JP5797474B2 - Lift polishing machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a lifting and polishing apparatus that collects game balls discharged from a pachinko machine and polishes them while lifting them, and discharges the polished game balls for recycling supply.

  A player borrows a game ball (hereinafter referred to as a ball) from a game ball lending machine (hereinafter referred to as a ball lending machine), and launches the borrowed ball onto the game board using a ball launcher of the game machine. In a traditional gaming machine that allows a player to touch the ball with his / her hand, the player can touch the ball with his hand to generate the prize ball in the upper plate. Dust or the like that adheres to the ball and becomes dirty, so that the ball drops from the non-winning or winning hole of the game board (hereinafter referred to as a falling ball) in order to remove the dirt and restore the gloss of the ball. Is collected in a lower tank provided on the lower side of the gaming machine, and then a lift polishing apparatus is used for polishing the ball while being transferred from the lower tank to the upper tank provided on the upper side of the gaming machine.

  This traditional gaming machine consists of a group of dozens of gaming machines that form a single gaming island (hereinafter simply referred to as an island) and collects falling balls discharged from that gaming machine in the lower tank. Then, it is constructed so that it is lifted and polished by one lift polishing apparatus, and the balls that have been lifted and polished are stored in one upper tank and supplied to each gaming machine from the upper tank.

JP 2009-262255 A JP 2010-035731 A

  In the above prior art, the balls that are lifted and polished by the lift polishing apparatus and discharged from the upper end of the balls are stored in one upper tank common to all the gaming machines constituting the island, and the balls are discharged from the upper tank. Are distributed to the trays and ball lending machines of each gaming machine, and the falling balls discharged from each gaming machine are collected in one lower tank and flowed into the lower end of the lifting and polishing apparatus. . In addition, in the above prior art, it is impossible to prevent a player from moving a ball from one island to another, so the number of balls held is set to a large extent so that there is no shortage of balls on the source island. Yes. For this reason, the amount of balls used on the entire island is very large, and therefore a large lifting polishing device is required, the load on the lifting polishing device is large, and the ball supply control for each gaming machine becomes complicated. There is a problem that maintenance is not easy because a lot of labor and cost are required to replace the abrasive. Therefore, a gaming machine has been developed in which the size of an island is reduced to only one or a few, and a limited number of balls within that range can be successfully reused.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a lift polishing apparatus suitable for use in the small-scale island gaming machine. Another object of the present invention is to make it easy to replace the abrasive in the lift polishing apparatus.

The present invention for solving the above problems, (a) the pumped polishing apparatus, and a sphere inlet and the sphere outlet and sphere pumped unit attached to the gaming machine, the sphere pumped unit detachably and a polishing material cassette to be mounted on, (b) the spheres pumped unit includes a box-shaped unit main body having a space for accommodating the abrasive cassette, provided in the unit body sphere (C) The ball lifting means is formed in a cylindrical shape having a screw conveyor provided rotatably in the unit body with the shaft core vertical, and a longitudinally long opening on the back side. The ball is formed, concentrically surrounds the screw conveyor, forms a ball feeding path extending along the opening in cooperation with the screw conveyor, and communicates with a lower end of the ball feeding path Between the inlet and the ball A ball lifting guide having the ball discharge port communicated with an end, and a first driving means for rotating the screw conveyor in a predetermined direction. (D) The abrasive cassette is used as an abrasive. A roller-like polishing brush that is rotated in a direction perpendicular to the ball feeding direction is detachably fitted into the abrasive cassette housing space of the ball lifting unit, and is mounted on the screw conveyor side. An open box-shaped cassette body, and is held in the cassette body so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis. When the cassette body is fitted in the abrasive cassette housing space of the unit body, the ball feeding path is provided. It comprises the roller-like polishing brush that comes into contact with the ball to be lifted, and second driving means for rotating the polishing brush (claim 1).

  The first driving means includes a motor attached to the ball lifting unit, a gear fixed to the rotating shaft of the motor, and a gear fixed to the shaft of the screw conveyor and meshed with the gear of the motor. The second drive means is preferably constituted by a gear fixed to the shaft of the polishing brush and meshed with the gear of the screw conveyor (claim 2).

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cassette body has an opening that exposes a part of the outer peripheral surface of the polishing brush over the entire length in the longitudinal direction on the surface opposite to the ball lifting guide. A rotating polishing brush provided on the outer edge of the cassette body or the edge of the opening of the case, the edge of the rotating polishing brush being separated from the center of the opening. The contact portion is provided with a contact portion that press-curves the tip of the wire and causes the stain to peel off inside the case by bouncing (Claim 3).

  In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cassette body has an opening that exposes a part of the circumferential direction of the polishing brush over the entire length in the longitudinal direction on the surface opposite to the ball lifting guide, A saddle-like case is provided outside the opening, and a fixed brush that peels off dirt by contacting the tip of the polishing brush is provided in the case.

  In still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cassette body has an opening that exposes a part of the circumferential direction of the polishing brush over the entire length in the longitudinal direction on the surface opposite to the ball lifting guide. And a dirt case attached to the polishing brush in contact with a part of the outer peripheral surface of the polishing brush exposed to the opening of the polishing brush. A roller with a pressure-sensitive adhesive to be transferred is rotatably provided (claim 5).

  It is desirable that all the cases are detachably attached to the cassette body.

