JP5448725B2 - Game ball transport device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a game ball transport device that is provided on a game island and transports a game ball used in a game machine.

  Conventionally, game islands have been provided with game islands for arranging a plurality of gaming machines. A game ball supply device (game ball transport device) for supplying game balls to each gaming machine is provided at the upper part of the game island, and game balls discharged from each game machine are provided at the lower part of the game island. A game ball collecting device (game ball transport device) is provided for collecting the game ball, and by providing a lifting device for lifting the game ball collected by the game ball collecting device to the game ball supply device, Circulate on the island.

  As such a game ball transport device, in Patent Document 1, a plurality of transport rods that are inclined downward in the direction of transporting a game ball are arranged in series, and an upstream transport rod is disposed between the transport rods. There is disclosed a device provided with a ball transport device (ball transport unit) for transporting a game ball received from a downstream end portion to an upstream end portion of a downstream inclined basket. In this game ball transport device, a ball transport unit is provided between a plurality of transport rods and connected in series, and the height in the vertical direction is suppressed by shortening the length of each transport rod. The ball transport unit includes a transport drum member that rotates, and transports a game ball from the upstream transport basket to the downstream transport basket.

JP 2008-36234 A

  However, the game ball transport device described in Patent Document 1 is configured such that the transport basket is connected to the ball transport unit, and the game balls are directly supplied from the transport basket to the transport drum member. With this configuration, the height of the game ball transport device in the vertical direction is determined by the inclination angle and the length of the tilting basket, and therefore it is difficult to further suppress the height of the game ball transport device.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a game ball transport device capable of suppressing the height in the vertical direction.

  A first aspect of the present invention is a gaming ball transport device that is provided on a gaming island in which a plurality of gaming machines are arranged, and that transports the gaming balls used in each gaming machine, and is arranged to be inclined in the longitudinal direction of the gaming islands. A first inclined flow path in which a game ball can roll, and a first inclined flow path inclined in the longitudinal direction of the game island and arranged in series downstream of the first inclined flow path, the upstream end of the first inclined flow path A second inclined channel provided at a position higher than the downstream end of the path; and a downstream end of the first inclined channel and an upstream end of the second inclined channel. A ball transport unit that transports a game ball supplied from one inclined channel to the second inclined channel, and the second inclined channel is inclined at an angle at which the game ball can roll by its own weight. A downstream flow path portion to be formed, and an upstream side of the downstream flow path portion, which is inclined to be smaller than the downstream flow path portion. Is characterized in that and a discharge guide passage portion for receiving game balls carried by the ball conveying unit.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the ball transport unit sucks and transports the game ball supplied from the first inclined flow path to an outer peripheral surface, and discharges the game ball to the second inclined flow path. A rotating body driving unit for rotating the rotating body, and the rotating body is disposed on the outer peripheral edge of the base drum and rotates around a rotating shaft, and a plurality of magnetic balls are adsorbed by a magnetic force. The adjacent hard magnetic bodies are arranged such that the S pole and the N pole face each other.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the first inclined flow path is disposed on the downstream side of the upstream flow path section and the upstream flow path section formed so as to be inclined at an angle at which the game ball can roll by its own weight. And a supply guide channel portion that is formed so as to be more inclined than the upstream channel portion and guides the game ball supplied from the upstream channel portion to the rotating body.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the upstream flow path section and the supply guide flow path section are formed separately, and the supply guide flow path section has a gaming ball rolling surface that is the upstream flow path section. A position where one or more game balls are provided below the downstream end portion of the ball, and the ball rolling surface of the upstream flow passage portion is located upstream from the upstream end portion of the supply guide flow passage portion. Is characterized in that a plurality of opening holes having a width through which game balls cannot pass are formed.

  In a fifth aspect of the present invention, the rotating body rotates in a direction in which a game ball supplied from the supply guide channel portion is conveyed to the discharge guide channel portion via the rotation shaft, and the supply The ball rolling surface of the guide channel portion is opposed to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body with a gap through which a game ball cannot pass.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the gaming ball transport device is provided below the gaming machine and collects the gaming balls discharged from the gaming machine, and above the rotating body, from the gaming machine A guard-shaped protective guide member that receives a game ball that flows down is provided, and the protective guide member is formed to be inclined so as to guide the game ball to the second inclined flow path.

  In the first invention, since the game balls are successively transferred to the discharge guide channel portion by the ball transfer unit, the game balls on the discharge guide channel portion are pushed and rolled by the game balls coming from behind. To do. For this reason, the inclination angle of the downstream flow path section is set to an angle at which the game ball can roll by its own weight, and the inclination angle of the discharge guide flow path section is set to be smaller than the inclination angle of the downstream flow path section. By doing so, the height of the second inclined channel in the vertical direction can be suppressed by the amount that the inclination of the discharge guide channel is set to be small. Therefore, the vertical height of the game ball transport device is suppressed.

  According to the second invention, since the game balls are attracted and transported to the entire outer peripheral surface of the rotating body by the magnetic force of the hard magnetic body, a large amount of game balls can be transported.

  According to the third aspect of the invention, the supply guide channel portion that is inclined larger than the inclination angle of the upstream channel portion is provided on the downstream side of the upstream channel portion, so that the game balls are connected to the supply guide channel portion. Even if it becomes a state, since the game sphere supplied to the supply guide channel portion later rides on the connected game sphere and rolls on the game sphere, it easily reaches the vicinity of the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body. .

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the ball rolling surface of the supply guide channel portion is provided with a level difference of one or more game balls below the downstream end of the upstream channel portion, the hard magnetic body Is less likely to affect the game ball on the upstream flow path via the game ball on the supply guide flow path, and the rolling of the game ball is less likely to be inhibited on the upstream flow path. In addition, since the ball rolling surface of the upstream flow path portion is provided with a plurality of opening holes with a width through which the game ball cannot pass at the position upstream of the upstream end of the supply guide flow path portion, Dust, screws, or the like mixed in the side channel portion can be dropped upstream from the supply guide channel portion and discharged from the channel, and can be removed before being supplied to the rotating body.

  According to the fifth invention, the ball rolling surface of the supply guide channel portion faces the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body with a gap through which the game ball cannot pass, and is thus supplied from the first inclined channel. The game ball can be caused to flow into a region that is easily influenced by the magnetic field surrounded by the supply guide channel portion and the rotating body. Therefore, since the number of game balls near the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body increases, the game balls are easily attracted to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body by the action of the magnetic field. Further, even if dust, screws, or the like is mixed into the supply guide flow path portion, it can be dropped from the gap and does not affect the operation of the rotating body.

  According to the sixth invention, since the bowl-shaped protective guide member is provided above the rotating body, it is possible to prevent the game ball conveyed by the rotating body from falling due to the collision of the game ball flowing down from above.

