JP5869463B2 - Game ball transport device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a game ball transport device that transports and transports a game ball used in a gaming machine upward.

  In a gaming machine such as a pachinko machine, for example, in order to circulate a predetermined number of gaming balls such as a pachinko ball in the gaming machine, a spur gear-like or sprocket-like rotating body is rotated to be used in the gaming machine Is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). In this apparatus, a plurality of rotating bodies are disposed in a box-shaped housing so as to be rotatable around a horizontal axis. That is, a plurality of rotating bodies are arranged so as to overlap in the vertical direction so as to be rotatable in the vertical plane (vertically). Then, the game balls are fitted and mounted in the tooth spaces (adjacent teeth and tooth spaces) of the rotating body, and each rotating body is rotated, so that the game balls are sequentially transferred to the upper rotating body, and the gaming balls are moved downward. From above.

  In addition, this device is provided with an alignment mechanism for smoothly taking in game balls while suppressing clogging of the balls at the lowest rotating body (driving body). In other words, the drive body has two blade portions, and the two blade portions are arranged in parallel so that the teeth (convex portions) of one blade portion are located in the tooth grooves (concave portions) of the other blade portion. Has been. Then, the game balls are alternately received by the concave portions of the two blade portions, and the game balls are alternately passed from these concave portions to the upper rotating body, so that the game balls taken in two rows at the intake port are forcibly forced. They are arranged in a line.

JP 2009-118872 A

  As described above, in the apparatus as described above, since the plurality of rotating bodies are arranged so as to overlap in the vertical direction, not only the number of parts is complicated but also a large arrangement space is required. In addition, it is necessary to provide an alignment mechanism including the two blade portions as described above at the game ball inlet, and the structure becomes more complicated. In addition, the rotating body rotates in the vertical direction, and the game balls are fed one tooth at a time to the tooth groove side (pressed) to be fitted into the tooth groove, so that the game ball and the rotating body are not caught. It is also necessary to provide a mechanism / structure for preventing biting. In order to smoothly operate such a complicated mechanism / structure, it is necessary to increase the processing accuracy, strength, rigidity, and the like of each component, which increases costs.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a game ball transport device that can transport a game ball upward with a simple structure.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention described in claim 1 is a game ball transport device for transporting a game ball used in a game machine upward, which is disposed below the game machine body and is box-shaped. And a spur gear having a toothed groove on the outer periphery thereof, and is disposed rotatably on the bottom surface of the container around a vertical axis. A rotating body that is capable of flowing into the upper surface and that feeds the game ball that has flowed in from the housing body and fitted into the tooth gap in a rotation direction, a driving means that rotates the rotating body, and a rotating body that is fed by the rotating body. was having a receiving port which Ru receiving the game ball, a guide member for guiding the game balls accepted upward, provided on the bottom surface portion of said container, said receiving opening about an axis of rotation of said rotary member a guide bar for guiding the game balls in the counter-receiving opening in the opposite position to the And wherein the obtaining Bei a.

According to the present invention, when the rotating body is rotated by the driving means, it flows into the housing body and is guided to the counter-receiving port by the guide bar, and the game ball fitted in the tooth groove of the rotating body is sent in the rotating direction. , Received by the guide body and guided upward. Similarly, the next game ball sent by the rotating body is received by the guide body, and this game ball pushes up the preceding game ball. In this way, the game balls are sequentially pushed up and transported upward.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the gaming ball transport device according to the first aspect, a circular concave portion having a concave shape in the thickness direction is formed in the bottom surface portion of the container, and the circular concave portion is formed in the circular concave portion. The rotating body is disposed, and one gaming ball is fitted in a fitting space formed by a tooth groove of the rotating body and an inner peripheral surface of the circular recess. And

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the game ball transport device according to the first or second aspect, the game ball transport device includes a guide for guiding the game ball sent by the rotating body into the guide body.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the game ball transport device according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, the game ball transport device further includes a detection unit that detects an inflow state of the game ball into the container, and the inflow detected by the detection unit The rotation of the rotating body by the driving unit is controlled based on the situation.

