JP7152750B2 - Game ball distribution device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a game ball distribution device for distributing inflowing game balls to a plurality of flow paths in a game machine such as a pachinko game machine, an arrange ball game machine, and a mammoth game machine that uses pachinko balls as game media. In particular, the present invention relates to a device for distributing game balls by causing game balls to flow into a bowl-shaped ball receiving tray.

Generally, a game ball sorting device is provided in a game area of a game board, guides game balls flowing from the game area into one of a plurality of flow paths, and greatly influences the playability of the game machine. . In recent years, pinball game machines such as pachinko machines not only display moving images such as animations on a large display such as a liquid crystal display device, but also have a game ball sorting device and the display of the display interlocked. There is also a production that has a strong impact.
The game ball distribution device disclosed in Patent Document 1 below has bowl-shaped plates called croons arranged vertically in two stages, and three ball-falling holes are formed in the center of each plate. When the game ball that has flowed into the upper cloon enters a specific one of the three ball-falling openings, it is guided to the lower cloon, and furthermore, the game ball enters a specific one of the three ball-falling openings. When entering the ball drop opening, it is configured to shift to a specific game state, and is configured so that the player can visually recognize the movement of the game ball in each cloon.
In the game ball circulation device disclosed in Patent Document 2, a cylindrical rotating ring that is rotated by an electric motor is arranged in the center of the croon, and the rotating ring has a triangular wave-like projection that protrudes upward. (Saw tooth shape), game balls can pass between the projections, three ball drop openings are opened in the center of the rotating ring, and the game balls are dropped into which ball drop openings. The game balls are sorted according to whether they enter.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-458 JP-A-2006-6773

By the way, in the game ball distribution device shown in Patent Document 1, the probability of a game ball entering a specific ball drop opening in each of the upper and lower cloons is 1/3, so the probability of being in a specific game state is always 9. It was only a certain probability of 1/1. For this reason, there is a problem that the situation change during the game is scarce, there is little interest, and the game tends to become monotonous.
In general, a pinball game machine configured so that an electronic circuit always provides a situation advantageous to the player, such as a jackpot or a variable probability, is likely to become monotonous, so the problem is that the game lacks interest. be.
In addition, in the device disclosed in Patent Document 2, the movement of game balls tends to be uniform, and a plurality of ball drop openings must be provided close to each other at the center of the rotating ring. Coupled with the violent movement, the moment the game ball enters the ball drop hole cannot be seen, so it is difficult to know which ball has entered the ball drop hole. .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a game ball sorting device capable of solving the above-described problems. and a rotary drive mechanism for rotating the rotating body in a horizontal plane. When the rotating body rotates, the game balls are subjected to centrifugal force and spin due to friction with the upper surface of the rotating body, thereby continuously rolling in the ball receiving tray. It is characterized in that it flows out from the outer peripheral edge or falls into the ball-drop opening.

Further, in the present invention, a plurality of the game ball distribution devices are arranged adjacently, and the game balls flowing out from the outer peripheral edge of the ball tray of the game ball distribution device are transferred to the ball trays of the other game ball distribution devices. It is movably provided so that when a game ball falls into the ball-drop opening of one game-ball sorting device, it is more advantageous for the player than the game ball falls into the ball-drop-drop opening of the other game ball sorting device. It is characterized by providing a difference in superiority and inferiority in the ball flow opening.

Further, in the present invention, a rotating disk having a plurality of types of ball-retaining holes having different shapes formed on its outer peripheral edge is tilted within an inclined surface, and a rotating disk having a plurality of types of ball-retaining holes having different shapes formed at its outer peripheral edge is tilted. A ball return mechanism supported so as to rotate within the plane is provided on one side edge of the ball receiving tray, and the game balls flowed out from the outer peripheral edge of the ball receiving tray are held in the ball holding holes of the rotating disc, and the ball is held. The hole has a circulating ball holding hole for guiding received game balls as circulating balls circulating in the game ball sorting device, and the circulating ball holding hole has a return ball holding hole for returning to the ball tray according to the shape of the circulating ball holding hole. , and an ejected ball holding hole that is ejected to another part.

In addition, the present invention is formed adjacent to the circulating ball holding holes of the rotating disk, and prevents the game balls from entering the circulating ball holding holes adjacent to the game balls by entering the game balls from the game area. The inflow blocking ball holding hole serves as a non-circulating ball holding hole for making the entered game ball a non-circulating ball that does not circulate in the game ball sorting device. A channel switching mechanism is provided which is arranged with a difference in height from the holding holes, and which can switch the game balls from the game area so as to flow into either the circulating ball holding holes or the non-circulating ball holding holes of the rotating disk. It is characterized by

Further, in the present invention, the ball return mechanism is provided so that the rotating disc rotates in the case body formed in an inclined shape, and the game balls discharged from the ball receiving tray are returned to the lower edge of the case body. A ball receiving port is formed to allow the ball to flow into the ball holding hole of the rotating disk, a ball release port is formed in the upper edge of the case body, an inclined slope is formed in the center of the case body, and the ball is released from the ball release port. The released game ball is returned to the ball receiving tray by sliding down the inclined slope and jumping over the ball receiving opening.

Game balls are distributed in various manners with non-uniform movements. As a result, the player who sees the situation is not bored and the amusement of the game machine is increased.