It is a side view which shows the internal structure of the game island in which the game ball conveying apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention is provided. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the lifting device in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a plan view in FIG. 2. It is a side view which shows the internal structure of an upper tank and a balance tank. It is the perspective view which permeate | transmitted and showed the internal structure of the upper tank. It is a side view which shows the internal structure of the ball | bowl conveyance unit of the game ball | bowl conveyance apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view in FIG. It is A arrow directional view of the 1st collection bowl in FIG. It is an exploded view of the rotary body of a ball conveyance unit. (A) is a figure which shows the state in which the game ball is adsorb | sucked and conveyed by the outer peripheral surface of a rotary body, (b) is a figure which shows the comparative example with Fig.10 (a). (A) And (b) is a figure which shows the arrangement | positioning aspect of the hard-magnetic body in a rotary body.

  Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a game ball transport device 101 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  First, with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, a gaming island 100 provided with a gaming ball transport device 101 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  The amusement island 100 is installed in a game arcade, and is provided with a plurality of gaming machines (not shown) and incidental facilities. In general, a plurality of game islands 100 are provided in parallel in the game hall with an interval sufficient for a player to sit and play a game in front of each gaming machine.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the gaming island 100 has a plurality of gaming machine installation openings 5 arranged in two rows in the longitudinal direction (left and right direction in FIG. 1). In FIG. 1, only the row of gaming machine installation openings 5 on the front side of the gaming island 100 is illustrated, but the row of gaming machine installation openings 5 is also formed on the back side of the gaming island 100. A gaming machine is installed in the gaming machine installation opening 5. Thereby, the gaming machines are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the gaming island 100, and are arranged in the back direction in which the respective back surfaces are combined in the short side direction (the vertical direction in the drawing in FIG. 1).

  The game island 100 is provided with a game ball transport device 101 that transports game balls used in each gaming machine. The game ball transport device 101 is provided above the game machine, and the game ball supply device 1 supplies the game ball to each game machine and a ball lending machine (not shown) for lending the game ball. And a game ball collecting device 2 which is provided below the gaming machine and collects the game balls used for the game.

  The game balls supplied from the game ball supply device 1 to the gaming machine are paid out to the player as prize balls from the gaming machine. The paid-out game balls are thrown into a ball counter (not shown) installed on the game island 100 and collected by the game ball collection device 2. Note that the game balls that have been paid out may be used in games, and the game balls used in the games are discharged from the game machine, pass through the game ball collection device 2, and are provided at the longitudinal end of the game island 100. Is guided to the transporting device 3 that has been transported.

  The game balls supplied from the game ball supply device 1 to the ball lending machine are used for games in the game machine, and the game balls discharged from the game machine are passed through the game ball collection device 2 and guided to the lifting device 3. It is burned.

  On the other hand, the game ball collecting device 2 is provided below the gaming machine on the gaming island 100 and guides the gaming ball discharged from the gaming machine to the lifting device 3.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lifting device 3 is a device that lifts the game ball upward while polishing the game ball. The lifting device 3 includes a receiving rod 3c for aligning the game balls to be received. The receiving bowl 3 c extends to the lower side of the gaming machine adjacent to the lifting device 3 and receives the game balls rolling from the game ball collecting device 2.

  The game ball lifted by the lifting device 3 is guided to the upper tank 4 installed on the upper portion of the lifting device 3. A game ball supply device 1 is connected to the upper tank 4, and the game balls are supplied again to each game machine and each ball lending machine. As described above, the game balls in the game island 100 circulate in the game island 100. The internal structure of the upper tank 4 will be described in detail later.

  The lifting device 3 is driven by a motor 3a provided at the bottom. Above the motor 3a, a ball storage tank 6 (see FIG. 3) is disposed so as to surround the periphery of the lifting device 3 in a U-shape. The ball storage tank 6 is a tank having the maximum capacity in the game island 100 that can store a large amount of game balls used in the game island 100. An openable and closable shutter 6a (see FIG. 2) is formed at the bottom of the ball storage tank 6 for allowing the stored game balls to flow down to the receiving bowl 3c and to be supplied to the lifting device 3.

  The ball storage tank 6 is provided with a pair of doors 6b (see FIG. 3) that can be opened and closed to conceal the lifting device 3. Inspection and maintenance of the lifting device 3 are performed with the door 6b open.

  Next, mainly with reference to FIG. 1, the game ball supply device 1 and the game ball collection device 2 will be described in detail.

  The gaming ball supply device 1 includes a first supply rod 10 having an upstream end portion 10a connected to the upper tank 4 and inclined in the longitudinal direction of the gaming island 100, a longitudinal direction of the gaming island 100, and a first A second supply rod (downstream channel section) 11 that is inclined in the same direction as the supply rod 10 and is arranged in series downstream of the first supply rod 10, and in parallel above the first supply rod 10. It is arranged between the provided transport rod (upstream channel section) 14, the downstream end of the transport rod 14 and the upstream end of the second supply rod 11, and is supplied from the downstream end of the transport rod 14. A ball transport unit 12 </ b> A that transports the game balls to the upstream end of the second supply basket 11. In the game ball supply device 1, the transport rod 14 and a supply guide member 41 (see FIG. 6) described later correspond to the first inclined flow path, and the second supply rod 11 and a discharge guide member 42 (see FIG. 6) described later are included. It corresponds to the second inclined channel.

  The first supply rod 10, the second supply rod 11, and the conveyance rod 14 are set at an inclination angle (for example, 3 minutes) at which the game ball can roll by its own weight, and are fixed to the upper part of the game island 100. The first supply rod 10, the second supply rod 11, and the conveyance rod 14 are formed in a bowl shape having an open top surface, but the upper surface is not necessarily open, and the game ball rolls inside. It may be a closed shape.

  The ball transport unit 12A is disposed in the upper part of the game island 100, and the transport rod 14 and the second supply rod are arranged such that the upstream end of the second supply rod 11 is higher than the downstream end of the transport rod 14. 11 are connected. The structure of the ball transport unit 12A will be described in detail later.

  The first supply rod 10 and the second supply rod 11 are provided with a plurality of supply chutes 13 that guide the rolling game balls to the respective gaming machines along the longitudinal direction.

  The supply chute 13 is disposed on each side of the first supply rod 10 and the second supply rod 11. In FIG. 1, a supply chute 13 on the front side guides a game ball to a gaming machine and a ball rental machine installed on the front side of the game island 100, and a supply chute 13 on the back side is installed on the back side of the game island 100. The game balls are guided to the gaming machines and ball rental machines.

  Here, in the case where the first supply rod 10 and the second supply rod 11 are connected in series via the ball conveyance unit 12A without the conveyance rod 14, the upstream side of the ball conveyance unit 12A is provided. When a big hit is continuously generated in a gaming machine, a large amount of gaming balls are paid out from the gaming machine, and there is a possibility that the gaming balls are not sufficiently supplied to the gaming machine on the downstream side of the ball transport unit 12A.

  However, since the transport ball 14 is provided in the game ball supply device 1, the game ball that rolls on the transport ball 14 is supplied to the second supply rod 11 by bypassing the game machine on the upstream side of the ball transport unit 12A. The Then, a game ball is guided to the gaming machine upstream of the bypassed ball transport unit 12 </ b> A from a first supply basket 10 provided in parallel with the transport basket 14. In other words, by providing the transport rod 14, game balls are supplied in parallel to the first supply rod 10 and the second supply rod 11. Therefore, it is possible to supply sufficient game balls to the game machines downstream of the ball transport unit 12A regardless of the supply amount of game balls to the game machines upstream of the ball transport unit 12A.