  According to the invention of claim 1, when a small island is constituted by one or several game machines installed adjacent to each other or back to back, the lifting and polishing apparatus includes a ball inlet and a ball outlet. A ball lifting unit that is mounted in a gaming machine and an abrasive cassette that is detachably attached to the ball lifting unit, and the ball lifting unit has a space for accommodating the abrasive cassette The unit cassette body and the ball lifting means provided in the unit body make it easy to replace the abrasive cassette. Further, the ball lifting means is formed in a cylindrical shape having a screw conveyor that is rotatably provided with a vertical axis in the unit main body, and a vertically long opening on the entire back side, and the screw conveyor is concentrically formed. Surrounding and forming a ball lifting path extending along the opening in cooperation with the screw conveyor, the ball inlet and the upper end of the ball lifting path communicated with the lower end of the ball lifting path A small lifting and polishing apparatus having a relatively simple structure because it includes a ball lifting guide having the ball discharge port communicated with the first driving means for rotating the screw conveyor in a predetermined direction. Can be provided.

  Conventional gaming machines are based on the premise that the player directly touches the ball (open type), but if a small gaming machine island consisting of one or several units is assumed, Supply of rental balls to a ball storage unit such as an upper plate, launch of a ball with a ball launcher, accommodation of a falling ball into a lower tank, lift polishing with a lift polishing device, a tray of a gaming machine and a ball loan from the upper tank A ball passage (non-open type) has been devised so that the player can not touch the ball by closing the ball passage to the machine. The sphere polishing apparatus can be installed in either an open type or a non-open type.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the abrasive cassette uses a roller-like abrasive brush that is rotated in a direction perpendicular to the ball feeding direction as the abrasive. A box-shaped cassette body that is detachably fitted in the material cassette housing space and opens to the screw conveyor side, and is held rotatably in the cassette body around a vertical axis, and the cassette body is an abrasive material cassette of the unit body Since it comprises the roller-shaped polishing brush that comes into contact with the ball that is transported through the ball lifting path when fitted in the accommodation space, and the second driving means that rotates the polishing brush, the structure is simple in polishing. The material can be used, and the abrasive can be easily replaced.

  According to invention of Claim 2, the structure of the rotational drive system of a screw conveyor and a grinding | polishing brush can be simplified. In addition, since the polishing brush is rotated in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the screw conveyor, high ball polishing performance can be obtained.

  According to the invention of claim 3, the cassette body has an opening for exposing a part of the polishing brush, and has a bowl-shaped case outside the opening, and the cassette body or the both sides of the opening of the case, Since the tip of the rotating polishing brush has a contact portion that scrapes dirt from the tip of the polishing brush into the case at the edge of the opening that is separated from the center side of the opening, dirt is always excluded from the tip of the polishing brush. Therefore, the polishing performance of the polishing brush is extended.

  According to the invention of claim 4, the cassette body has an opening for exposing a part of the polishing brush, and has a bowl-shaped case outside of the opening, and contacts the tip of the polishing brush in the case and becomes dirty. Since the fixed brush for peeling is provided, dirt can be removed from the polishing brush in an area larger than that of the contact portion, and a greater peeling effect than that of the contact portion can be obtained.

  According to the invention of claim 5, the cassette body has an opening for exposing a part of the polishing brush in the circumferential direction, and has a bowl-shaped case outside the opening, and the opening of the polishing brush is provided in the case. Since the roller with an adhesive that contacts a part of the circumferential surface of the polishing brush exposed to the surface and transfers dirt adhered to the polishing brush is rotatably provided, the contact portion or the fixed brush There is an advantage that no dirt is scattered or no noise is generated as in the case where the dirt is scraped off.

  According to the invention of claim 6, since the case is detachably attached to the cassette body, the contact portion, the fixed brush or the roller with adhesive can be easily replaced.

1 is a front view of a gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view which extracts and shows the lifting polishing apparatus of the gaming machine of FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view of only the lift polishing machine of FIG. 2 . It is a perspective view of the front side of the lifting polishing machine of FIG. It is a perspective view of the back side of the pumped polisher of Figure 3B. It is a perspective view of the state where the abrasive material cassette was pulled out from the ball lifting unit of the lifting and polishing machine of FIG. 3B . It is a rear view of the same lift polishing machine of FIG. 3D . It is an enlarged view explaining the operation | movement during the lifting of the ball | bowl in the ball | bowl lifting path of the ball | bowl lifting unit of FIG. 3E . It is a perspective view which shows the example which mounted | wore the abrasive material cassette of FIG. 3C with the case. It is a perspective view which shows the state which opened the case of the abrasive material cassette of FIG. 4A . It is a perspective view which shows the state which removed the case of FIG. 4B . FIG. 4B is a horizontal sectional view and a partially enlarged view of the lifting passage of FIG. 4A . It is a perspective view which shows the example which attached the fixed brush to the case of FIG. 4B . It is a perspective view which shows the state which removed the case of FIG. 5A . FIG. 5B is a horizontal sectional view and a partially enlarged view of the case lifting passage of FIG. 5A . It is a perspective view which shows the example which attached the roller with an adhesive to the case of FIG. 4B . It is a perspective view which shows the state which removed the case of FIG. 6A . FIG. 6B is a horizontal sectional view and a partially enlarged view of the lifting passage of FIG. 6A . It is a control system diagram of the gaming machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart explaining the effect | action of the calculation control part of the gaming machine of FIG. It is a front view of an example of the gaming machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a rear view of the gaming machine of FIG. It is a perspective view of the front side of the lifting polishing machine of FIG. It is a perspective view of the back side of the ball lifting unit of FIG. It is a control system diagram of the gaming machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart explaining the effect | action of the calculation control part of the gaming machine of FIG.

1.0 [Amusement machine according to the embodiment]
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, although there are various cases where only one or a plurality of small gaming islands are adjacent or back to back, an example in which two gaming machines are installed side by side will be described.
A gaming device A shown in FIG. 1 is an example in the case of being configured by two adjacent gaming machines 1A and 1B. Incidentally, the two gaming machines 1A to form a small island, 1B, the configuration is the same, the collection function of the drop ball from the gaming machine, ball supply function to the pumped grinding function and a game machine this 2 It is completed in one game machine.