  According to this invention, the situation where the game ball flows into the container is detected by the detecting means, and whether or not to rotate the rotating body is controlled based on this inflow situation.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the game balls are sequentially received by the guide body and transported upward only by rotating the rotating body by the driving means, so that smooth transport is possible with a simple configuration. That is, the number of parts is reduced and the configuration is simple compared to a structure in which a plurality of rotating bodies are arranged in the vertical direction. In addition, the rotating body is disposed on the bottom surface of the container so as to be rotatable about the vertical axis (in the horizontal direction in the horizontal plane), that is, the plane of the rotating body is along the bottom surface of the container. Therefore, the installation space can be reduced.

  Further, since the game ball can flow into the upper surface of the rotating body, the game ball fits into the tooth gap from the upper surface of the rotating body. In other words, the game balls and the rotating body teeth are used to fit the game balls by dropping from the upper surface, instead of feeding (pushing) the game balls one tooth at a time to the tooth gap side and fitting them into the tooth grooves. Is extremely rare. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a mechanism for preventing biting, and the configuration can be simplified.

  Furthermore, since the game balls can flow into the upper surface of the rotating body, a plurality of game balls can be fitted into the tooth spaces from the upper surface of the rotating body. That is, since a plurality of game balls are simultaneously received by the surface (upper surface), it is not necessary to provide an alignment mechanism or the like for forcibly aligning the game balls in a line and suppressing clogging of the balls, thereby simplifying the configuration. Can do.

  As described above, since the number of components is small and the configuration is simple, it is possible to reduce manufacturing costs and maintenance costs, and to save space. Further, since the configuration is simple, the occurrence rate of failures and conveyance failures is reduced, and the driving force required for conveyance can be reduced, that is, energy saving can be achieved. Furthermore, since the rotating body rotates in a horizontal plane, the game ball transported upward does not easily flow to the rotating body side, and the backflow of the game ball can be suppressed.

  According to the invention of claim 2, since one game ball is fitted in the fitting space formed by the tooth groove of the rotating body and the inner peripheral surface of the circular recess, the game ball rotates. The game ball can be sent more reliably without being detached from the tooth gap of the body, and as a result, smoother transport is possible.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the guide for guiding the game ball sent by the rotating body into the guide body is provided, the game ball is more reliably received by the guide body, and as a result, smoother transport is possible. .

  According to the invention of claim 4, since the rotation of the rotating body is controlled based on the situation where the game ball flows into the container, the rotating body can be rotated appropriately and flexibly according to the flow of the game ball. It becomes.

It is a perspective view which shows the game ball conveying apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which fractured | ruptured some game ball conveying apparatuses of FIG. 1, and showed the inside. It is a figure which shows the arrangement | positioning position of the game ball conveying apparatus of FIG. It is a top view which shows the rotary body periphery of the game ball conveying apparatus of FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a guide plate and the like are arranged by removing the upper rotating plate of the rotating body of FIG. 4. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an operation state around the rotating body of FIG. 4 when there are few game balls. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an operation state around the rotating body of FIG. 4 when there are many game balls.

  The present invention will be described below based on the illustrated embodiments.

  1 and 2 are perspective views showing a game ball transport device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The game ball transport device 1 is a device for transporting a game ball 101 used in a game machine upward. It is. Here, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a case will be described in which the game ball transport device 1 is disposed on the back side (anti-player side) of the gaming machine main body 100. Although the case where the game ball 101 circulates in the gaming machine main body 100 will be mainly described, a so-called game in an island (game machine group) constituted by a plurality of gaming machine main bodies 100 including the gaming machine main body 100 is described. The game ball 101 may circulate in the machine island.

“Configuration of Game Ball Transfer Device 1”
This game ball transport device 1 mainly includes a container 2, a rotating body 3, a drive motor (drive means) 4, and an L-shaped pipe (guide body) 5.