1 is a perspective view of a game ball sorting device according to the present invention; FIG. The bottom view of the game ball sorting device according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2; 1 is an exploded perspective view of a game ball sorting device according to the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the ball tray of the game ball sorting device according to the present invention; The bottom view of the ball tray of the game ball sorting device according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. FIG. 8 is an operating state diagram of FIG. 7; FIG. 3 is a perspective view from above when the ball return mechanism of the game ball distribution device according to the present invention is disassembled; A perspective view from below when the ball return mechanism of the game ball distribution device according to the present invention is disassembled. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the rotor of the ball return mechanism of the game ball distribution device according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view from diagonally forward of the main part of the ball return mechanism of the game ball distribution device according to the present invention; 1 is a perspective view from the front of a main part of a ball return mechanism of a game ball sorting device according to the present invention; FIG. Fig. 2 is a side perspective view of the ball return mechanism of the game ball distribution device according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the front of the ball return mechanism of the game ball distribution device according to the present invention; The side view of the ball return mechanism of the game ball sorting device according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view from above when the ball return mechanism of the game ball distribution device according to the present invention is disassembled; A perspective view from below when the ball return mechanism of the game ball distribution device according to the present invention is disassembled. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the channel switching mechanism of the game ball sorting device according to the present invention; FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the channel switching mechanism of the game ball sorting device according to the present invention;

As shown in FIG. 1, the game ball sorting device shown in this embodiment forms a first zone A and a second zone B adjacent to each other, and the first zone A is provided with a ball tray 10a. , the second zone B is provided with a ball receiving tray 10b. A ball return mechanism 11a is provided on one side edge of the ball tray 10a, a ball return mechanism 11b is provided on one side edge of the ball tray 10b, and a channel switching mechanism 12 is provided on one of the ball return mechanisms 11a. .

The ball receiving trays 10a and 10b are arranged side by side on the upper surface of a box-shaped assembly table 10 with an open bottom surface, and the bottom surfaces of the ball receiving trays 10a and 10b are both gently inclined downward toward the center, that is, they are slotted. formed in the shape of Circular plane rotors 13a and 13b are provided horizontally in the central portions of the ball trays 10a and 10b. The outer peripheral edges of the top surfaces of the rotors 13a and 13b are connected to the bottom surfaces of the ball trays 10a and 10b without steps, and the top surfaces of the rotors 13a and 13b are gently inclined toward the center. formed in the shape of Spherical flow openings 14a and 14b are formed at the center portions of the rotating bodies 13a and 13b. In addition, the ball-drop openings 14a, 14b are formed in hanging cylinders 15a, 15b formed at the center of the lower surfaces of the rotating bodies 13a, 13b, and gears 16a (FIGS. 3 and 7) are formed on the outer circumferences of the hanging cylinders 15a, 15b. , 16b. As shown in FIG. 5, the rotary bodies 13a and 13b are rotatable by loosely fitting the hanging cylinders 15a and 15b on the outer circumferences of the small cylinders 17a and 17b projecting from the upper surface of the assembly table 10. to support. Obstacles 18a and 18b, which are formed of a plurality of small hemispherical projections, are formed around the spherical outlets 14a and 14b.

Rotation drive mechanisms 20a and 20b for rotating the rotating bodies 13a and 13b in a horizontal plane are provided by fixing a pair of motors 21a and 21b as electric drive sources in the assembly table 10 with a plurality of screws 22. The rotating shafts of the respective motors are fixed by protruding from the assembly base 10 and press-fitted into the gears 23a and 23b, and the gears 23a and 23b are meshed with the gears 16a and 16b.

The one ball drop hole 14a and the other ball drop hole 14b are set so that one of them is advantageous to the player and the other is relatively disadvantageous when the game ball P falls. . That is, there is a difference in superiority and inferiority between the ball-falling openings of both zones so that when the game ball P falls into the ball-falling opening of one zone, it is more advantageous for the player than falling into the ball-falling opening of the other zone. be provided. For example, when the game ball P falls into the ball drop hole 14a, a well-known big hit occurs, and a big winning hole (not shown) provided in the game area of the game board of a pinball game machine such as a pachinko machine is opened. By repeatedly opening, a large number of game balls P can enter the big winning hole, which is very advantageous for the player. A special state is not reached, and the game ball P is merely processed as one losing ball. Therefore, in such a setting, when there is a game ball P in the ball receiver 10a of the first zone A, it is advantageous because it is possible to fully expect a big win, whereas in the ball receiver 10b of the second zone B, it is advantageous. When there is a game ball P, the player cannot have such expectations, which is disadvantageous for the player.

Next, the ball transfer means 30a, 30b provided on the assembly table 10 will be explained. The ball transfer means 30a and 30b form a ball passage 31a on the assembly table 10 at the outer rear portion of the ball receiving tray 10a, and form a ball passage 31a on the mounting table 10 at the outer front portion of the ball receiving tray 10b. 31b is formed, and a game ball lifting device 32 is provided at an interval between the ball receiving trays 10a and 10b. Both the ball passage 31a and the ball passage 31b are curved in a substantially J-shaped plane and are formed in a gentle downward inclination toward the game ball lifting device 32. As shown in FIG. A passing ball sensor (not shown) for detecting the passage of the game ball P is provided in the middle of the ball passages 31a and 31b.