  On the other hand, the game ball collecting device 2 has a first collection basket (upstream channel portion) 60 and a downstream end portion 61f, which are arranged inclining in the longitudinal direction of the game island, connected to the lifting device 3, A second recovery rod (downstream channel portion) 61 that is inclined in the longitudinal direction of the island 100 and in the same direction as the first recovery rod 60 and is arranged in series downstream of the first recovery rod 60; A game ball disposed between the downstream end 60a of the first collection basket 60 and the upstream end 61a of the second collection basket 61 is supplied from the downstream end 60a of the first collection basket 60 to the second collection basket 60. And a ball transport unit 12 </ b> B for transporting to the upstream end 61 a of 61. In the game ball collection device 2, the first collection basket 60 and a supply guide member 41 (see FIG. 6) described later correspond to the first inclined flow path, and the second collection basket 61 and a discharge guide member 42 described below (see FIG. 6). ) Corresponds to the second inclined channel.

  The first collection basket 60 and the second collection basket 61 are set at an inclination angle (for example, 3 minutes) at which the game ball can roll by its own weight, and are fixed to the lower part of the game island 100. The first collection basket 60 and the second collection basket 61 are formed in a bowl shape having an open top surface.

  The downstream end 61f of the second recovery rod 61 is connected to the receiving rod 3c of the lifting device 3 with a step (see FIG. 2). Therefore, the game ball rolling on the second collection basket 61 falls to the receiving bowl 3c and is transported to the upper tank 4 by the transporting device 3.

  The second recovery basket 61 is formed from the vicinity of the center in the longitudinal direction to the downstream side, the first high wall portion 61d formed with a side wall higher than the upstream side, and the second recovery rod 61 is continuous from the downstream end of the first high wall portion 61d. The second high wall portion 61e is formed up to the downstream end portion 61f and has a side wall higher than the first high wall portion 61d. On the second collection basket 61, the game balls collected from more game machines roll more on the downstream side than on the upstream side. The first high wall portion 61d and the second high wall portion 61e are formed to prevent the game balls from overflowing from the second collection basket 61 when a large number of game balls flow in an overlapping manner.

  In addition, the game ball collecting device 2 is provided with a reverse inclined rod 62 that receives the game balls discharged from the game machine adjacent to the lifting device 3 and guides them to join the game balls flowing through the second high wall portion 61e. It is done. The reverse inclined rod 62 is provided so as to be inclined in the direction opposite to the second recovery rod 61 and the downstream end portion is located above the second high wall portion 61e. Thereby, the game ball flowing down from the game machine adjacent to the lifting device 3 can be joined to the game ball rolling on the second collection basket 61. In addition, the game ball flowing down from the gaming machine adjacent to the lifting device 3 collides with the rolling game ball 3c on the receiving cage 3c of the lifting device 3 provided below the gaming machine and collides with the rolling game ball 3. It is prevented that the supply of the game ball to is affected. Furthermore, there is a possibility that the game ball flowing down from the reverse inclined rod 62 collides with the game ball rolling on the second collection rod 61 and rebounds. However, since the height of the second high wall portion 61e is formed to be equal to or higher than the height at which the game ball repels, the rebounded game ball will jump out of the second collection basket 61. Can be prevented.

  The ball transport unit 12B is disposed at the lower part of the game island 100, and the first collection basket 61B is positioned so that the upstream end 61a of the second collection basket 61 is higher than the downstream end 60a of the first collection basket 60. 60 and the second recovery rod 61 are connected. The structure of the ball transport unit 12B will be described in detail later.

  The first collection basket 60 and the second collection basket 61 are different from the first supply basket 10 and the second supply basket 11 that may be formed in a shape whose upper surface is closed, and the game balls discharged from the upper gaming machine Flows down, the top surface needs to be open. The number of game balls collected from each gaming machine is counted by a counting unit (not shown) of an out tank provided below each gaming machine.

  Next, the upper tank 4 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

  The upper tank 4 delivers the game balls to the tank body 50 in which the game balls lifted by the lifting device 3 are stored, and the adjacent game island 100, and from the adjacent game island 100 when the game balls run short. And a balance tank 7 for receiving game balls.

  The upper tank 4 is transported via the transport basket 14 and the game balls delivered from the balance tank 7 to the adjacent game island 100, the game balls supplied from the supply chute 13 of the first supply basket 10 to each gaming machine. This is a tank for supplying the game balls supplied from the supply chute 13 of the second supply basket 11 to each gaming machine with priority. Specifically, the game balls delivered to the adjacent gaming island 100 are supplied with the highest priority, and the game balls supplied to each gaming machine from the second supply cage 11 via the transport rod 14 are given the next highest priority. The remaining game balls are supplied from the first supply basket 10 to each game machine. The configuration of the upper tank 4 is as follows.

  The tank body 50 and the balance tank 7 are provided integrally. An upper communication port 49a for guiding game balls in the tank main body 50 to the balance tank 7 and a lower side than the upper communication port 49a are formed on the boundary surface between the tank main body 50 and the balance tank 7, The lower communication port 49b for guiding the game ball to the tank body 50 is formed to open.

  The balance tank 7 communicates with the upper communication port 49a, communicates with the ball delivery port 7a for delivering the game ball to the adjacent gaming island 100, and the lower communication port 49b. And a ball receiving port 7b for receiving the. The ball receiving port 7b is provided with a shutter (not shown) capable of switching whether to accept a game ball by opening and closing.

  The ball delivery port 7a and the ball delivery port 7b are connected to a ball delivery basket (not shown) that is inclined between the game islands 100, so that game balls can be delivered to and received from adjacent game islands 100. This is done through the ball delivery basket.

  The tank main body 50 is a vertically long rectangular parallelepiped bottomed box. Inside the tank body 50, an upper tank 56 and a lower tank 57 are partitioned by a partition plate 55.

  The upper tank 56 is formed with a ball receiving port 59 for receiving a game ball lifted by the lifting device 3. Below the ball receiving port 59, the first shelf plate 50a to the fifth shelf plate 50e fixed inside the upper tank 56 and capable of rolling the game ball, and the upper tank 56 are sufficiently filled with the game ball. A first overflow pipe 51 is sometimes provided that guides excess game balls to the lower tank 57.

  The first shelf board 50a is inclined and receives a game ball discharged from the ball receiving port 59. A part of the game balls rolling on the first shelf board 50a is led to the ball delivery port 7a through the upper communication port 49a, and the remaining game balls are led to the second shelf board 50b. Since game balls are always supplied from the tank body 50 to the ball delivery port 7a, the game balls in the tank body 50 are preferentially sent to the balance tank 7 and delivered to the adjacent game island 100. . Since the ball receiving port 7b formed in the balance tank 7 of the adjacent game island 100 is provided with a shutter, when the shutter is closed and no game ball is received, the game ball is adjacent to the game. Not handed over to island 100.

  The second shelf board 50b is provided to be inclined so as to be orthogonal to the first shelf board 50a. A game ball rolling on the second shelf 50b is guided to the third shelf 50c.