“Configuration of container 2”
The container 2 has a substantially rectangular box shape, and an opening 2a is formed by not providing one side wall in the longitudinal direction. A game ball 101 from a receiving box 6 to be described later is inserted into the container 2 from the opening 2a. Inflow. The bottom surface 2b of the container 2 is formed obliquely so as to descend from the opening 2a along the longitudinal direction (toward the rotating body 3), and the game ball 101 that has flowed in from the opening 2a easily flows to the rotating body 3 side. It is like that. Here, the shape of the container 2 is not limited to a rectangular box shape.

  Further, a circular concave portion 2c that is recessed in the thickness direction is formed on the side opposite to the opening 2a of the bottom surface portion 2b. As shown in FIG. 4, the inner diameter of the circular recess 2 c is a fitting space formed by the tooth groove 31 a of the rotary body 3 and the inner peripheral surface of the circular recess 2 c in a state where the rotary body 3 is disposed. S is set so that one game ball 101 is fitted to S. Further, the depth of the circular recess 2c is such that the upper surface of the rotary body 3 is flush with the upper end of the circular recess 2c, that is, the bottom surface portion 2b or the bottom surface portion 2b when the rotary body 3 is disposed. It is set to be low. As a result, the game ball 101 that has flowed in from the opening 2 a can easily flow into the upper surface of the rotating body 3.

  Further, a shaft hole (not shown) is formed at the center of the circular recess 2c, and a rotation shaft 41 of the drive motor 4 described later passes through the shaft hole as shown in FIGS. It is connected to the rotating body 3. In addition, a rib-shaped guide bar 21 extending from the opening 2a side to the circular recess 2c side is formed on the bottom surface portion 2b. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the guide bar 21 is formed obliquely from the end facing the receiving port 5 a of the L-shaped pipe 5, which will be described later, toward the center of the circular recess 2 c. Is guided to the counter-receiving port 5a side. That is, it is difficult for the game ball 101 to be concentrated and clogged on the receiving port 5 a side, and the game ball 101 is smoothly received by the L-shaped pipe 5.

  Moreover, the circular recessed part 2c side of the bottom face part 2b is formed in semicircle shape along the circular recessed part 2c, and the surrounding wall 22 is formed so that it may extend upwards from the outer periphery of such a bottom face part 2b. Further, an insertion window 22a for inserting the receiving port 5a side of the L-shaped pipe 5 is formed on the side of the circular recess 2c of the peripheral wall 22 as shown in FIGS. Such a peripheral wall 22 may be formed integrally with the bottom surface portion 2b, or may be a separate body in consideration of manufacturability, assemblability, exchangeability, and the like. May be. Further, although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, etc., a top plate is provided above the bottom surface portion 2b, and the container 2 is closed except for the opening 2a. The height of the top plate (the peripheral wall 22) is set so that a large amount of game balls 101 can flow into the bottom surface 2b and the top surface of the rotating body 3. Here, the guide bars 21 may be provided on both sides of the bottom surface portion 2b, or the game ball 101 may be polished by disposing an abrasive sheet (cloth, paper, leather, etc.) on the top plate.

  Such a container 2 is disposed at the lower end (downward) of the gaming machine main body 100 as shown in FIG. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, a mounting plate 23 having a horizontal plate surface is attached to the lower end portion of the gaming machine main body 100, and the container 2 is attached on the mounting plate 23.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a receiving box 6 is disposed on the opening 2 a side of the container 2, and a receiving tray 7 is disposed on the side opposite to the container 2 of the receiving box 6. . As shown in FIG. 1, the receiving box 6 has a substantially rectangular box shape with an opening at the top, and an opening that communicates with the opening 2 a of the container 2 is formed below the first side wall 61 on the container 2 side. ing. Further, the second side wall 62 facing the first side wall 61 is formed lower than other peripheral walls (the first side wall 61 and the like), and when the receiving tray 7 is connected, the upper end of the receiving tray 7 is It almost coincides with the upper end of the other peripheral wall. Here, the shape of the receiving box 6 is not limited to a rectangular box shape.