1.1 [Game machine]
The gaming machines 1A and 1B are, for example, pachinko machines, and have a glass door 2 and a front plate 3 that are pivotally supported on one side so as to be openable and closable on one side. A game board 4 is provided. The front panel 3 is provided with an operation handle 6 for inputting a ball launch command to a known launcher (not shown) and adjusting the ball launch speed.

  In FIG. 1, 16 is an upper plate, 17 is a lower plate, 18 is a funnel, and 19 is a tray. Reference numeral 20 denotes a display unit for displaying the remaining number of balls and the number of winning balls provided on the game board 11. The upper plate 16 and the lower plate 17 can see through from the outside the sphere accommodated therein.

1.2 [Ball rental machine]
The ball lending machine 8 connected to the left side of the gaming machines 1A and 1B has a display lamp 8a, a bill insertion slot 8b, a coin insertion slot 8c, a coin return slot 8d, and a card reader / writer inserted therein. In addition to the mouth 8e, the ball lending request switch 8f, and the game end switch 8h, a ball storage unit that opens to the upper end portion in the ball lending machine 8, and a first ball that supplies lending balls from the ball storage unit to the upper plate 16 A supply pipe 15 is provided. A lending ball supply means (8i in FIG. 7) for releasing a predetermined number of lending balls from the ball reserving portion to the lending ball supply pipe 15 by a lending ball supply command signal is provided at the bottom of the ball reserving portion. The rental ball supply means 8i can be constituted by, for example, a combination of an electric shutter, a counter, and a control circuit.

  By operating the operating handle 6, the launching device is launched toward the game board surface 4 by the launching device, and the falling ball that has entered the non-winning hole h1 falls to the funnel 18. In addition, the winning ball that is launched toward the game board surface 4 and enters the winning opening h2 also falls to the funnel 18. A winning detection sensor (see S1 in FIG. 7) is provided in the winning opening h2, and when a winning is detected, the winning detection signal is input to an arithmetic control unit 300 described later of the gaming machines 1A and 1B. It has come to be.

  A second supply pipe (not shown) for supplying balls from the tray 19 to the upper tray 16 is provided, and an arithmetic control unit 300 outputs the bottom of the tray 19 based on the input of the winning detection signal. Each time a prize ball release command signal is input, a predetermined number of prize balls are released from the tray 19 to the second supply pipe. For example, a prize ball supply means comprising a combination of an electric shutter, a counter and a control circuit (see FIG. 7). 19a) is provided.

  The upper plate 16 is provided with a manual shutter (not shown) that opens and closes a hole formed in the bottom thereof, and when the player sees that the upper plate 16 is almost full, The ball of the upper plate 16 can be dropped onto the lower plate 17 by opening the shutter. Further, the lower plate 17 is provided with a manual shutter (not shown) for opening and closing a hole formed in the bottom thereof, and when the player sees that the lower plate 17 is almost full, By opening the manual shutter, the ball of the lower plate 17 can be dropped onto the funnel 18. A counter S <b> 2 that counts the balls falling on the funnel 18 is provided below the hole of the lower plate 17, and the count value is input to the arithmetic control unit 300 as the number of winning balls.

  The above is a configuration unique to each gaming machine. Next, as shown in FIG. 1, one lower tank 31, one upper tank 32, and one lift polishing as components common to the two gaming machines 1A and 1B constituting the small island. There is a device BE.

  The lower tank 31 is provided below the gaming machines 1A and 1B. In this case, either the lower side of one of the gaming machines 1A and 1B or the lower side of both may be used. And the ball | bowl which falls from the funnel 18 of each game machine is accommodated. The upper tank 32 is provided on the upper side of the small island, that is, at the center of the top of the gaming machines 1A and 1B, and balls from the upper tank 32 are received by the respective trays 19 and ball lending machines of the gaming machines 1A and 1B. Ball passages 33 and 34 are provided to flow down to the eight ball storage portions.

1.3 [Feeding and polishing equipment]
Pumped polishing apparatus BE, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and pumped polishing machine B to spherical pumped polish flowing through the inlet tube 35 from the lower tank 31 is discharged from the pumped polishing machine B And a lifting means E for lifting the polished balls to the upper tank 32.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the lifting means E includes the outlet pipe 36, a screw conveyor 37 such as a coil spring provided in the outlet pipe 36, and a motor 38 that rotationally drives the screw conveyor 37 in a predetermined direction. It is made up of.

Outlet pipe 36 extends to above the gaming machine 1B, to the upper end portion of the outlet pipe 36 by the screw conveyor 37 is rotated the ball after pumped abrasive discharged from the sphere outlet 114 of the pumped polisher B pumped And it is configured to discharge into the upper tank 32.

The lift polishing apparatus BE starts rotation of the motor 38 when an empty detector (not shown) provided in the upper tank 32 detects and outputs an empty state or a near empty state, When the full detector (not shown) provided in the upper tank 32 detects full or near full and outputs it, the rotation of the motor 38 is stopped.

1.4 [lifting polishing machine ]
In the game apparatus A small-scale island pumped polishing machine B is installed in the vicinity of the lower side of the game board 4 inside the front plate 3. As shown in FIGS. 3C and 3D, the lifting and polishing machine B includes a ball lifting unit 100 and an abrasive material cassette 200.