  The third shelf board 50c is provided to be inclined so as to be orthogonal to the second shelf board 50b, and is inclined in the opposite direction to the first shelf board 50a. The third shelf board 50c is formed so as to cover the upper part of the upper opening 51a of the first overflow pipe 51 provided below the third shelf board 50c. This prevents the game ball rolling from the second shelf board 50 b from flowing down directly to the first overflow pipe 51. A lower end of the third shelf board 50c is formed by being bent downward, and a game ball flows down from here to the fourth shelf board 50d.

  The fourth shelf board 50d is located below the third shelf board 50c, and is provided to be inclined in the opposite direction to the third shelf board 50c. The first overflow pipe 51 is vertically inserted into a part of the lower end of the fourth shelf board 50d. A game ball rolling on the fourth shelf 50d flows down from the lower end of the fourth shelf 50d onto the fifth shelf 50e.

  The fifth shelf board 50e is located below the fourth shelf board 50d, and is provided to be inclined in the direction opposite to the fourth shelf board 50d. The first overflow pipe 51 communicates vertically with a part of the lower end of the fifth shelf board 50e. The game balls that roll on the fifth shelf 50e flow down onto the partition plate 55 from the lower end of the fifth shelf 50e.

  A ball supply passage 53 is formed inside the fifth shelf board 50e. The upstream end of the ball supply passage 53 faces the lower communication port 49b and communicates with the ball receiving port 7b. On the other hand, the downstream end of the ball supply passage 53 communicates with the inside of the first overflow pipe 51. That is, the game balls received from the adjacent game island 100 via the ball receiving port 7 b are not guided to the upper tank 56, and all of them are guided to the first overflow pipe 51 from the ball supply passage 53.

  The partition plate 55 is positioned below the fifth shelf plate 50e, and is provided so as to be inclined in the opposite direction to the fifth shelf plate 50e. At the downstream end of the partition plate 55, a transport rod attachment port 49c is formed to open (see FIG. 5). The transport rod attachment port 49c communicates with the transport rod 14 (see FIG. 4). Therefore, the game balls that roll on the partition plate 55 are supplied to the transport rod 14 from the transport rod attachment port 49c, and when the transport rod 14 is filled with game balls, the excess game balls overlap the partition plate 55. It accumulates in the upper tank 56.

  The first overflow pipe 51 is formed with an upper opening 51a located at the upper end and opening upward, and a lower opening 51b located at the lower end and opening downward. The upper opening 51a is formed between the third shelf board 50c and the fourth shelf board 50d. When the game balls in the upper tank 56 are accumulated above the upper opening 51a, the game balls flow down into the first overflow pipe 51. The lower opening 51 b is formed in the lower tank 57.

  The lower tank 57 includes an inclined bottom plate 58 on the bottom surface. The inclined bottom plate 58 is provided to be inclined in the same direction as the partition plate 55. A game ball flows down from the upper tank 56 through the first overflow pipe 51 on the inclined bottom plate 58. At the downstream end of the inclined bottom plate 58, a first supply rod attachment port 49d is formed to open (see FIG. 5). The first supply rod attachment port 49d communicates with the first supply rod 10 (see FIG. 4). Therefore, the game balls rolling on the inclined bottom plate 58 are supplied to the first supply rod 10 from the first supply rod attachment port 49d, and when the first supply rod 10 is filled with game balls, the excess game balls are It accumulates on the inclined bottom plate 58 and accumulates in the lower tank 57.

  As described above, the game balls in the upper tank 56 are supplied to the second supply rod 11 via the transport rod 14, and when the transport rod 14 is filled with the game balls, the game balls accumulate in the upper tank 56. . When the game balls are sufficiently stored in the upper tank 56, surplus game balls in the upper tank 56 are sent from the first overflow pipe 51 to the lower tank 57 and supplied to the first supply basket 10. Therefore, the game ball supplied to the second supply basket 11 is given priority over the game ball supplied to the first supply basket 10.

  Here, the game balls transferred from the adjacent game island 100 to the ball receiving port 7b through the ball transfer rod are supplied to the lower tank 57 by flowing down through the first overflow pipe 51. Therefore, even if the priority order in the upper tank 4 is low, the game balls are supplied with the highest priority from the balance tank 7 of the adjacent game island 100, so that they are supplied from the lower tank 57 to the first supply rod 10. A shortage of game balls is prevented.

  Near the center of the inclined bottom plate 58, a second overflow pipe 54 that guides excess game balls to the ball storage tank 6 when the game balls are sufficiently stored in the lower tank 57 is inserted.

  The second overflow pipe 54 is formed with an upper opening 54a located at the upper end and opening upward, and a lower opening (not shown) located at the lower end and opening downward. The upper opening 54 a is formed between the inclined bottom plate 58 and the partition plate 55. The upper opening 54a is arranged so as to be shifted in the vertical direction from the lower opening 51b of the first overflow pipe 51 (see FIG. 5). Therefore, the game ball flowing down from the first overflow pipe 51 is prevented from being guided to the second overflow pipe 54 as it is.

  A lower opening of the second overflow pipe 54 is formed in the sphere storage tank 6. Therefore, the game ball flowing down the second overflow pipe 54 is stored in the ball storage tank 6.

  The upper tank 56 has a lower limit switch 52b for detecting that the stored game balls are insufficient, and an upper limit switch 52a for detecting that the game balls are stored to a position higher than a predetermined height. With.

  The lower limit switch 52b is disposed above the fifth shelf 50e and below the fourth shelf 50d, and is fixed to the outer periphery of the first overflow pipe 51. When the storage height of the game balls stored in the upper tank 56 is lowered to the height of about the fifth shelf 50e, the lower limit switch 52b pressed by the game balls is released, and the transport control in the game island 100 is performed. No signal is sent to the device (not shown). When this signal disappears, the transfer control device operates the motor 3a of the lifting device 3 so that the raised game ball is supplied from the ball receiving port 59 to the upper tank 56.

  When a predetermined time set in advance in the conveyance control device has elapsed since the operation of the motor 3a of the lifting device 3, the operation of the motor 3a is stopped. Therefore, even if the storage height of the game balls in the upper tank 56 decreases and the lifting device 3 is activated, the lifting device 3 continues to operate as it is and the game is played to a height at which the upper limit switch 52a is pressed. The ball will not continue to be stored.

  On the other hand, the upper limit switch 52 a is disposed on the wall surface above the first shelf plate 50 a and below the ball receiving port 59. In a normal operation state, the lifting device 3 stops before the upper limit switch 52a is pressed, so the upper limit switch 52a is not pressed. However, for some reason, the ball storage tank 6 and the lower tank 57 are game balls. When the game balls that are filled and overlapped on the partition plate 55 and stored in the upper tank 56 are stacked and stored higher than the first shelf plate 50a, the upper limit switch 52a is pressed by the game balls, and the signal is transport controlled. Sent to the device. With this signal, the transport control device forcibly stops the motor 3a of the lifting device 3 and notifies the staff of the abnormality.