  In addition, the bottom plate 63 of the receiving box 6 is configured by arranging a plurality of rods extending toward the container 2 side in parallel (slatted shape), and further disposed so as to descend toward the container 2 side. ing. Thereby, the game ball 101 in the receiving box 6 is easy to flow to the container 2 side, and the dust in the receiving box 6 is likely to fall down. As a result, the game ball 101 can be kept clean, the clogging with the dust in the rotating body 3 can be prevented, and further, if a tray for collecting foreign matter is provided below the receiving box 6, the surrounding environment can be improved. It can be kept clean. Further, in the opening 2a, the bottom plate 63 is disposed so as to be positioned slightly higher than the bottom surface portion 2b of the container 2, and when the bottom plate 63 is rotated downward, the bottom plate 63 and the bottom surface portion 2b substantially coincide with each other. It is supposed to be.

  Further, the bottom plate 63 is rotatably arranged around the end on the second side wall 62 side, and when the game ball 101 dropped from the receiving tray 7 stays, the opening 2a side of the bottom plate 63 is slightly lowered downward. It is designed to rotate and swing. Then, when the bottom plate 63 is rotated downward, the drive motor 4 described later is activated to rotate the rotating body 3, the game ball 101 is removed from the receiving box 6, and the bottom plate 63 is rotated upward ( In this manner, the drive motor 4 stops and the rotating body 3 stops. That is, the bottom plate 63 constitutes detection means (movable switch, sensor, etc.) that detects the inflow state of the game ball 101 into the container 2.

  Here, in this embodiment, when the game ball 101 stays in the receiving box 6 and a predetermined weight is added to the receiving box 6, the bottom plate 63 is rotated downward. That is, when the game ball 101 is buried in the bottom surface portion 2 b of the container 2 and the game ball 101 in the receiving box 6 stays (clogs) without flowing into the container 2, the weight of the game ball 101 that remains The bottom plate 63 is rotated downward. Therefore, the bottom plate 63 does not rotate downward and the rotating body 3 does not rotate when the game ball 101 simply falls to the bottom plate 63 and flows into the container 2.

  For this reason, even if the game ball 101 flows into the container 2 in a state where the game ball 101 is not buried in the bottom surface portion 2b of the container 2, the rotating body 3 does not rotate and the game ball 101 is stopped. It flows with respect to the rotating body 3. After that, when the game ball 101 is buried in the bottom surface portion 2b of the container 2, and the game ball 101 stays in the receiving box 6, the rotating body 3 starts to rotate, and the game ball 101 is conveyed upward. The game ball 101 in the receiving box 6 flows into the container 2. As described above, in this embodiment, the bottom plate 63 detects an inflow situation in which the bottom surface 2b of the container 2 is filled with the game ball 101 and the game ball 101 stays and stays in the receiving box 6. It is supposed to be.

  The receiving tray 7 is a flat box-shaped dish having an opening at the top, and receives the game ball 101 falling from the gaming machine main body 100. Further, the side wall on the receiving box 6 side is opened, and the game ball 101 in the receiving tray 7 falls and flows into the receiving box 6 through this opening. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the receiving tray 7 is disposed so that the bottom part is lowered toward the receiving box 6, so that the game balls 101 in the receiving tray 7 can easily flow toward the receiving box 6. It has become. Here, the shape of the receiving tray 7 is not limited to the box shape.

“Configuration of Rotating Body 3”
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the rotating body 3 includes two rotating plates 31 and 31. These rotary plates 31 are spur-gear-like or sprocket-like, and as shown in FIG. 4, the outer peripheral portion of the disc is cut into an arc shape at a predetermined interval to form a plurality of tooth grooves 31a. A tooth portion (tooth) 31b is formed between 31a and the tooth gap 31a. The tooth spaces 31a and the tooth portions 31b are shaped and spaced so that the fitting space S as described above is formed, and the game ball 101 is smoothly received by the L-shaped pipe 5 by the rotation of the rotating body 3. ing. Here, the shape of the rotating plate 31 is not limited to a spur gear shape or a sprocket shape.