1.4.1 [Ball Lifting Unit]
As shown in FIG. 3E, the ball lifting unit 100 is provided with a lifting portion at a substantially central position in a unit body 101 formed in a box shape that opens only on the rear side, and the rear side of the lifting portion. Further, an abrasive cassette housing space 101R in which an abrasive cassette 200 described later can be fitted is provided. The feed section includes a vertically long feed guide 102 that is continuous in the vertical direction on the back side and has an opening slightly wider than the diameter of the sphere C and has a U-shaped or arcuate horizontal cross-sectional shape, and a unit body 101. A screw conveyor (hereinafter simply referred to as a conveyor) 104 that is rotatably mounted with the rotating shaft 104a aligned with the center of the lifting guide 102 by upper and lower support members 103 (see FIG. 3E) fixed to the inner surface of The motor 105 for rotationally driving the conveyor and the rotation detection sensor 106 for counting the spheres discharged from the lifting and polishing machine B by detecting the rotation of the conveyor 104. The lifting guide 102 is attached with the opening facing the back.

  The conveyor 104 has an outer diameter whose outer peripheral surface is close to the inner surface of the lifting guide 102, and the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 104 a of the conveyor 104 and the inner surface of the lifting guide 102 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the sphere C. The pitch of the screw is set slightly larger than the diameter of the sphere.

  As shown in FIG. 3E, a lower ball passage forming member is attached to the lower portion of the lifting guide 102. An example of the ball passage forming member will be described. An arc-shaped lower cover 108 having a radius of curvature larger than the radius of the game ball C is fixed, and the lower cover 108 is lifted below the conveyor 104. The outer peripheral surface that is not shielded by the feeding guide 102 is shielded. A ball lifting path p1 (not shown) that is continuous in the vertical direction is formed between the conveyor 104 and the lower cover 108. In FIG. 3E of the lower end portion of the lower cover 108, one end of a curved ball introduction path 110 is connected to the left side surface, and the ball introduction path 110 communicates with the lower end portion of the ball lifting path p1. The other end of the ball introduction path 110 is connected to a ball inlet 111 (see FIG. 3A) formed in the lower front portion of the unit main body 101 of the ball lifting unit 100.

  As shown in FIG. 3E, an upper cover 112 similar to the lower cover 108 is fixed to the upper portion of the opening surface of the lifting guide 102 as the ball path forming member. The outer peripheral surface that is not shielded by the lifting guide 102 is shielded. A ball lifting path p3 (not shown) similar to the ball lifting path p1 is formed between the conveyor 104 and the upper cover 112. One end of the curved ball lead-out path 113 is connected to the right side surface in FIG. 3E of the upper end portion of the upper cover 112, and the other end of the ball lead-out path 113 is the front of the unit body 101 of the ball lifting unit 100. It is connected to a ball discharge port 114 (see FIG. 3A) formed on the upper side. The ball lead-out path 113 is slightly inclined downward from the upper end of the ball transport path p3 to the ball discharge port 114 so that the game ball can easily roll.

  A portion of the opening of the lifting guide 102 remaining between the lower cover 108 and the upper cover 112, that is, an intermediate ball lifting path p2 (illustrated) communicating with the upper and lower ball lifting paths p1 and p3 by the opening. (Omitted) is formed.

  As shown in FIGS. 3C, 3D, and 3E, upper and lower two-stage gears 115a and 115b are fixed to the lower end portion of the rotating shaft 104a of the conveyor 104, and the lower gear 115a and the gear fixed to the rotating shaft of the motor 105 are fixed. 116 is meshed. These motors 105 and gears 115a and 116 constitute first drive means for driving the lifting section.

When the conveyor 104 is rotated by the first driving means 105, 115a, and 116 in a predetermined direction, counterclockwise as viewed from above in FIG. 3E, the balls entering from the ball inlet 111 are transferred to the ball transport path p1 of the transport section. , p2, and p3, but in a preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3F, the left and right sides of the opening of the ball feeding path p2 of the lifting guide 102 meander regularly. The left and right meandering sides are shifted in the vertical direction by one pitch. Accordingly, the ball C being lifted along the ball lifting path p2 is lifted while meandering. Thereby, the effect that the whole spherical surface of the sphere C is uniformly polished is obtained.

  As an example, the rotation detection sensor 106 includes a known photoelectric sensor 106a attached to the unit main body 101, and an encoder 106b fixed to an upper extension portion of the rotation shaft 104a of the conveyor 104. The rotation detection sensor 106 is used to count the balls discharged from the ball discharge port 114 based on the rotation angle of the conveyor 104. The sensor for counting the spheres may have another configuration, or may be provided at another position.

The ball lifting unit 100 is housed in the gaming machine 1 with the open surface of the unit body 101 facing the back of the gaming machine 1 as shown in FIG. The attachment pieces 101a to 101e are detachably attached by fixing means such as screws. Therefore, the lift polishing machine B according to the present invention can be easily attached to the gaming machine A.

1.4.2 [Abrasive cassette]
On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 3C and 3D, the abrasive material cassette 200 includes a cassette body 210 and an abrasive brush 220 that is held by the cassette body 210 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis. The cassette body 210 is detachably attached to the lifting unit of the ball lifting unit 100. An example of the attachment / detachment mechanism will be described. As shown in FIG. 3C, a pin 211 that protrudes vertically opposite to one side of the cassette body is provided, and a locked piece 212 having elasticity on the other side of the cassette body. Is provided. Then, an opening for receiving the pin 211 and a locking piece for locking the locked piece 212 to the holder 102e formed on the right and left sides of the ball lifting path p2 of the ball lifting unit 100, for example, the lifting guide 102 or its vicinity. 3C and 3D, the cassette main body 210 can be brought close to the transporting portion of the ball transporting unit 100 and can be fixed by the attachment / detachment mechanism.