  Next, the vicinity of the ball transport units 12A and 12B of the game ball supply device 1 and the game ball collection device 2 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. Here, the game ball collection device 2 will be described as an example, but the game ball supply device 1 has the same configuration except for the configuration described below as a difference.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the ball transport unit 12 </ b> B includes a base 19 fastened to the upper part of the game island 100 and a cover member 15 attached to the base 19. Each member constituting the unit 12B is accommodated.

  The cover member 15 includes a ball receiving portion 16a for receiving the game ball supplied from the first collection basket 60 into the ball transport unit 12B (cover member 15), and a second collection from within the ball transport unit 12B (cover member 15). A ball discharge portion 16b for discharging the game ball to the basket 61 is formed to be open. The ball transport unit 12A of the game ball supply device 1 accepts the game ball supplied from the transport basket 14 through the ball receiving unit 16a and discharges the game ball to the second supply basket 11 through the ball discharge unit 16b. Is different from the ball transport unit 12B.

  The cover member 15 accommodates a rotating body 20 that holds a game ball from the ball receiving portion and conveys it toward the ball discharge portion.

  The rotating body 20 rotates around a rotating shaft 20a extending in the short direction of the game island 100, and attracts and transports the game ball to the outer peripheral surface by the magnetic force of the magnetic body disposed on the outer peripheral edge. Here, the outer peripheral edge of the rotating body 20 refers to an annular region surrounded by the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20 and a circle having a smaller diameter than the outer peripheral surface.

  One end side of the rotating shaft 20a of the rotating body 20 is rotatably supported by a bearing 18 (see FIG. 7) supported by the side wall 15a of the cover member 15.

  As shown in FIG. 7, a motor 32 for rotationally driving the rotating body 20 is fixed on the base 19, and a pulley 33 is coupled to the output shaft of the motor 32. A pulley 34 is also coupled to the rotating shaft 20 a of the rotating body 20, and a belt 35 is wound around the pulley 33 and the pulley 34. This motor 32 corresponds to a rotating body drive unit.

  When the motor 32 is driven to rotate, the rotation is transmitted to the rotating body 20 via the pulleys 33 and 34 and the belt 35, and the rotating body 20 rotates about the rotating shaft 20a. The rotating body 20 rotates counterclockwise in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the rotating body 20 includes a base drum 21 having a rotating shaft 20a at the center of the shaft, and a magnet guide 22 that is disposed along the outer periphery of the base drum 21 and holds the magnetic body.

  The base drum 21 is a hollow member composed of a cylindrical body portion 21a made of a soft magnetic material, and both end surfaces 21b that close both end openings of the body portion 21a and support the rotary shaft 20a. Thus, the outer peripheral part of the base drum 21 is comprised with a soft magnetic body. As the soft magnetic material, for example, ferritic stainless steel such as SUS430 is used.

  The magnet guide 22 is an elongated sheet-like member having a long side equivalent to the outer peripheral length of the base drum 21 and having flexibility, and is wound around the outer periphery of the base drum 21. The magnet guide 22 is made of rubber and is made of a nonmagnetic material.

  The magnet guide 22 may be made of paramagnetic metal, synthetic resin, or ceramics as long as it is a non-magnetic material. In this case, if the magnet guide 22 is not flexible, it is formed in an annular shape. The base drum 21 is inserted into the outer periphery.

  In the magnet guide 22, a plurality of holding portions 22 a that hold the hard magnetic body 23 are formed through the upper and lower surfaces. The holding portion 22 a extends in the short direction of the magnet guide 22 and is formed at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction of the magnet guide 22.

  In each holding portion 22a, a plate-like hard magnetic body 23 for attracting a game ball by magnetic force is fitted exactly. When the magnet guide 22 is wound around the outer periphery of the base drum 21, each hard magnetic body 23 extends in the direction of the rotating shaft 20 a and is disposed at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction of the rotating body 20.

  A magnet cover 26 for preventing the hard magnetic body 23 from falling off is attached to the outer periphery of the magnet guide 22. The magnet cover 26 is a thin and thin film having an inner peripheral surface coated with an adhesive such as glue.

  As a means for preventing the hard magnetic body 23 from falling off, a structure for locking the hard magnetic body 23 to the magnet guide 22 without using the magnet cover 26 may be provided.

  As described above, by arranging the magnet guide 22 holding the hard magnetic body 23 along the outer periphery of the base drum 21, the hard magnetic body is disposed on the outer peripheral edge of the rotating body 20 as shown in FIG. 23 is arranged at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction of the rotating body 20, and a soft magnetic base drum 21 faces between the adjacent hard magnetic bodies 23 through a rubber magnet guide 22. As described above, the hard magnetic body 23 and the soft magnetic body are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction of the rotating body 20 on the outer peripheral edge of the rotating body 20.

  In addition, you may arrange | position the hard magnetic body 23 on the outer periphery of the base drum 21 without a gap, without providing the magnet guide 22. FIG. Also at this time, it is possible to attract the game balls to the entire outer peripheral surface of the rotating body by the magnetic force of the hard magnetic body 23 and transport a large amount of game balls.

  In this specification, a hard magnetic material is a magnetic material that is difficult to magnetize even when an external magnetic field is applied, and that retains its residual magnetization strongly once magnetized, and includes a permanent magnet.

  The soft magnetic material refers to a magnetic material in which the magnetization is easily aligned in the magnetic field direction with respect to the external magnetic field and the retentive force of residual magnetization is small.

  A non-magnetic material refers to a material that does not interact with a magnetic field.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the game ball collecting device 2 is arranged corresponding to the ball receiving portion 16 a and faces the downstream end portion 60 a of the first collection rod 60 to receive the game balls supplied from the first collection rod 60. A supply guide member (supply guide flow path portion) 41 that leads to the ball transport unit 12B and a ball discharge unit 16B that is disposed corresponding to the ball discharge portion 16b and is transported by the ball transport unit 12B facing the upstream end portion 61a. The discharge guide member (discharge guide channel portion) 42 that guides the game ball to the second collection basket 61 and the game ball that is disposed above the rotary body 20 and flows down from the upper game machine, A protective guide member 45 that guides the game ball that has flowed down to the discharge guide member 42 is further provided. Similarly, the game ball supply device 1 is provided with a supply guide member 41 and a discharge guide member 42. However, since the game ball does not flow down from above, the protection guide member 45 is not provided. Is different.

  The supply guide member 41 has a cross-sectional surface composed of a rolling surface 41a on which the game ball rolls and a pair of guide walls 41b that are formed standing on both sides of the rolling surface 41a to prevent the game ball from falling. This is a U-shaped member and is made of a non-magnetic material.

  The supply guide member 41 is inserted through the ball receiving portion 16 a of the cover member 15, and the guide wall 41 b is supported by the pair of side walls 15 a of the cover member 15.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the first recovery rod 60 communicates with the supply guide member 41 by inserting the downstream end 60 a into the supply guide member 41. The supply guide member 41 may be formed integrally with the first recovery rod 60 instead of being formed separately. The supply guide member 41 is disposed so as to be inclined downward from the first collection basket 60 toward the rotating body 20, and the rolling surface 41a of the supply guide member 41 is a rolling surface on which the game balls of the first collection basket 60 roll. The inclination is larger than that of the moving surface 60c.