The game ball lifting device 32 has a box-shaped portion 33 which is taller than the ball trays 10a and 10b and is fixed between the ball trays 10a and 10b by screws 33'. The downstream end of the ball passage 31a is communicated with an inlet 33a formed by notching the bottom and one side of the box-shaped portion 33, and the bottom and the other side of the box-shaped portion 33 opposite to the inlet 33a are cut out. The downstream end of the ball passage 31b communicates with the formed inlet 33b. The side wall of the box-shaped portion 33 facing the ball receiving pan 10a is formed with an outlet port 34a, and the side wall of the box-shaped portion 33 facing the ball receiving plate 10b is formed with an outlet port 34b. Below the box-shaped portion 33, a lifting member 35 formed by integrally forming a rod-shaped portion 35a and a rod-shaped portion 35b into a substantially ∪-shape is moved from below the mounting table 10 to the ball passages of the ball transfer means 30a and 30b. 31a and 31b and are vertically movable into the ball passages 31a and 31b. to move the elevating member 35 up and down. That is, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, a support piece 39 is fixed in the mounting table 10 by screws 39', and a first link 37 and a second link are connected to the support piece 39 by a connecting pin 40. 38 are swingably pivoted by supporting shafts 41 and 42, respectively, and an operating rod 36a of a solenoid 36 is pivotally connected to the tip of the first link 37, and the tip of the second link 38 is formed with A support shaft 43 inserted through the lower end of the lifting member 35 is loosely fitted in the elongated hole 38a so that the lifting member 35 moves up and down when the operating rod 36a of the solenoid 36 moves up and down.

The upper end surface 35a' of the bar-shaped portion 35a of the lifting member 35 is formed in a sloped surface shape in which the side facing the outflow port 34a is lowered, and the upper end surface 35b' of the bar-shaped portion 35b has the side facing the outflow port 34b. It is formed in the shape of an inclined surface that becomes lower. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, when the elevating member 35 is lowered, if the game ball P flows in from the inflow port 33a, the game ball P rides on the upper end surface 35a' and is in that state. When the elevating member 35 rises at , the game ball P flows out from the outflow port 34a and enters the ball receiving tray 10a, as shown in FIG. Also, when the game ball P flows in from the inlet 33b while the lifting member 35 is descending, the game ball P rides on the upper end surface 35b', and when the lifting member 35 rises in this state, It flows out from the outflow port 34b and enters the ball receiving tray 10b.

Next, the configurations of the ball return mechanism 11a belonging to the first zone A and the ball return mechanism 11b belonging to the second zone B will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the ball return mechanism 11a and the ball return mechanism 11b are provided with mounting plates 50a and 50b on mounting portions 44 and mounting portions 45 formed at both end edges of the mounting table 10, respectively. It is fixed by a screw 51 so as to be inclined at an angle of about 45 degrees. By arranging the ball return mechanism 11a and the ball return mechanism 11b on the upper surfaces of the assembly plate 50a and the assembly plate 50b, respectively, the ball receiving trays 10a and 10b are bilaterally symmetrical to one side edge of the ball trays 10a and 10b, and the game is played. They are arranged diagonally forward and inward so that they can be easily seen by a person.

The configuration of one ball return mechanism 11a will be described first with reference to FIGS. 9 to 16. FIG. A motor 52a is fixed to the rear surface of the mounting plate 50a with a screw 53, and a rotary shaft of the motor 52a is protruded from a cylindrical hole 54 formed in the mounting plate 50a. set up. A support shaft 57 is fitted to a support cylinder 56 formed on the rear surface of the central portion of the assembly plate 50a, and the support shaft 57 protrudes from the front surface of the assembly plate 50a. Further, a mounting piece 58 is integrally formed on one side edge of the assembly plate 50a, a rotary solenoid 59 is fixed to the mounting piece 58 with a screw 59a, and an on-off valve 60 is press-fitted to the operating shaft of the rotary solenoid 59. , and the on-off valve 60 tilts toward the front surface of the assembly plate 50a by the operation of the rotary solenoid 59, so that it appears and retracts.

A substantially dome-shaped case body 61a made of transparent plastic is fixed to the upper surface of the assembly plate 50a by means of screws 62. As shown in FIG. Further, the upper disc body 64a is superimposed on the lower disc body 63a, and the lower disc body 63a and the upper disc body 64a are fixed with screws 65 to form a rotating disc 66a. By inserting the support shaft 57 into a cylindrical portion 67 formed at the center of the lower disc body 63a, the rotating disc 66a is tilted within the inclined plane of about 45 degrees in the case body 61a. While being rotatably supported, a gear 67a integrally formed on the lower surface of the lower disk body 63a is meshed with the gear 55, and the rotating disk 66a is tilted in the case body 61a by the operation of the motor 52a. Make it rotate in the plane.