  The polishing brush 220 is formed in a roller shape (or a vertically long cylindrical shape, which is the same in the present specification), and has a shaft 221 protruding in the vertical direction at the center thereof, and the upper and lower bearings of the cassette body 210. The polishing brush 220 is accommodated between 213 and 214, and the shafts 221 at the upper and lower ends of the polishing brush 220 are rotatably supported by bearings 213 and 214. At least a part of the outer peripheral surface of the polishing brush 220 protrudes from the surface of the cassette body 210 on the side of the lifting unit of the ball lifting unit 100 over the entire length. The length of the polishing brush 220 is designed to be equal to the length of the ball lifting path p2 of the lifting unit of the ball lifting unit 100.

  Therefore, when the cassette body 210 is mounted and fixed on the lifting part of the ball lifting unit 100, a part of the outer peripheral surface of the polishing brush 220 faces the ball lifting path p2 and is lifted by the lifting part. Can touch the ball.

To enhance the effectiveness of the polishing action on spherical outer circumferential surface of the polishing brush 220 is pumped by pumped section (soil removal and gloss recovery), a second drive for rotating the polishing brush in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the conveyor 104 Means are provided. For example, as shown in FIGS. 3B, 3C, and 3D, a gear 115c is provided at the lower end of the shaft 221 of the polishing brush 220, and the gear 115c is fixed when the cassette body 210 is fixed to the ball lifting unit 100. The upper gear 115b of the conveyor 104 is engaged.

  The second driving means may not use a structure that distributes the rotational force of the first driving means, but may use another motor.

Thus, the when pumped installing polishing machine B in the gaming machine 1, as shown in FIG. 10, out ball passage 11 and prizes sphere inlet 111 connected to the non-winning holes h1 and winning hole h2 of the gaming machine 1 The replenishment passage 10 is connected to the launching device of the gaming machine 1 by being connected to a receiving tray 14 provided at the end of the combined passage 13 coupled to the ball passage 12.

1.4.3 [Abrasive brush cleaning mechanism]
When the polishing brush is used as the abrasive as described above, the dirt adhering to the sphere is scraped off by the polishing brush. If the scraped dirt remains on the brush, the abrasive brush must be cleaned or replaced. Since the cassette body 200 is detachable, it is possible to easily remove or clean the brush. However, depending on the degree of contamination of the sphere, the frequency of cleaning or replacement of the brush is high, and there is a possibility that a problem occurs in maintainability and there is no risk of reducing the life of the polishing brush.

The polishing brush cleaning mechanism that can be used instead of cleaning or replacing the polishing brush will be described below.
4A to 4D show an example in which a box-like case 230 that opens only on one side is detachably attached to the back side of the cassette body 200. FIG. As the attachment / detachment mechanism for the case 230 with respect to the cassette body 200, the same attachment / detachment mechanism as that for the ball lifting unit 100 of the cassette body 200 can be used.

  In the polishing brush 220 in this embodiment, a part of the outer peripheral surface protrudes from the cassette body 200 on both the lifting portion side of the ball lifting unit 100 and the opposite side. A bracket 240 is fixed in the case 230. The bracket 240 has a side of the opening of the case 230 on the side where the outer peripheral surface of the rotating polishing brush 220 moves toward the center of the opening, and in FIG. A contact portion 241 that contacts the outer peripheral surface of 220 is provided over the entire length. Since the contact portion 241 presses against and contacts the outer peripheral surface of the brush, immediately after the tip of the fiber of the rotating polishing brush 220 is pressed and bent by the contact portion 241, it is released from the contact portion 241 and jumps. The dirt adhering to the fiber is peeled off, adheres to the inner wall surface of the case 230, and is deposited. Therefore, the case can be used until a certain amount of dirt accumulates in the case 230. When a certain amount is deposited, the case is replaced and cleaned or discarded. The bracket 240 may be detachable. In this way, dirt can be scraped off from the tip of the polishing brush by the contact portion 241 to regenerate the polishing ability of the polishing brush.

  FIGS. 5A to 5C show a fixing that presses and contacts a part of the outer peripheral surface of the polishing brush 220 in a case 230 similar to the case in FIGS. 4A to 4D detachably attached to the back side of the cassette body 200. This is an example provided with a brush 250.

When the fixed brush 250 is used, the fibers of the fixed brush 250 and the polishing brush 220 are in press contact with each other, so that the effect of removing dirt from the polishing brush 220 is excellent. In this way, dirt can be scraped off from the tip of the polishing brush 220 by the fixed brush 250 to regenerate the polishing ability of the polishing brush. In addition, an inexpensive fixed brush can be used, and if dirt accumulates, it can be discarded together with the case 300, so that the dirt treatment cost can be reduced.

  6A and 6B are examples in which a roller 260 with an adhesive is used as a cleaning member of the polishing brush 220. FIG. That is, when a roller 260 with an adhesive is rotatably provided in a similar case 230E and the case 230E is fixed to the back side of the cassette body 200 via an attachment / detachment mechanism, as shown in FIG. A part of the outer peripheral surface of the attached roller 260 is in press contact with a part of the outer peripheral surface of the polishing brush 220, and the dirt attached to the outer peripheral surface of the polishing brush 220 is synchronously rotated. It is made to transcribe to. In this way, dirt can be transferred from the tip of the polishing brush by the pressure-sensitive adhesive roller 260 to regenerate the polishing ability of the polishing brush. In addition, if the roller 260 with adhesive is made by laminating adhesive tapes in the shape of an annual ring, if the transfer capability deteriorates due to accumulation of transferred dirt, the top adhesive tape is removed. Therefore, it is preferable because the transfer ability can be regenerated.