  A shaft hole 31c is formed at the center of each rotary plate 31, and the rotary body 3 is arranged in the circular recess 2c of the container 2 in a state where the two rotary plates 31 are overlapped so that the tooth portions 31b coincide with each other. The rotating shaft 41 of the drive motor 4 is inserted in the shaft hole 31c. Although not shown here, the rotating body 3 is prevented from rotating with respect to the rotating shaft 41 by a key or the like. The rotating shaft 41 extends perpendicularly to the bottom surface of the circular recess 2c, whereby the rotating shaft 3 is centered on the rotating shaft 41 that is the vertical axis (in the horizontal direction in the horizontal direction), and the rotating body 3 is It is rotatably arranged.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a thin ring-shaped spacer 32 is disposed between the rotating plate 31 and the rotating plate 31, and the rotating plate 31 and the rotating plate 31 are separated from each other by a predetermined distance. Are piled up. For this reason, the two rotating plates 31 contact the game ball 101 at two locations (upper and lower), and the rotating body 3 rotates in this state, so that the game ball 101 fitted in the tooth groove 31a is It is sent in the rotational direction (in the direction of arrow D1 in FIG. 1).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a guide plate (guide) 33 is disposed in the gap between the rotating plate 31 and the rotating plate 31, and the game ball 101 sent by the rotating body 3 is placed in the L-shaped pipe 5. It comes to lead. That is, the guide plate 33 has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape, and partially overlaps the plate surface of the rotating plate 31, and as shown in FIG. 2, one side edge 33 a extending in the longitudinal direction is the receiving port 5 a of the L-shaped pipe 5. The game ball 101 that is disposed so as to contact the surface (parallel to the horizontal portion of the L-shaped pipe 5) and is fitted in the tooth groove 31a is received along the side edge 33a (by changing the direction by 90 degrees). It is guided to the entrance 5a. Such a guide plate 33 is attached to the container 2.

"Configuration of drive motor 4"
The drive motor 4 is a motor that rotates the rotating body 3, and is attached to the lower side of the container 2 via the mounting plate 23, and the rotating shaft 41 is connected to the rotating body 3 as described above. Further, a control device that controls the drive motor 4 based on the rotation of the bottom plate 63 indicating the inflow state of the game ball 101 into the container 2 is provided in the gaming machine main body 100. That is, as described above, when the game ball 101 stays in the receiving box 6 and the bottom plate 63 rotates downward, and this rotation signal / switch (inflow status) is input to the control device, the control device The drive motor 4 is activated and the rotating body 3 rotates. On the other hand, when the game ball 101 disappears in the receiving box 6 and the bottom plate 63 rotates upward, and this rotation signal / switch (inflow status) is input to the control device, the drive motor 4 is started and stopped by the control device. Thus, the rotating body 3 is stopped. Here, in a state where the rotating body 3 is stopped, the rotating body 3 is not rotated by an external force, and the game ball 101 is prevented from flowing backward (falling from the transport pipe 53 side).

"Configuration of L-shaped pipe 5"
The L-shaped pipe 5 is a pipe that receives the game ball 101 sent by the rotating body 3 and guides it upward, and includes a first L pipe 51 and a second L pipe 52. That is, the first L pipe 51 on the outer ring side and the second L pipe 52 on the inner ring side are configured so that the substantially L-shaped pipe is divided into two along the axis. The first L pipe 51 and the second L pipe 52 are respectively provided with flanges 511 and 521 at their upper ends, and the first L pipe 51 and the second L pipe 52 are connected by connecting the flanges 511 and 521. And the first L pipe 51 and the second L pipe 52 can be separated by releasing the connection. Here, a U-shaped hook may be provided on one of the flanges 511 and 521, and the flanges 511 and 521 may be connected by locking the other flanges 511 and 521 on the hook.