  The first recovery rod 60 and the supply guide member 41 communicate with each other with a step 43 having a rolling surface 60c and a rolling surface 41a equal to or more than one gaming ball. In other words, a step 43 equal to or more than one game ball is formed between the downstream end 60 a of the first collection basket 60 and the rolling surface 41 a of the supply guide member 41. Thereby, the game ball supplied from the downstream end 60 a of the first recovery rod 60 falls down the step 43 and is guided to the rolling surface 41 a of the supply guide member 41.

  The downstream side of the rolling surface 41a of the supply guide member 41 faces the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20 with a gap through which the game ball cannot pass. As a result, only foreign matters such as dust guided to the supply guide member 41 pass between the rolling surface 41a and the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20, thereby preventing the game ball rolling on the supply guide member 41 from falling. However, the foreign matter guided to the supply guide member 41 can be removed.

  Here, the rotating body 20 rotates in a direction in which the game ball supplied from the supply guide member 41 is conveyed to the discharge guide member 42 via the rotation shaft 20a. That is, the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20 rotates so as to move in the direction opposite to the rolling direction of the game ball rolling on the supply guide member 41. Therefore, it is possible to keep the game balls rolling on the rolling surface 41a of the supply guide member 41 on the rolling surface 41a and suck them one after another.

  As described above, the supply guide member 41 is disposed across the first collection basket 60 and the rotator 20, and rotates the first collection basket 60 to supply the game ball supplied from the downstream end 60a to the rotator. Leading to 20.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the first recovery rod 60 provided upstream of the supply guide member 41 has a plurality of opening holes 63 (see FIG. 8) on the rolling surface 60 c in front of the supply guide member 41. It is formed. The opening hole 63 is formed with a width along which the game ball cannot pass along the rolling direction of the game ball. Therefore, only foreign matters such as screws and dust smaller than the game ball can be dropped from the opening hole 63 without dropping the game ball and removed before being supplied to the rotating body 20. The same effect can be obtained even if a bottomed groove portion is provided instead of the opening hole 63.

  The discharge guide member 42 has a cross-sectional surface composed of a rolling surface 42c on which the game ball rolls and a pair of guide walls 42b that are formed standing on both sides of the rolling surface 42c to prevent the game ball from falling. This is a U-shaped member and is made of a non-magnetic material.

  The discharge guide member 42 is inserted through the ball discharge portion 16 b of the cover member 15, and the guide wall 42 b is supported by the pair of side walls 15 a of the cover member 15.

  The discharge guide member 42 has a downstream end 42 d inserted into the second recovery rod 61 and communicates with the second recovery rod 61. The supply guide member 42 may be formed integrally with the second recovery rod 61 without being formed separately. The rolling surface 42 c of the discharge guide member 42 is inclined smaller than the rolling surface 61 c of the second recovery rod 61.

  Here, since the second collection basket 61 is formed to be inclined at a minimum angle or more at which the game ball can roll with its own weight, the discharge guide member formed to be inclined smaller than the second collection basket 61. 42 may be formed at an angle where the game ball cannot roll only by its own weight.

  However, since the game balls are successively conveyed from the rotating body 20 to the discharge guide member 42, the game balls on the rolling surface 42c are pushed and rolled by the game balls conveyed from behind. Become. Therefore, even if the inclination of the rolling surface 42c is an angle at which the game ball cannot roll only by its own weight, the game ball rolls to the second collection basket 61. Therefore, the discharge guide member 42 can be formed so as to be inclined smaller than the second recovery rod 61. The discharge guide member 42 may be formed horizontally without being inclined.

  Here, it is compared with the case where the second collection rod 61 is formed long until it comes into sliding contact with the ball transport unit 12B without providing the discharge guide member 42. In this case, the height in the vertical direction of the upstream end portion 61 a of the second recovery rod 61 is determined depending on the inclination angle and length of the second recovery rod 61. That is, if the inclination angle is the same, the height of the upstream end portion 61a of the second recovery rod 61 in the vertical direction, that is, the downstream end portion 60a of the first recovery rod 60 depends on the length of the second recovery rod 61. The height difference is determined.

  On the other hand, in the game ball collection device 2, the discharge guide member 42 is provided between the ball conveyance unit 12B and the second collection basket 61. Therefore, since the length of the second recovery rod 61 is shortened by the amount of the discharge guide member 42, the height in the vertical direction of the upstream end portion 61a of the second recovery rod 61 can be lowered by that amount.

  In other words, the discharge guide member 42 is provided so as to compensate for the shortening of the second recovery rod 61. Since the discharge guide member 42 is formed so as to be inclined slightly smaller than the second recovery rod 61, the discharge guide member 42 is not provided, and compared with the case where the second recovery rod 61 is formed longer until it comes into sliding contact with the ball transport unit 12B. When the discharge guide member 42 is provided, the vertical height of the second collection rod 61 and the discharge guide member 42 combined is lower.

  As described above, since the discharge guide member 42 having a small inclination angle is provided so as to compensate for the shortening of the second recovery rod 61, the vertical direction in which the second recovery rod 61 and the discharge guide member 42 are combined is set. The height is smaller than when the second collection rod 61 is formed long until it comes into sliding contact with the ball transport unit 12B without providing the discharge guide member 42. Therefore, the difference in height between the downstream end portion 60a of the first recovery rod 60 and the upstream end portion 42a of the discharge guide member 42 is reduced, so that the diameter of the rotating body 20 can be reduced. Therefore, the height in the vertical direction of the ball transport unit 12B can be reduced, and the height in the vertical direction of the game ball collecting device 2 can be suppressed.

  Further, since the space required below the gaming machine to provide the game ball collecting device 2 is reduced, a space 65 is formed between the floor surface as shown in FIG. It will be supported only by. This space 65 is used as a leg space for a player to put his feet.

  The upstream end portion 42 a of the discharge guide member 42 is in sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20. The game balls that are attracted to and transported by the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20 are guided into the discharge guide member 42 away from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20 by contacting the upstream end portion 42a of the discharge guide member 42. It is led to the second recovery rod 61.

  As described above, the discharge guide member 42 is disposed between the second collection basket 61 and the rotary body 20, and the game balls transported by being attracted to the outer peripheral surface of the rotary body 20 are transferred to the second collection basket 61. It leads to. Although the upstream end portion 42a of the discharge guide member 42 is in sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20, a gap through which a game ball cannot pass may be made close to each other.

  As described above, the first recovery rod 60 and the second recovery rod 61 are arranged such that the upstream end portion 61a of the second recovery rod 61 is higher than the downstream end portion 60a of the first recovery rod 60. Then, the game ball guided from the first recovery basket 60 to the rotating body 20 through the supply guide member 41 is attracted to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20 by magnetic force. Then, it is transported to the discharge guide member 42 by the rotation of the rotating body 20 and guided to the second recovery rod 61.