1.5 [Calculation control unit]
As shown in FIG. 7, the arithmetic control unit 300 of the gaming apparatus A includes a denomination discriminator (not shown) provided in the bill insertion slot of the ball lending machine, and a coin provided in the coin insertion slot. Discriminator (not shown), card reader / writer R / W or printer (not shown), ball lending request switch 8f, lending ball supply means 8i, game end switch 8h, winning detection sensor s1, prize ball supply means 19a, prize ball An acquisition number counter s2, a storage unit 400 that temporarily stores the number of winning ball acquisitions, and a display unit 20 are connected. In addition, the arithmetic control unit 300 inputs a ball lending request signal from the condition lending / decision determining unit 301 that determines whether or not the game execution condition or the game continuation condition is met and a lending request signal from the lending request switch 8f. A ball lending control unit 305 that provides a lending ball supply command signal for supplying a predetermined number of lending balls to the supply means 8i, a winning ball acquisition number accumulating unit 306, and a display control for displaying the winning ball acquisition number on the display unit 20. When the game end signal is input from the unit 303 and the game end switch 8h, if the winning ball acquisition number is stored in the storage unit 400, the card reader / writer or the printer records or prints the winning ball acquisition number. A recording control unit 307 is provided.

1.6 [Operation of gaming machine]
The operation of the gaming machines 1A and 1B having the above configuration is as shown in the flowchart of FIG.
That is, the arithmetic control unit 300 determines that the data read from the game card or the amount of inserted money satisfies the game execution condition, or the remaining number of balls stored in the arithmetic control unit satisfies the game continuation condition. When a ball lending request signal is input (in the case of Y in S2), an operation command signal is given to the ball supply means of the ball storage unit of the ball lending machine 8 Then, a predetermined number of balls are discharged to the upper plate 5 connected to the launch position of the ball launcher (S3).

Thereafter, a predetermined number of balls are immediately supplied from the upper tank 32 to the ball storage section of the ball lending machine 8 (S4). The upper tank 32 is provided with a near empty detector and a near full detector, and detection signals from both detectors are supplied to the arithmetic control unit 300. Then, following S4, it is checked whether or not the near empty detector has output a detection signal (S5). Each time the near-empty detector outputs, the lifting and polishing machine B is driven until the near-full detector outputs a detection signal, and the balls in the lower tank 31 are lifted and polished and accommodated in the upper tank 32 ( S6).

  After the ball is replenished from the upper tank 32 to the ball lending machine, when a ball launched toward the game board by the ball launching device wins, that is, a winning detection signal is input to the arithmetic control unit 300 from the winning detection sensor. In the case (Y in S7), an operation command signal is given to the ball supply means provided in the tray 19 to supply a predetermined amount of balls to the upper plate 16 (S8).

  Even after S8, it is checked whether or not the near empty detector has output a detection signal (S9). If a detection signal is output, the process proceeds to S6.

  After winning a prize, when the player operates the shutter provided on the lower plate 17 to drop the prize ball in the lower plate to the lower tank 31, that is, when winning the winning ball (S10), Since the acquisition number counter provided at the shutter exit counts the number of winning balls and gives the count value to the calculation control unit 300, the calculation control unit 300 adds the count value and stores the total value in the storage unit 400. The information is stored and displayed on the display unit 20 (S11).

  Subsequently, it is monitored whether or not a game end command signal is input from the game end switch 8h (S12). If not input, the process returns to S7 to monitor the progress of the game.

  When the game end command signal is input, the number of winning balls stored in the storage unit at that time is recorded on the game card by the card reader / writer R / W, or the recording card is issued by the printer (S13), The game process ends.

  When the ball launched by the launching device does not win in S7, the hitting detector monitors whether or not the hitting ball is still more than a predetermined value (S14), and if there is, the process returns to S7, but the hitting ball is predetermined. When it is less than the value (in the case of N in S14), it is checked whether or not the number of remaining balls stored is greater than or equal to a predetermined value (S15). Are supplied to the upper plate 16 (S16), and the predetermined amount is subtracted from the remaining number of balls, and the subtraction result is stored in the storage unit 400 as a new remaining number of balls and displayed on the display unit 20. (S17). After S17, the process returns to S7.

  Then, when the game execution condition is not satisfied in S1, or the ball lending request is not made in S2 even if the condition is satisfied, and when the predetermined time has not yet passed (in the case of N in S18), the process returns to S1. However, if the predetermined time has elapsed (Y in S18), the inserted game card or money is returned (S19), and the game process is terminated.

2.0 [The second type of gaming machine]
The present invention can also be realized in the following second embodiment.
As illustrated in FIG. 9, the gaming apparatus A in this case includes one gaming machine 1 and a ball lending machine 8 provided on one side of the gaming machine 1 .

2.1 [Machine]
The gaming machine 1 has a glass door 2 and a front plate 3 that are pivotally supported on one side so as to be opened and closed, and a gaming board 4 is provided on the back side of the glass door 2. A non-winning hole h1 is provided at the lower end of the game board 4, a winning hole h2 is provided at an arbitrary upper position, and the front plate 3 has a ball before being fired by a known launching device (not shown). A see-through window 5 provided so that the player can see through the presence or absence, an operation handle 6 for inputting a ball firing command to the launching device and adjusting the ball firing speed, and a display unit for displaying the number of winning balls or the number of remaining balls 7 is provided.

2.2 [Ball Rental Machine]
The ball lending machine 8 has a display lamp 8a, a bill slot 8b, a coin slot 8c, a coin return slot 8d, and a card slot 8e. Inside the card insertion slot 8e, a card reader / writer (not shown) that reads and writes a game card such as an inserted prepaid card is provided. In some cases, only the card insertion slot 8e is provided without the banknote slot 8b, the coin slot 8c, and the coin return slot 8d. The ball lending machine 8 includes a ball lending request switch 8f for a player to request ball lending, and a ball replenishment request switch 8g for requesting replenishment of a predetermined number of balls from the acquired winning balls. A game end switch 8h for instructing the end of the game is provided.