  The lower end of the L-shaped pipe 5 is inserted into the housing 2 through the insertion window 22a, and the receiving port 5a, which is the opening at the tip, is formed with respect to the tooth groove 31a of the rotating body 3 as shown in FIG. Are arranged so as to face at right angles (in contact with the pitch circle of the gear). Thereby, the game ball 101 guided by the guide plate 33 is received from the receiving port 5 a and flows into the L-shaped pipe 5. Then, the preceding game ball 101 is pushed upward along the L-shaped pipe 5 by being pushed up by the subsequent game ball 101. Here, the curvature and bending shape of the L-shaped pipe 5 are set so that the game ball 101 is smoothly sent upward.

  A transport pipe 53 extending vertically upward is connected to the upper end of the L-shaped pipe 5. That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower end portion of the transport pipe 53 is connected so as to be sandwiched between the flanges 511 and 521, and the upper end portion is disposed so as to reach the upper portion of the gaming machine main body 100. . Then, the game ball 101 guided upward by the L-shaped pipe 5 as described above flows into the transport pipe 53 and is pushed upward further along the transport pipe 53, and is installed on the upper part of the gaming machine from the upper end. The storage box (not shown) and the supply tank (not shown) installed on the gaming machine island are discharged and discharged to a predetermined place. Moreover, since the 1st L pipe 51, the 2nd L pipe 52, and the conveyance pipe 53 have an assembly structure, removal and replacement | exchange are easy.

"Operation of the game ball transport device 1"
Next, the operation and the like of the game ball transport device 1 having such a configuration will be described.
First, the state where the drive motor 4 is stopped, that is, the rotating body 3 does not rotate and the game ball 101 is not buried in the bottom surface portion 2b of the container 2 will be described. In this state, when the gaming ball 101 falls from the gaming machine main body 100 to the receiving tray 7, the gaming ball 101 flows through the receiving tray 7 and falls into the receiving box 6. The dropped game ball 101 flows through the bottom plate 63 and flows into the housing body 2 from the opening 2a, and flows toward the rotating body 3 along the bottom surface portion 2b. Then, while the upper surface of the rotating body 3 also flows, as shown in FIG. 6, the game ball 101 is fitted into the fitting space S (tooth groove 31a) from the upper surface of the rotating body 3 or directly from the bottom surface portion 2b. That is, the game ball 101 is fitted into the fitting space S so as to fall from above.

  Thus, when the game ball 101 is fitted into each fitting space S while flowing into the container 2 and the game ball 101 is buried in the bottom surface portion 2 b of the container 2, the game ball 101 is placed in the receiving box 6. (The flow from the receiving box 6 to the container 2 stops), the bottom plate 63 rotates downward and the drive motor 4 is activated. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, the rotating body 3 starts rotating, and the game ball 101 fitted in the fitting space S is sent in the rotation direction D <b> 1, and the game ball 101 is L-shaped by the guide plate 33. Guided to the receiving port 5 a of the pipe 5 and received in the L-shaped pipe 5.

  Similarly, the game ball 101 (the game ball 101 in the subsequent fitting space S) sent next by the rotating body 3 is received in the L-shaped pipe 5, and the game ball 101 pushes the preceding game ball 101. . In this way, the game balls 101 are sequentially pushed in the direction D2, whereby each game ball 101 is pushed up along the L-shaped pipe 5 and further flows into the transport pipe 53 as shown in FIG. Then, it is pushed upward D3. Such operations and actions are continuously performed, and the game balls 101 are sequentially conveyed upward.

  On the other hand, as the game balls 101 are transported upward, the game balls 101 in the container 2 decrease, and the game balls 101 in the receiving box 6 begin to flow into the container 2. Then, when the game ball 101 staying in the receiving box 6 disappears, the bottom plate 63 returns upward and the drive motor 4 and the rotating body 3 are stopped. That is, the transport of the game ball 101 is stopped.