As shown enlarged in FIG. 11, ball holding holes 68 to 76 are formed at nine equal intervals on the outer peripheral edge of the upper disc body 64a. 64a, and the ball holding hole 68, the ball holding hole 71 and the ball holding hole 74 among the ball holding holes 68 to 76 allow the game ball P to move in the radial direction of the upper disk body 64a. It extends to the vicinity of the center of the upper disk body 64a so that it can come and go, and is formed as a return ball holding hole. On the other hand, a ball holding hole 69 and a ball holding hole 70 formed between the ball holding holes 68 and 71, and a ball holding hole 72 formed between the ball holding holes 71 and 74 The ball holding hole 75 and the ball holding hole 76 formed between the ball holding hole 73 and the ball holding hole 74 and the ball holding hole 68 do not extend to the vicinity of the center and are dead ends. They are formed as holes 69,70,72,73,75,76. The return ball holding holes 68, 71, 74 and the discharged ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75, 76 are formed on the same rotational orbit of the upper disk body 64a (rotating disk 66a). is positioned so that Furthermore, in the vicinity of the discharge ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75 and 76, there are holding holes 69', 70' and 72' which have vertical height differences (at lower positions) and are shifted by a predetermined angle. , 73', 75', 76' are formed. The holding holes 69', 70', 72', 73', 75', 76' receive only game balls P from the game area, and the holding holes 69', 70', 72', 73', 75', When a game ball P enters 76', even if there is a game ball P that tries to enter the discharged ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75, and 76 located above and communicating with it, They are formed as inflow blocking ball holding holes 69', 70', 72', 73', 75', 76' which the entering game ball P itself abuts to block its entry. The lower portion of the upper disk 64a is open, and the lower openings of the inflow blocking ball holding holes 69' and 70' and the ball receiving portions 69a and 70a defined by ribs 77 formed on the upper surface of the lower disk 63a. are relative to each other. Similarly, the lower openings of the inflow-blocking ball holding holes 72' and 73' and the ball receiving portions 72a and 73a partitioned by ribs 77 formed on the upper surface of the lower disk body 63a are opposed to each other, and the inflow-blocking ball holding hole 75 ', 76' and ball receiving portions 75a, 76a partitioned by ribs 77 formed on the upper surface of the lower disc body 63a are opposed to each other. Therefore, the six inflow-blocking ball holding holes 69', 70', 72', 73', 75', 76', as shown in FIG. It is supported and held by the upper surfaces of 73a, 75a, and 76a. At this time, even if game balls P try to flow into the discharge ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75, 76 positioned above, the inflow blocking ball holding holes 69', 70', 72', 73', Since the game balls P held by 75' and 76' are protruded and held toward the discharge ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75 and 76 so as to come into contact first, they are prevented from entering. Therefore, the game ball P is prevented from entering the inflow blocking ball holding hole and the discharged ball holding hole at the same time. In this way, the inflow blocking ball holding hole and the discharge ball holding hole are formed with a difference in height so that they communicate with each other, and each holding hole can hold one game ball P, so double holding. Also called a hole. On the other hand, the ball holding holes 68, 71, 74 can only hold one game ball P, so they are also called single holding holes. At the top opening edges of the ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75 and 76, ball introduction slopes 69a', 70a', 72a', 73a', 75a' and 76a' are formed on the rotating disk 66a. It is formed toward the downstream in the rotational direction, and allows game balls P to easily flow into the respective ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75, 76 from the circumferential direction. Furthermore, in a state in which the game ball P entered the inflow blocking ball holding hole first, the game ball P is about to enter the discharge ball holding hole located above and communicating with it from the ball receiving port 87a of the case body 61a, which will be described later. Also, it is blocked by the game ball P that entered the inflow blocking ball holding hole earlier, and is not entered into the discharged ball holding hole. The game ball P that has not entered stays in the vicinity of the surrounding wall 86, which is the end of the ball receiving port 87a of the case body 61a, and is guided to the next discharged ball holding hole or return ball holding hole. However, it also has a role as a slope at that time.

Further, the case body 61a is fixed in accordance with the inclination of the assembly plate 50a, and the non-circulating ball inlet hole 80 and the circulating ball inlet hole 81 are formed at a position above the outer peripheral wall surface 78 with a small gap therebetween. Opened. That is, the non-circulating ball inflow hole 80 that communicates the game ball P from the game area to the inflow blocking ball holding hole via the flow path switching mechanism 12 described later, and the flow path switching mechanism 12 that moves the game ball P from the game area. The circulating ball inflow hole 81 communicating with the return ball holding hole or the discharge ball holding hole is opened with a vertical height difference separated by a small distance.
The non-circulating ball inflow hole 80 is opened so as to face the inflow blocking ball holding hole when the rotating disk 66a rotates. Sphere P will be accepted. The circulating ball inflow hole 81 is opened so as to face the return ball holding hole or the discharge ball holding hole when the rotating disk 66a rotates. The game ball P branched from is accepted.
The non-circulating ball inlet holes 80 are opened from the upper surface of the outer peripheral edge of the lower disk body 63a to the outer peripheral edge of the upper disk body 64a so as to face each other, while the circulating ball inlet holes 81 are opened in the upper disk body. It is opened so as to face only the outer peripheral edge of 64a. Similarly, in a state where the case body 61a is fixed in accordance with the inclination of the mounting plate 50a, a non-circulating ball outflow hole 83 and a ball outflow hole 84a are formed at a position obliquely below the outer peripheral wall surface 78 so as to provide a vertical height difference. has been established. Also, the ball outflow hole 84a, like the circulation ball inflow hole 81, is opened so as to face only the outer peripheral edge of the upper disk body 64a. Like the non-circulating ball outflow hole 80, the non-circulating ball outflow hole 83 is opened so as to face the inflow blocking ball holding hole when the rotating disk 66a rotates. is provided with the on-off valve 60, the non-circulating ball outflow hole 83 is opened and closed by the on-off valve 60, and the game ball P stocked in the inflow blocking ball holding hole is released by opening the non-circulating ball outflow hole 83. making it possible to eject. Similarly to the circulation ball inlet hole 81, the ball outlet hole 84a is opened so as to face the return ball holding hole or the discharge ball holding hole. Then, the ball outflow hole 84a is communicated with the ball passage 31a, and the ball outflow hole 84a and the discharged ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75, 76 face each other. , 70, 72, 73, 75 and 76 are discharged and guided to the second zone side by the ball passage 31a.
One of the ball outflow holes 83, like the non-circulating ball inflow hole 80, is opened from the upper surface of the outer peripheral edge of the lower disk body 63a to the outer peripheral edge of the upper disk body 64a so as to face each other. The on-off valve 60 is opposed to the outside of the hole 83 so that the non-circulating ball outflow hole 83 is opened and closed by the on-off valve 60 .