2.3 [Feeding and polishing machine ]
As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, pumped polishing machine B used in the game apparatus A removes the pumped means E from pumped polisher BE in Fig 2, is coupled to the ball inlet 111 in FIG. 3B The tray 14 is connected in place of the introduction pipe 35, and the supply passage 10 is connected in place of the outlet pipe 36 connected to the ball outlet 114 of FIG. 3B.

Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the end of the junction passage 13 connected to the out ball passage 11 and the prize ball passage 12 connected to the non-winning hole h1 and the winning hole h2 of the gaming board 4 of the gaming machine 1 is a tray 14. is opened, by installing a pumped grinding machine B in the gaming machine 1, the sphere inlet 111 is connected to the receiving tray 14. Further, the other end of the supply passage 10 whose one end is coupled to the ball discharge port 114 is connected to a launching device (not shown) of the gaming machine 1.

2.4 [Calculation control unit]
In the gaming machine 1, there is provided an arithmetic control unit 300 composed of a CPU for controlling the lift polishing machine B. As shown in the control system diagram of FIG. 13, the arithmetic control unit 300 includes a card reader / writer R / W of the ball lending machine 8, a ball lending request switch 8f, a ball replenishment request switch 8g, a game end switch 8h, and a game board 4 The winning detection switch s provided in the winning opening h2 and the rotation detecting sensor 106 of the lifting and polishing apparatus B are connected, and data recorded on the game card, a ball lending request signal, a ball replenishment request signal are connected thereto. A game end signal, a winning detection signal, and a ball count signal are input. Further, the arithmetic control unit 300 includes a condition correctness determination unit 301 for determining whether or not a game execution condition or a game continuation condition is satisfied, a remaining ball number calculation unit 302, a remaining ball number display control unit 303, The settlement means 304 is included. Further, the arithmetic control unit 300 is connected to a storage unit 400 for storing a system program, working data, and the like, and a motor 105 of the first driving means of the polishing apparatus B via a motor driver 105d. . The motor 107 of the second driving means is also connected, but is omitted in FIG.

The calculation control unit 300 stores the data read from the game card inserted into the card insertion slot 8b, or when the amount of money inserted satisfies the game execution condition, or stored in the storage unit 400 of the calculation control unit 300. If the remaining cell count that is is determined that the game continues satisfies, when a ball lending request signal is inputted outputs a drive control signal to the motor 105 of the pumped polishing machine B, from the rotation detecting sensor 106 A predetermined number of balls are lifted and polished by the ball count signal and discharged from the ball discharge port to the upper plate 5.

  When a ball discharged to the upper plate 5 and launched by the launching device enters the non-winning hole h1, the ball is accommodated in the tray 14.

  In addition, when a winning detection signal is input during the game, the arithmetic control unit 300 stores a predetermined number of balls as a winning ball acquisition number in the storage unit, and causes the display unit 7 to display the winning ball acquisition number. . Each time a winning detection signal is input, a predetermined number of balls is added to the previous number of winning balls, and a new number of winning balls is displayed on the display unit 7.

Further, when the number of balls to be fired on the upper plate 5 decreases and becomes invisible, when the player operates the ball lending request switch 8f, when the number of prize balls acquired is stored in the storage unit, That is, when displayed on the display unit 7, the motor 105 of the lift polishing machine B is driven, and a predetermined number of balls are lifted and polished and released to the upper plate 5. At the same time, the predetermined number is subtracted from the number of winning balls acquired stored in the storage unit, and the remaining number of balls as a result is displayed on the display unit 7.

Furthermore, when the ball lending request switch 8f is operated and the number of winning balls acquired is not displayed on the display unit 7, the game card is transferred when the inserted game card or the inserted money satisfies the game continuation condition. The motor 105 of the polishing machine B is driven to lift and polish a predetermined number of balls and discharge them from the ball discharge port to the upper plate 5.

  When a game end signal is input, if the remaining number of balls is stored in the storage unit at the end of the game, the remaining ball number data is given to the card reader / writer and rewritten into a game card. When no game card is inserted, a remaining ball number recording slip on which the remaining ball number is printed is issued by a printer.

  As described above, the spheres required for the lifting and polishing apparatus B are only the sphere accommodated in the receiving tray 14, the sphere accommodated in the upper dish 5, and the sphere present in the lifting section. The number of balls may be about 100 to 200. The number of balls used can be greatly reduced.

2.5 [Operation of gaming machine]
Next, the operation of the gaming machine by the arithmetic control unit having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG.
The calculation control unit 300 determines that the data read from the game card or the amount of inserted money satisfies the game execution condition, or the remaining number of balls stored in the calculation control unit satisfies the game continuation condition. when (in the case of Y at S21), (If Y in S22) when the ball lending request signal is input, the motor 107 of the motor 105 and the second driving means of the first drive means pumped polisher B A drive control signal is output to the surface, and a predetermined number of balls are lifted and polished by the ball count from the rotation detection sensor 106 and discharged from the ball discharge port to the upper plate 5 (S23).

Further, when a winning detection signal is input during the game (in the case of Y in S24), a drive control signal is output to the motor 105 of the first drive means and the motor 107 of the second drive means of the lift polishing apparatus B. Then, a predetermined number of balls are lifted and polished by the ball count signal from the rotation detection sensor 106 and discharged from the ball discharge port to the upper plate 5 (S25). The predetermined number of balls released in this case is stored in the temporary storage unit as the number of winning balls acquired and displayed on the display unit 7 (S26). Each time a winning detection signal is input, the lifting and polishing machine B lifts and polishes a predetermined number of balls and discharges them from the ball discharge port to the upper plate 5, and the number of the released balls is determined as the previous winning ball. In addition to the acquired number, the new number of remaining balls is displayed on the display unit 7 (N in S27, S28, Y in S24, S25, S26).