  After that, when the fall of the game ball 101 from the gaming machine main body 100 is resumed, the game ball 101 falls and stays in the receiving box 6, the rotating body 3 rotates again, and the game ball 101 is conveyed upward. The Such an operation is sequentially repeated according to the fall of the game ball 101 from the gaming machine main body 100.

  As described above, according to the game ball transport device 1, the game ball 101 is sequentially guided to the L-shaped pipe 5 and the transport pipe 53 and transported upward only by rotating the rotating body 3 by the drive motor 4. Therefore, smooth conveyance is possible with a simple configuration. That is, compared to a structure in which a plurality of rotating bodies are arranged in the vertical direction, the number of parts is reduced and the structure is simple, and the rotating body 3 is arranged in a state of being accommodated in the circular recess 2c of the accommodating body 2. Therefore, the installation space and the entire apparatus can be reduced.

  In addition, the game ball 101 can flow into the upper surface of the rotating body 3 and, as described above, the game ball 101 is fitted into the fitting space S so as to fall from the upper surface or the bottom surface portion 2b of the rotating body 3. For this reason, unlike the case where the game ball 101 is fed into the tooth gap 31a by the tooth portion 31b, the game ball 101 and the tooth portion 31b are very little bitten. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a mechanism for preventing biting, and the configuration can be simplified.

  Furthermore, the game ball 101 can flow into the upper surface of the rotating body 3, and as described above, a large number of game balls 101 are simultaneously received on the entire upper surface of the rotating body 3, and the plurality of game balls 101 are respectively placed in the fitting spaces S. Mating. For this reason, it is not necessary to provide an alignment mechanism such as forcibly aligning the game balls 101 in a row to suppress ball clogging, and the configuration can be simplified.

  As described above, since the number of components is small and the configuration is simple, it is possible to reduce manufacturing costs and maintenance costs, and to save space. Further, since the configuration is simple, the occurrence rate of failures and conveyance failures is reduced, and the driving force required for conveyance can be reduced, that is, energy saving can be achieved. Furthermore, since the rotating body 3 rotates in a horizontal plane, the game ball 101 transported upward is less likely to flow to the rotating body 3 side, and the backflow of the game ball 101 can be suppressed.

  On the other hand, since one game ball 101 is fitted in the fitting space S formed by the tooth groove 31a of the rotating body 3 and the inner peripheral surface of the circular recess 2c, the rotating body 3 rotates. Even so, the game ball 101 is structured not to easily come off the tooth gap 31a. For this reason, the game ball 101 can be sent to the L-shaped pipe 5 more reliably, and as a result, smoother conveyance is possible. In addition, since the rotating body 3 is composed of two rotating plates 31 and the upper and lower portions of the game ball 101 are pushed and sent by the rotary plate 31, the game ball 101 is sent more smoothly without damaging the game ball 101. It becomes possible. Furthermore, since the game ball 101 sent by the rotating body 3 is guided to the receiving port 5a of the L-shaped pipe 5 by the guide plate 33, the game ball 101 is more reliably received by the L-shaped pipe 5, and as a result, Smoother conveyance is possible.

  Further, since the rotation of the rotating body 3 is controlled based on the situation in which the game ball 101 flows into the container 2, it is possible to rotate the rotating body 3 appropriately and flexibly according to the flow of the game ball 101. Become. Specifically, when the game ball 101 is not buried in the container 2 and the game ball 101 does not stay in the receiving box 6, the rotating body 3 is stopped, and the game ball 101 is fitted in this state. When there is a fitting space S that is not, the game ball 101 that has flowed into the container 2 is fitted into the empty fitting space S of the rotating body 3 that is stopped. For this reason, the game ball 101 falls and fits smoothly and statically in the fitting space S, and the game ball 101 and the rotating body 3 are less likely to be damaged.