In addition, a surrounding wall 86 is formed on the upper surface of the upper surface wall 85 of the case body 61a so as to extend vertically from the inclined upper part to the inclined lower part of the upper surface wall 85. A ball receiving opening 87a having a larger width is formed in the edge portion so as to face the outer peripheral edge of the ball receiving tray 10a, and a ball release hole 88a is formed in the surrounding wall 86 and in the upper edge portion of the case body 61a. Further, a plane sector-shaped inclined slope 89a is formed downstream of the ball opening hole 88a, and the inclined slope 89a is formed to cover the ball receiving port 87a like an eave. The ball receiving opening 87a is formed so as to receive the game ball P flowing out from a cutout opening 10a' formed in the outer peripheral wall of the ball receiving tray 10a, and the inclined slope 89a is designed so as not to interfere with receiving the game ball P. It is spaced above the ball receiving port 87a and formed in the shape of an eaves that slopes upward.
The return ball holding holes 68, 71, 74 and the discharged ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75, 76 are led from the game area to the circulation ball inlet hole 81 by a channel switching mechanism 12, which will be described later. The return ball holding holes 68 and 71 are configured to receive the game ball P and the game ball P guided from the notch opening 10a' which is the outer peripheral edge of the ball receiving tray 10a to the ball receiving port 87a of the case body 61a. , 74 and the discharge ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75, and 76 serve as circulating ball holding holes for handling received game balls P as circulating balls circulating in the game ball sorting device. ing.
In addition, the inflow blocking ball holding holes 69', 70', 72', 73', 75', 76' are connected to the non-circulating ball inflow hole 80 by the flow path switching mechanism 12, which will be described later, from the game area. It is constructed so that only the ball P can be received, and the inflow blocking ball holding holes 69', 70', 72', 73', 75', 76' allow the opening/closing valve 60 to hold the received game ball P. It has a role as a non-circulating ball holding hole which is held in the ball return mechanism 11a and handled as a non-circulating ball until it is opened.
When the ball return mechanism 11a is arranged horizontally, the height difference between the circulating ball holding holes (discharged ball holding hole/returning ball holding hole) and the non-circulating ball holding hole (inflow blocking ball holding hole) is It matches the height difference between the circulating sphere inflow hole 81 and the non-circulating sphere inflow hole 80 .
Furthermore, the height difference between the ball discharge hole 84a and the discharging position of the game ball P discharged from the non-circulating ball discharge hole 83 is also the same.

Next, the configuration of the ball return mechanism 11b will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18. FIG. Like the ball return mechanism 11a, the ball return mechanism 11b has a motor 52b fixed to the rear surface of the assembly plate 50b with a screw 53, and the rotation shaft of the motor 52b extends through a cylindrical hole 54 formed in the assembly plate 50b. A gear 55 is press-fitted onto the rotating shaft to fix it. A support shaft 57 is fitted to a support cylinder 56 formed on the rear surface of the central portion of the assembly plate 50b, and the support shaft 57 protrudes from the front surface of the assembly plate 50b. A substantially dome-shaped case body 61b made of transparent plastic is fixed to the front surface of the mounting plate 50b with screws 62. As shown in FIG. Further, the upper disc body 64b is superimposed on the lower disc body 63b, and the lower disc body 63b and the upper disc body 64b are fixed with screws 65 to form a rotating disc 66b. By inserting the support shaft 57 into a cylindrical portion 67 formed at the center of the lower disk body 63b, the rotating disk 66b is rotated within the inclined plane of about 45 degrees in the case body 61b. A gear 67b integrally formed on the lower surface of the lower disk body 63b is meshed with the gear 55, and the rotating disk 66b is rotated within the case body 61b by the operation of the motor 52b. make sure to

Ball holding holes 91 to 99 are formed at nine locations at equal intervals on the outer peripheral edge of the upper disc body 64b. The ball holding holes 91 to 99 are formed so as to open over the upper surface of the upper disc body 64b, and the ball holding holes 91, 92, 94, and 95 among the ball holding holes 91 to 99 , 97 and 98 are formed as return ball holding holes extending to the vicinity of the central portion of the upper disc body 64b so that the game ball P can move back and forth in the radial direction of the upper disc body 64b. On the other hand, the ball holding holes 93, 96 and 99 are not extended as described above and are formed as discharge ball holding holes. Therefore, the game balls P that have flowed into the ball holding holes 93, 96, 99 do not move to the vicinity of the center of the upper disk body 64b. The lower disc body 63b does not have a ball receiving portion like the lower disc body 63a. Therefore, this rotating disk 66b is configured to hold only one game ball P in each of the ball holding holes 91-99.