  When the ball that has been released to the upper plate by one ball lending request and the fired ball does not hit the winning hole h2 (in the case of N in S24), the process returns to S21.

When the player requests the ball supply when the number of balls to be fired on the upper plate visible from the window 5 is reduced (Y in S28), the number of winning balls is stored in the storage unit 400. If, pumped grinding unit B is discharged to the ball supply side reservoir portion continuous to the ball shooting apparatus such as upper tray 5 a predetermined number of balls polished to a sphere outlet pumped (S29), and was the release Subtracting the number of balls from the previous number of winning balls, replacing the previous number of winning balls with the new number of remaining balls, and storing the new number of remaining balls in the storage unit 21; and Is displayed on the display unit 7 (S210).

  Thereafter, when the game end signal is not input in S211, the process returns to S24. When a game end signal is input in S27 and S211, the card reader / writer R / W records the number of winning balls (remaining balls) currently stored in the storage unit 400 in the inserted game card. And return the game card. In the case of a gaming machine that does not include a card reader / writer, a printer slip (not shown) provided in the ball lending machine 8 issues a recording slip on which the remaining number of balls is printed (S214).

  When the game execution condition is not satisfied in S21, or when a ball lending request is not made in S22 even if the condition is satisfied, if a predetermined time has elapsed (Y in S212), the inserted game card or Money is returned (S213), and the game process is terminated.

  The game end switch 8h is not always necessary.

  When the ball hitting device (not shown) for detecting that the number of hit balls before launching is less than or equal to a predetermined value is provided in the ball launcher, and the calculation control unit 300 inputs a detection signal output from the hit ball detector If the number of remaining winning balls (the number of remaining balls) is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, or if the remaining amount of the game card is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the lifting and polishing apparatus is activated and a predetermined number of balls are Can be configured to automatically replenish the top plate or the like. In this case, the player can automatically receive the ball without having to operate the ball supply request switch 8f each time the ball is hit by the ball launching device decreases or disappears.

A game machine
1,1A, 1B gaming machine 4 gaming board h1 non-winning opening h2 winning opening 5 transparent window 6 operation handle 7 display 8 ball lending machine
BE lift polishing machine
B Lifting polishing machine
E Lifting means
100 ball lifting unit
104 Screw conveyor
105 motor
111 Sphere inlet
114 ball outlet
200 abrasive cassette
210 Cassette body
220 Polishing brush
230 cases
240 bracket
241 Contact area
250 fixed brush
260 Roller with adhesive

Claims (6)

(A) having a ball inflow port and a ball discharge port, having a ball lifting unit that is mounted in the gaming machine, and an abrasive material cassette that is detachably attached to the ball lifting unit ;
(B) The ball lifting unit comprises a box-shaped unit main body having a space for accommodating the abrasive cassette, and a ball lifting means provided in the unit main body,
(C) The ball lifting means is formed in a cylindrical shape having a screw conveyor provided in the unit main body so as to be rotatable with the axis being vertical, and a vertically long opening on the entire back side. Concentrically encircling and forming a ball feeding path extending along the opening in cooperation with the screw conveyor, and the ball inlet and the ball feeding communicated with the lower end of the ball feeding path A ball lifting guide having the ball discharge port communicated with the upper end of the road, and a first driving means for rotating the screw conveyor in a predetermined direction,
(D) The abrasive cassette uses a roller-like abrasive brush that is rotated in a direction perpendicular to the ball lifting direction as the abrasive, and is provided in the abrasive cassette housing space of the ball lifting unit. A box-shaped cassette body that is detachably fitted and opens to the screw conveyor side, and is held in the cassette body so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis, and the cassette body is held in the unit body by the abrasive material cassette housing space. The roller-shaped polishing brush that comes into contact with the ball that is moved up the ball transfer path by the screw conveyor when fitted to the screw conveyor, and second driving means that rotates the polishing brush. Feeding and polishing equipment.   The first driving means includes a motor attached to the ball lifting unit, a gear fixed to the rotating shaft of the motor, and a gear fixed to the shaft of the screw conveyor and meshed with the gear of the motor. 2. The lift polishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second driving unit is configured by a gear fixed to a shaft of the polishing brush and meshed with a gear of the screw conveyor.   The cassette body has an opening that exposes a part of the outer peripheral surface of the polishing brush over the entire length in the longitudinal direction on the surface opposite to the ball lifting guide, and includes a bowl-shaped case outside the opening, Of both edges of the opening of the cassette body or the case, the tip of the rotating polishing brush is pressed and curved to the edge on the side where the tip of the rotating polishing brush is spaced apart to the center side of the opening, and bounces The lift polishing apparatus used in the gaming machine according to claim 1, further comprising a contact portion that causes the dirt to be peeled into the case.   The cassette body has an opening that exposes a part of the circumferential direction of the polishing brush over the entire length in the longitudinal direction on the surface opposite to the ball lifting guide, and includes a bowl-shaped case outside the opening. The lift polishing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a fixed brush that comes into contact with a tip of the polishing brush and peels off dirt in the case.   The cassette body has an opening that exposes a part of the circumferential direction of the polishing brush over the entire length in the longitudinal direction on the surface opposite to the ball lifting guide, and includes a bowl-shaped case outside the opening. A roller with an adhesive that rotatably contacts the part of the outer peripheral surface of the polishing brush exposed at the opening of the polishing brush and transfers dirt adhering to the polishing brush in the case. The lift polishing apparatus according to claim 1.   The lift polishing apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein each of the cases is detachably attached to the cassette body.

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