, in the coin insertion device according to this embodiment, the second end portion (the end portion far from the first receiving port 10) of the coin placing base 8 is arranged directly above the coin container 12. Yes. However, the second end portion (the end portion far from the first receiving port 10) of the coin placing base 8 may be disposed directly above the chute 2. In this case, even if the coin C falls down accidentally from the second end of the coin placing base 8, the chute 2 can receive the coin. Therefore, the coin can be prevented from falling from the coin insertion device.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 ... Chute, 4 ... 1st side wall, 6 ... 2nd side wall, 10 ... 1st reception port, 8 ... Coin mount, 12 ... Coin container, 16 ... Bottom wall, 16a ... Slope, 16b ... Upper end, 20: Second reception opening.

Claims (5)

A first reception port through which a user can drop and pass coins one at a time;
A coin container that is disposed below the first receiving port, opens upward, and can accommodate a plurality of coins;
A second reception port located below the first reception port and allowing a user to insert coins stored in the coin container;
A chute for guiding coins that have passed through the first reception port and coins that have passed through the second reception port ;
A slope for allowing a user to slide the coin contained in the coin container while sliding,
The second reception port is below the upper end of the slope, and coins that fall from the upper end of the slope and slide down the chute and coins that pass through the first reception port and slide down the chute at a time A coin insertion device characterized in that it can pass one sheet . 2. The coin according to claim 1 , wherein the second receiving port is disposed immediately below an upper end of the slope of the coin container, and is defined by a wall having the slope and the chute. Input device. Wherein the beveled surface, coin insertion device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that it is formed by a bottom wall of the coin container. A first reception port through which a user can drop and pass coins one at a time;
A coin container that is disposed below the first receiving port, opens upward, and can accommodate a plurality of coins;
A second reception port located below the first reception port and allowing a user to insert coins stored in the coin container;
A chute that guides the coin that has passed through the first receiving port and the coin that has passed through the second receiving port,
The coin container has a bottom wall located above a portion of the chute on the downstream side of the second receiving port ,
The second receiving port is defined by the bottom wall and the chute immediately below the end of the bottom wall.
An end portion of the bottom wall that defines the second receiving port is formed obliquely with respect to the coin traveling direction in a plan view.
The coin insertion device according to claim 4 .

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