Further, the case body 61b is provided with a ball discharge hole 84b at a position diagonally below the outer peripheral wall surface 78 in a state of being fixed in accordance with the inclination of the mounting plate 50b. The ball outflow hole 84b is opened so as to face the return ball holding holes 91, 92, 94, 95, 97, 98 or the discharged ball holding holes 93, 96, 99 when the rotating disk 66b rotates. . Then, the ball outflow hole 84b is communicated with the ball passage 31b, and the discharged ball holding holes 93, 96, and 99 receive the discharged ball in a state in which the ball outflow hole 84b and the discharged ball holding holes 93, 96, and 99 face each other. The game ball P that has been caught is discharged, and the game ball P is guided to the first zone side by the ball passage 31b.

The structure of the upper wall 85 of the case body 61b is the same as that of the case body 61a. A ball release hole 88b corresponding to the ball release hole 88a is formed in the surrounding wall 86 so as to face each other, and an inclined slope 89b is formed downstream of the ball release hole 88b to form an eaves above the ball receiving port 87b. It is formed to cover
The return ball holding holes 91, 92, 94, 95, 97, 98 and the discharge ball holding holes 93, 96, 99 extend from the notched opening 10b', which is the outer peripheral edge of the ball receiving plate 10b, to the ball receiving opening 87b of the case body 61b. It is constructed so that it can only accept the guided game ball P, and the returned ball holding holes 91, 92, 94, 95, 97, 98 and the ejected ball holding holes 93, 96, 99 are provided with the received game balls. It has a role as a circulating ball holding hole that treats P as a circulating ball that circulates in the game ball sorting device.
When the ball return mechanism 11b is arranged horizontally, the height of the circulating ball holding holes (discharge ball holding hole/return ball holding hole) from the mounting plate 50b is match the height of

19 and 20, the flow path switching mechanism 12 that allows the game ball P to flow into the non-circulating ball inlet 80 or the circulating ball inlet 81 by being provided above the ball return mechanism 11a will now be described. The flow path switching mechanism 12 is fixed to the upper edge of the mounting plate 50a by a screw 12a. A ball stopper member 103 is supported so as to form a ball stopper member 103, and an engaging shaft 104 projecting from the ball stopper member 103 is engaged with an operating piece 106 of a solenoid 105. As shown in FIG. A switching valve 107 is rotatably supported at the branched portion by a support shaft 108. A shaft 109 is engaged with an actuating piece 111 of a solenoid 110 .

Therefore, the game balls P flowing in from the ball inlet 100 are temporarily stopped by the ball stop member 103, and the game balls P flow down one by one each time the solenoid 105 repeats excitation and demagnetization. Then, the game ball P flows down the first path 112 or the second path 113 according to the state of the switching valve 107, the game ball P flowing down the first path 112 flows into the non-circulating ball inflow hole 80, and then flows into the second path. The game ball P that has flowed down the 113 flows into the circulating ball inlet hole 81 .

The game balls P that have flowed into the non-circulating ball inflow hole 80 are trapped in the inflow blocking ball holding holes 69', 70', 72', 73', 75', 76', which are double holding holes formed in the rotating disk 66a. and onto the ball receiving portions 69a, 70a, 72a, 73a, 75a, 76a of the inner bottoms of the inflow-blocking ball holding holes 69', 70', 72', 73', 75', 76'. retained. In addition, since the rotating disc 66a rotates clockwise at low speed by the power of the motor 52a, the inflow blocking ball holding holes 69', 70', 72', 73', 75', It determines where in 76' it flows. In addition, the game balls P that have flowed in through the circulation ball inlet hole 81 flow into one of the ball holding holes 68-76. It should be noted that, among the ball holding holes 68 to 76, the discharged ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75, and 76 are normally discharged ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75 and 76 are held. However, the inflow blocking ball holding holes 69', 70', 72', 73', 75', 76' positioned below the discharged ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75, 76 are played first. When the ball P is held, it comes into contact with the game ball P and is prevented from entering, so that the game ball P cannot enter the discharged ball holding hole, and then the position facing the circulating ball inlet hole 81. Returning ball holding holes 68, 71, 74 and lower inflow preventing ball holding holes 69', 70', 72', 73', 75', 76' in which game balls P are not held are discharged ball holding holes 69. , 70, 72, 73, 75, 76.
In this way, the game balls P are first held in the discharge ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75, and 76 in the inflow blocking ball holding holes 69', 70', 72', 73', 75', and 76'. Whether or not the ball can enter the discharged ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75, 76 depends on whether or not the ball is inserted. Therefore, the more game balls P are held in the inflow blocking ball holding holes 69', 70', 72', 73', 75', 76', the more discharged ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75, 76 are. As a result, the game ball P does not enter the return ball holding holes 68, 71, 74, and the probability of entering the return ball holding holes 68, 71, 74 can be increased. In addition, since the case body 61a is transparent, the player can see how the game ball P is held.

Then, when the rotating disk 66a rotates and the game balls P held in the return ball holding holes 68, 71, 74 are positioned at the inclined upper part of the rotating disk 66a, the game balls P are returned to the returning ball holding holes 68. , 71 and 74 toward the center of the rotating disk 66a by its own weight, and is released into the surrounding wall 86 through the ball release hole 88a. The released game ball P slides down onto the inclined slope 89a, jumps out of the inclined slope 89a, and jumps over the ball receiving opening 87a to enter the ball receiving tray 10a. In this way, the game ball P jumps and returns to the ball receiving tray 10a, and moves with a sense of dynamism, thereby increasing the amusement of the player. On the other hand, the game balls P held in the discharged ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75, and 76 are not released from the ball release hole 88a, and the discharged ball holding holes 69, 70 pass through the ball outflow hole 84a. , 72, 73, 75, and 76 face each other, the ball discharge hole 84a discharges the ball into the ball passage 31a.