  By the way, when an abnormality occurs such that the operation of the lifting device 3 stops due to a failure or the like, or the rolling of the game ball is delayed due to dust or the like entering the second collection basket 61, the game ball collection device The number of game balls in 2 may increase and become excessive. As a countermeasure against this, as shown in FIG. 7, an opening is formed in the guide wall 42 b of the discharge guide member 42, and an overflow sensor 47 that detects a state in which the second collection basket 61 is filled with game balls is provided. Is done. When the game ball overflowing the second collection basket 61 enters the discharge guide member 42, the overflow sensor 47 is pressed by the game ball, and a signal is output from the overflow sensor 47 to the transport control device. The conveyance control device outputs a stop command to the motor 32 to stop the rotation of the rotating body 20. Thereby, since the operation of the ball transport unit 12B is stopped, the transport of the game balls from the first collection basket 60 to the second collection basket 61 is stopped.

  The protective guide member 45 has a cross-sectional surface composed of a rolling surface 45c on which the game ball rolls and a pair of guide walls 45b that are formed standing on both sides of the rolling surface 45c to prevent the game ball from falling. It is a letter-shaped member.

  The protective guide member 45 is inserted through the ball receiving portion 16 a of the cover member 15, and the guide wall 45 b is supported by the pair of side walls 15 a of the cover member 15.

  The protective guide member 45 is provided in a bowl shape between the gaming machine and the rotating body 20 so as to cover the upper side of the rotating body 20. Since the protection guide member 45 is formed in a bowl shape whose upper surface is open, it can receive the game ball flowing down from the upper gaming machine via the recovery chute on the rolling surface 45c. The protection guide member 45 is formed to be inclined so as to guide the rolling game ball to the second collection basket 61 through the discharge guide member 42.

  The downstream end 45 d of the protection guide member 45 is located above the discharge guide member 42. That is, the protective guide member 45 covers the upper part widely from the rotating body 20 to the discharge guide member 42. Therefore, the protection guide member 45 can prevent the game ball flowing down from above from colliding with the game ball that is attracted to and transported by the rotating body 20.

  Instead of forming the protective guide member 45 above the discharge guide member 42, the downstream end 45d may be positioned above the rotating shaft 20a of the rotating body 20. The game ball that is attracted and transported by the rotating body 20 reaches the highest point above the rotating shaft 20a. Therefore, even if the game ball flowing down from above collides with the game ball that has passed the highest point, the game ball is less likely to fall from the rotating body 20 and is guided to the discharge guide member 42 as it is.

  On the other hand, the upstream end 45 a of the protective guide member 45 is located above the supply guide member 41. That is, the protective guide member 45 covers the upper part widely from the rotating body 20 to the supply guide member 41. Therefore, the protection guide member 45 can prevent the game ball flowing down from above from colliding with the game ball that is attracted to and transported by the rotating body 20, and the supply guide member 41 can be supplied to the rotating body 20. It is also possible to prevent a collision with game balls aligned on the rolling surface 41a.

  Next, with reference to mainly FIG. 6 and FIG. 10, the conveyance of the game ball by the game ball collecting device 2 will be described.

  The game balls that roll on the first collection basket 60 are guided from the first collection basket 60 to the rotating body 20 through the supply guide member 41.

  Here, since the rolling surface 41a of the supply guide member 41 has a larger inclination than the rolling surface 60c of the first recovery rod 60, the game ball rolls on the rolling surface 41a of the supply guide member 41 vigorously. Move. Therefore, even if the game balls are connected to the rolling surface 41a, the game balls supplied to the supply guide member 41 later ride on the connected game balls and roll on the game balls. It is easy to reach the vicinity of the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20.

  On the other hand, when the inclination of the rolling surface 41a of the supply guide member 41 is equal to or smaller than the inclination of the rolling surface 60c of the first recovery rod 60, a game that rolls the supply guide member 41. Since the momentum of the ball is weak, a game ball supplied to the supply guide member 41 later cannot roll on the connected game balls, and is near the connection portion between the first recovery rod 60 and the supply guide member 41. It is difficult to reach the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20.

  Further, since a step 43 equal to or more than one gaming ball is formed between the downstream end 60a of the first collection basket 60 and the rolling surface 41a of the supply guide member 41, a game is formed on the rolling surface 41a. Even if the balls are in a continuous state, the game balls that are supplied to the supply guide member 41 later are supplied onto the connected game balls, and therefore easily reach the vicinity of the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20.

  On the other hand, when there is no step between the downstream end 60a of the first collection basket 60 and the rolling surface 41a of the supply guide member 41, and both are smoothly communicating, it is difficult for the game balls to stack. Therefore, the game ball supplied to the supply guide member 41 later does not easily reach the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20.

  As described above, by increasing the inclination of the supply guide member 41 and forming the step 43 between the supply collection member 60 and the first collection basket 60, the game balls supplied from the first collection basket 60 are supplied to the supply guide member 41. Can be made to flow into a region that is easily influenced by the magnetic field surrounded by the rolling surface 41a of the rotating member 20 and the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20. As a result, the number of game balls in the vicinity of the outer peripheral surface of the rotator 20 increases, so that the game balls are easily attracted to the outer peripheral surface of the rotator 20 by the action of a magnetic field.

  The game ball that has reached the vicinity of the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20 by the supply guide member 41 is attracted to the hard magnetic body 23 by the magnetic field exerted by the hard magnetic body 23 disposed on the outer peripheral edge of the rotating body 20.

  Since the game ball attracted by the hard magnetic body 23 is magnetized, another game ball is attracted and magnetized by the magnetized game ball. In this way, the game balls are adsorbed in a bead shape as shown in FIG.

  Further, since the game balls adsorbed in a bead shape are magnetized, the body portion 21a of the base drum 21 which is a soft magnetic material is also magnetized by the magnetic field of these game balls. As a result, the game balls adsorbed in a bead shape are attracted to the body portion 21 a of the base drum 21 with the magnet guide 22 and the magnet cover 26 therebetween. As shown in FIG. 10A, a magnetic circuit is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the rotating body 20 by the hard magnetic body 23, the game balls adsorbed in a bead shape, and the body portion 21a of the soft magnetic body. In this way, the game balls are adsorbed in a beaded manner on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20 with each hard magnetic body 23 as a base point.

  Here, if the body portion 21a of the base drum 21 is a non-magnetic material, the body portion 21a is not magnetized, so that no magnetic circuit is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the rotating body 20. In this case, as shown in FIG. 10B, the game ball is adsorbed in a rosary shape with the hard magnetic body 23 as a starting point, but is not adsorbed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20 and is vertical due to gravity. It will be in the state of hanging down. Therefore, there is a limit to the number of game balls that can be adsorbed in a bead shape, and many game balls cannot be transported. Moreover, since it falls depending on the weight of a game ball, a game ball cannot be conveyed efficiently.

  Further, if the supply guide member 41 is a soft magnetic body, when the game ball in the supply guide member 41 is attracted to the hard magnetic body 23, the game ball in the hard magnetic body 23 and the supply guide member 41. The supply guide member 41 constitutes a magnetic circuit. For this reason, game balls are connected across the hard magnetic body 23 and the supply guide member 41, and the game balls are not efficiently attracted to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20. For this reason, the supply guide member 41 being a non-magnetic material is a requirement for efficiently transporting game balls. The supply guide member 41 is made of, for example, austenitic stainless steel such as SUS304.