  That is, when the game ball 101 is fitted in the tooth gap 31a while the rotating body 3 is rotating, the game ball 101 collides with the tooth side (side surface of the tooth portion 31b) of the rotating body 3 and the like, and smooth. In addition to being unable to fit, the game ball 101 and the rotator 3 may be damaged. However, according to the game ball transport device 1, such problems and defects are remarkably suppressed. Furthermore, when the game ball 101 is not staying in the receiving box 6, the rotation of the rotating body 3 is stopped, so that energy saving can be achieved.

  Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the specific configuration is not limited to the above embodiment, and even if there is a design change or the like without departing from the gist of the present invention, Included in the invention. For example, in the implementation of the above invention, the rotating body 3 is rotated when the game ball 101 stays in the receiving box 6, but when the game ball 101 enters the receiving box 6 or the container 2. The rotating body 3 may be rotated immediately. Further, the guide plate 33 is attached to the container 2, but may be attached to the L-shaped pipe 5, or may be provided integrally with the container 2 or the L-shaped pipe 5.

  On the other hand, by arranging the rotator 3 in the circular recess 2c of the container 2, the game ball 101 can flow into the upper surface of the rotator 3, but the game ball 101 is attached to the rotator 3 by a guide plate or the like. You may make it flow on the upper surface. Moreover, although the rotary body 3 is comprised by the two rotary plates 31, you may comprise integrally. Furthermore, although the case where the game ball 101 dropped from the gaming machine main body 100 is transported upward has been described, the gaming ball 101 in the ball box arranged at the lower part of the front surface (the player side) of the gaming machine main body 100 is directed upward. When transporting, the present game ball transport device 1 may be applied.

  Further, a ball polishing member such as a polishing sheet (cloth, paper, leather, etc.) is disposed on the inner surface of the container 2 and the inner peripheral surface of the transport pipe 53 to polish the game ball 101 flowing through the container 2 and the transport pipe 53. If it is made to polish with a sheet | seat, the game ball 101 will be hard to get dirty, and troubles, such as a ball clogging, can be suppressed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Game ball conveying apparatus 2 Container 2a Opening 2b Bottom face part 2c Circular recessed part 21 Guide bar 22 Perimeter wall 22a Insertion window 23 Mounting plate 3 Rotating body 31 Rotating board 31a Tooth groove 31b Tooth part (tooth)
32 Spacer 33 Guide plate (guide)
4 Drive motor (drive means)
41 Rotating shaft 5 L-shaped pipe (guide body)
5a Reception port 51 First L pipe 52 Second L pipe 53 Transport pipe 6 Reception box 63 Bottom plate (detection means)
7 Receipt Tray 100 Machine body (Pachinko machine body)
101 game balls (pachinko balls)
S mating space

Claims (4)

A game ball transport device for transporting a game ball used in a gaming machine upward,
A container that is disposed below the gaming machine main body and into which the gaming ball flows in a box shape;
It has a spur gear shape having a tooth groove on the outer periphery, and is disposed on the bottom surface of the container so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis, so that a game ball of the container can flow into the upper surface, and the container A rotating body that flows in from the body and sends the game ball fitted in the tooth gap in a rotation direction;
Driving means for rotating the rotating body;
Has a receiving opening Ru receiving the game balls sent by the rotating body, a guide member for guiding the game balls accepted upwardly,
A guide bar that is provided on the bottom surface of the container and guides the game ball to a counter-reception port at a position opposite to the reception port with the rotation axis of the rotating body as a center;
Game ball transport device, characterized in that it comprises a. A circular recess having a concave shape in the thickness direction and a circular planar shape is formed on the bottom surface of the container, the rotating body is disposed in the circular recess, and the tooth groove of the rotating body and the inner periphery of the circular recess One of the game balls is adapted to be fitted into a fitting space constituted by a surface,
The game ball transport device according to claim 1. A guide for guiding the game ball sent by the rotating body into the guide body;
The game ball transport device according to claim 1, wherein the game ball transport device is a game ball transport device. Detecting means for detecting an inflow state of the game ball into the container;
Based on the inflow state detected by the detection means, the rotation of the rotating body by the drive means is controlled.
The game ball transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein

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