A game ball P entering the ball receiving tray 10a rolls toward the center and rides on the upper surface of the rotating body 13a. Since the rotating body 13a is rotated by the motor 21a, centrifugal force and spin are applied to the game ball P due to friction with the upper surface of the rotating body 13a, and the game ball P is thrown in the outer peripheral direction of the ball tray 10a, Since the ball receiving plate 10a is formed in a bowl shape, it gradually rolls inward due to its own weight and comes onto the rotating body 13a. Therefore, the game ball P stays in the ball receiving tray 10a for a long time and flows out to the ball receiving opening 87a facing the outer peripheral edge of the ball receiving tray 10a, or to the ball drop opening 14a in the center. or When the game ball P falls into the ball drop hole 14a, a situation advantageous to the player, such as a special state, is brought about as described above. On the other hand, when the game ball P bounces off the outer edge of the ball receiving tray 10a and falls into the ball receiving opening 87a through the notch opening 10a', the game ball P enters one of the ball holding holes 68-76. For example, when the game ball P enters the return ball holding holes 68, 71 and 74, the rotating disk 66a rotates about 180 degrees, and is released again from the ball release hole 88a and returns to the ball receiving tray 10a. Therefore, there is a chance that the game ball P will drop into the ball drop opening 14a. On the other hand, when a game ball P enters and is held in the discharge ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75, and 76, the rotating disc 66a rotates about 230°, and the game ball P is ejected from the ball discharge hole. It is discharged from 84a into the ball passage 31a and guided to the second zone B. Further, when the game ball P enters and is held in the inflow blocking ball holding holes 69', 70', 72', 73', 75', 76', the discharged ball holding hole located above them Even if the game ball P tries to enter 69, 70, 72, 73, 75, 76, the game is held in the inflow blocking ball holding holes 69', 70', 72', 73', 75', 76'. The game ball P cannot enter the discharge ball holding hole because the game ball P comes into contact with the ball P and its entry is blocked. Then, the game ball P is not held in the return ball holding holes 68, 71, 74 and the inflow blocking ball holding holes 69', 70', 72', 73', 75', 76' coming in the next order. It flows into the discharge ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75, 76. Therefore, the more game balls P are held in the inflow blocking ball holding holes 69', 70', 72', 73', 75', 76', the more discharged ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75, The game ball P does not enter the 76, and the probability of entering the return ball holding holes 68, 71, 74 increases. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to increase the probability of staying longer in the first zone A and further increase the probability of the circulating game balls P falling into the ball drop opening 14a.

The game ball P thus released into the ball passage 31a flows down the ball passage 31a, enters the box-shaped portion 33 through the inflow port 33a of the game ball lifting device 32, and the elevating member 35 is lifted by the actuation of the solenoid 36. As it rises, it is released from the outflow port 34b and enters the ball receiver 10b. The game ball P that has entered the ball receiving tray 10b is subjected to centrifugal force and spin due to friction with the upper surface of the rotating body 13b in the same manner as in the case of entering the ball receiving tray 10a, and is continuously rolled in the ball receiving tray 10b. The ball moves and flows into the ball receiving port 87b through the cutout opening 10b' of the outer peripheral wall of the ball receiving plate 10b or falls into the ball drop port 14b at the center. If the ball falls into the ball drop opening 14b, for example, a special state will not occur, resulting in a disadvantageous result for the player. Also, when the game ball P flows into the ball receiving port 87b, the game ball P is held in one of the ball holding holes 91 to 99 of the rotating disc 66b, and the return ball holding holes 91, 92, 94, 95, The game balls P held by 97 and 98 are released into the surrounding wall 86 from the ball release hole 88b by the rotation of the rotating disk 66b, and the released game balls P slide down on the inclined slope 89b, and the The ball is returned to the ball receiving tray 10b by forcefully jumping out of the inclined slope 89b. Therefore, the game ball P is again likely to fall into the ball drop opening 14b. On the other hand, when the game ball P is held in the discharge ball holding holes 93, 96, 99, the game ball P is discharged from the ball discharge hole 84b into the ball passage 31b, flows down the ball passage 31b, and is discharged into the ball passage 31b. The ball enters the box-shaped portion 33 through the inflow port 33b of the lifting device 32, and is released from the outflow port 34a by the actuation of the solenoid 36 to raise the elevating member 35 and enters the ball receiver 10a. As a result, the game ball P rolls again in the ball receiving tray 10a, and the player can expect that the game ball P will fall into the ball drop opening 14a and a special game state will occur. become able to.
Incidentally, the obstruction portions 18a, 18b formed around the ball drop openings 14a, 14b collide with the obstruction portions 18a, 18b (FIGS. 4 and 5) of the game ball P that is about to flow in, The possibility of bouncing P makes the behavior of the game ball P more complex and interesting than uniform.
Also, if the rotation speed of the rotating bodies 13a and 13b is slow, the game ball P easily flows into the ball drop openings 14a and 14b, and if the rotation speed is high, the movement of the game ball P in the ball trays 10a and 10b becomes active. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the game ball P to flow into the ball drop openings 14a and 14b. Therefore, by changing the rotation speed of the rotors 13a and 13b, the game becomes interesting and highly entertaining.