  If the supply guide member 41 is made of a non-magnetic material, the rotating body 20 and the first recovery rod 60 are separated by the non-magnetic material, so that a magnetic field is applied to the game ball rolling on the first recovery rod 60. However, the configuration is difficult. Therefore, there is no restriction | limiting in the material selection, and the 1st recovery rod 60 can be selected freely from the surface of cost. For example, it is cheaper than SUS304, and can also be composed of SUS430, which is a soft magnetic material.

  The game balls adsorbed in a rosary shape on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20 are conveyed along with the rotation of the rotating body 20 and come into contact with the upstream end 42a of the discharge guide member 42 that is in sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20. As a result, it is guided away from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20 and into the discharge guide member 42, and is guided to the second recovery rod 61. In this way, the game balls supplied from the first collection basket 60 are transported to the second collection basket 61.

  As an arrangement of the hard magnetic bodies 23, as shown in FIG. 11A, it is desirable to arrange the adjacent hard magnetic bodies 23 so that the S pole and the N pole face each other. By disposing the hard magnetic body 23 in this manner, the game balls are attracted across the adjacent hard magnetic bodies 23, so that more game balls can be attracted to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 20. Therefore, the transport efficiency of game balls is improved.

  FIG. 11A shows the hard magnetic body 23 in which the N pole and the S pole are magnetized in the circumferential direction of the rotating body 20, but the diameter of the rotating body 20 is shown in FIG. 11B. You may use the hard magnetic body 23 by which the north-pole and the south pole were magnetized in the direction.

  According to the above embodiment, there exist the effects shown below.

  The game ball collecting device 2 has a ball transport for transporting a game ball from the first collection basket 60 to a second collection basket 61 provided with an upstream end 61a at a position higher than the downstream end 60a of the first collection basket 60. A unit 12B and a discharge guide member 42 for guiding the game ball transported by the ball transport unit 12B to the second collection basket 61 are provided.

  Since the discharge guide member 42 is formed so as to be inclined smaller than the second collection basket 61, it may be formed at an angle smaller than the angle at which the game ball can roll by its own weight. However, even if the discharge guide member 42 is formed at an angle at which the game ball cannot roll due to its own weight, the game ball is transferred to the discharge guide member 42 one after another by the ball transfer unit 12B. The game ball on the guide member 42 can be rolled by being pushed by the game ball coming from behind.

  Here, compared with the case where the game balls are directly transferred from the ball transport unit 12B to the second collection basket 61 without providing the discharge guide member 42, the length of the second collection basket 61 is provided by the discharge guide member 42. It becomes shorter as much as Since the discharge guide member 42 is formed to be inclined to be smaller than the second collection rod 61, the vertical height of the second collection rod 61 and the discharge guide member 42 when the discharge guide member 42 is not provided. Lower than

  Further, since the height difference between the front and rear of the ball transport unit 12B is smaller than when the discharge guide member 42 is not provided, the diameter of the rotating body 20 can be reduced. Therefore, the height of the ball transport unit 12B in the vertical direction can be reduced. Therefore, the vertical height of the game ball collecting device 2 can be suppressed.

  In addition, since the protective guide member 45 that covers the upper side of the rotating body 20 is provided, it is possible to prevent a game ball flowing down from an upper gaming machine from colliding with the game ball conveyed by the rotating body 20. Since the protective guide member 45 is formed in a bowl shape that is inclined so as to guide the game ball to the second collection basket 61, the game ball discharged from the upper gaming machine can be guided to the second collection basket 61. it can.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is obvious that various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea.

  The game ball supply device of the present invention can be applied as a device for supplying game balls to game machines. Note that the gaming machine is not limited to the pachinko gaming machine as shown in the above embodiment, and for example, other pachinko gaming machines, arrange ball gaming machines, sparrow ball gaming machines, slot machines and the like. It is applicable to all gaming machines that use

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Game island 101 Game ball conveyance apparatus 1 Game ball supply apparatus 2 Game ball collection apparatus 3 Lifting apparatus 4 Upper tank 6 Ball storage tank 7 Balance tank 10 1st supply rod 11 2nd supply rod 12A Ball conveyance unit 12B Ball conveyance unit 14 Transport rod 20 Rotating body 21 Base drum 23 Hard magnetic body 41 Supply guide member 42 Discharge guide member 45 Protection guide member 47 Overflow sensor 50 Tank body 60 First collection rod 61 Second collection rod 63 Opening hole

Claims (6)

In a game ball transport device that is provided on a game island where a plurality of game machines are arranged and transports game balls used in each game machine,
A first inclined flow path that is disposed in a slanting direction in the longitudinal direction of the gaming island and capable of rolling a game ball;
A second slope that is inclined in the longitudinal direction of the game island and is arranged in series downstream of the first inclined flow path, the upstream end of which is provided at a position higher than the downstream end of the first inclined flow path. A flow path;
Arranged between the downstream end of the first inclined channel and the upstream end of the second inclined channel, the game ball supplied from the first inclined channel is transferred to the second inclined channel A ball transport unit that
The second inclined channel is
A downstream flow path formed by tilting at an angle at which the game ball can roll by its own weight;
A discharge guide flow path portion that is disposed on the upstream side of the downstream flow path portion, is formed to be inclined at a smaller angle than the downstream flow path portion, and receives the game balls transferred by the ball transfer unit. A game ball transport device characterized by the above. The ball transport unit is
A rotating body that sucks and conveys a game ball supplied from the first inclined flow path to an outer peripheral surface, and discharges it to the second inclined flow path;
A rotating body driving unit for driving the rotating body to rotate,
The rotating body is
A base drum that rotates around a rotation axis;
A plurality of hard magnetic bodies disposed on the outer peripheral edge of the base drum and attracting game balls by magnetic force;
2. The game ball transport device according to claim 1, wherein the adjacent hard magnetic bodies are arranged so that the S pole and the N pole face each other. The first inclined channel is
An upstream flow path formed by tilting an angle at which the game ball can roll by its own weight;
A supply guide channel that is disposed on the downstream side of the upstream channel portion, is formed to be greatly inclined with respect to the upstream channel portion, and guides a game ball supplied from the upstream channel portion to the rotating body. And a game ball transport device according to claim 2. The upstream flow path portion and the supply guide flow path portion are formed separately,
The supply guide channel portion is provided with a step difference of one or more game balls below the downstream end portion of the upstream channel portion of the game ball rolling surface,
A plurality of opening holes with a width through which game balls cannot pass are formed at positions upstream of the upstream end of the supply guide flow path portion on the ball rolling surface of the upstream flow path portion. The game ball transport device according to claim 3. The rotating body rotates in a direction in which a game ball supplied from the supply guide channel portion is conveyed to the discharge guide channel portion via the upper part of the rotation shaft,
5. The game ball transport device according to claim 3, wherein the ball rolling surface of the supply guide channel portion faces the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body with a gap through which the game ball cannot pass. The gaming ball transport device is provided below the gaming machine and collects the gaming balls discharged from the gaming machine,
Above the rotating body is provided with a bowl-shaped protective guide member that receives a game ball flowing down from the gaming machine,
6. The game ball transport device according to claim 2, wherein the protection guide member is formed to be inclined so as to guide the game ball to the second inclined flow path.

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