The solenoid 36 of the game ball lifting device 32 may be activated when the game ball P is detected by passing ball sensors provided in the ball passages 31a and 31b.
By operating the rotary solenoid 59 to open the ball outflow hole 83, the game balls P held in the inflow blocking ball holding holes 69', 70', 72', 73', 75', 76' Although it is discharged from the outflow hole 83, the timing of discharge and how to treat the discharged game ball P can be variously set according to the model of the gaming machine.
In addition, it is possible to freely set the timing for activating the solenoids 105 and 110 of the flow path switching mechanism 12 according to the request of the model. Then, the number of game balls P to be flowed into the non-circulating ball inflow hole 80 is determined according to the result of the lottery. It is possible to feed more to the ball return mechanism 11a. For this reason, for example, one game ball P is supplied to the non-circulating ball inflow hole 80 or the circulating ball inflow hole 81 every one minute, so that the player can change the advantageous or disadvantageous situation according to the passage of time. It is possible to change. By actuating the solenoid 105, a large number of game balls P are additionally thrown, and by actuating the solenoid 110, the throwing destination of the game balls P communicates with the return ball holding hole or the discharge ball holding hole. It is switched to be led to either the ball holding hole 81 or the non-circulating ball inflow hole 80 communicating with the inflow blocking ball holding hole, which also changes the advantageous or disadvantageous situation and probability. For this reason, the player can always be entertained without getting bored, such as increasing the player's sense of anticipation and sometimes disappointing him.

As described above, the game ball sorting device according to the present invention includes the first zone A comprising the ball receiving tray 10a and the ball returning mechanism 11a, and the second zone comprising the ball receiving tray 10b and the ball returning mechanism 11b. A game ball P moves back and forth between B and B, and can drop into the ball drop hole of the ball receiving tray in one of the zones, so that the player can see which ball drop hole the game ball P has entered. It is possible to clearly visually recognize whether the game ball P moves between the two zones, and enjoy the state of probability change such that it becomes advantageous or disadvantageous, thereby increasing amusement.
In addition, the game ball P in the ball receiving tray 10a and the ball receiving tray 10b continuously rolls due to centrifugal force and spin due to friction with the upper surface of the rotating body, and moves in an interesting way, which greatly appeals to the player. can entertain.

As for the ball return mechanism 11a, the inflow blocking ball holding holes 69', 70', 72', 73', 75', 76' and the discharge ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75, 76 above them are provided. are formed in communication with each other, and when a game ball P is previously held in the inflow blocking ball holding hole, the game ball P tries to flow in, it abuts against the game ball P that has previously flowed into the inflow-blocking ball holding hole, and its inflow is blocked. For example, when a game ball P enters one of the inflow blocking ball holding holes first, the game ball P circulating in the game ball sorting device and the game ball P introduced from the circulating ball inflow hole 81 will not be able to enter any one of the six ejected ball holding holes. That is, the probability of the ball entering the return ball holding holes 68, 71, 74 changes from 3/9 to 3/8. By adopting such a configuration, the probability of the game ball P entering the discharge ball holding holes 69, 70, 72, 73, 75, 76, which is disadvantageous for the player, is reduced, and the player stays longer in the first zone A. It is possible to change the situation to one that is advantageous to the player by increasing the possibility of doing so. Therefore, depending on whether or not the game ball P is held in the inflow blocking ball holding hole first, the advantageous or disadvantageous situation and probability change, and the expectation that the player can have also changes. You can enjoy watching the active movement of the game ball P.
In this embodiment, each of the ball trays 10a and 10b is formed with one ball drop port 14a and 14b, but a plurality of ball drop ports may be formed.
In this embodiment, the inflow-blocking ball holding hole is provided so as to communicate only with the ejecting ball holding hole to the lower position thereof, but it can also be provided in the returning ball holding hole.
In this embodiment, the inflow blocking ball holding hole is provided at a predetermined angle so as to communicate with the ejection ball holding hole at a lower position to achieve space saving, but the predetermined angle is shifted. It is also possible to form it by locating it directly under it.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Assembly base 10a, 10b... Ball tray 10a', 10b'... Notch opening 11a, 11b... Ball return mechanism 12... Channel switching mechanism 12a... Screw 13a, 13b... Rotator 14a, 14b... ball flow opening 15a, 15b... hanging cylinder 16a, 16b... gears 17a, 17b... small cylinder body 18a, 18b... obstacle 20a, 20b... rotary drive mechanism 21a, 21b... motor 22... Screws 23a, 23b Gears 30a, 30b Ball transfer means 31a, 31b Ball passage 32 Game ball lifting device 33 Box-shaped portion 33' Screw 33a, 33b Inlet 34a , 34b... outflow port 35a, 35b... rod-like portion 35a', 35b'... upper end face 36... solenoid 36a... operating rod 37... first link 38... second link 39... support piece 39' ... Screw 40 ... Connection pin 41, 42 ... Support shaft 43 ... Support shaft 44, 45 ... Mounting part 50a, 50b ... Mounting plate 51 ... Screw 52a, 52b ... Motor 53 ... Screw 54 ... Cylindrical hole 55... Gear 56... Support tube 57... Support shaft 58... Mounting piece 59... Rotary solenoid 59a... Screw 60... On-off valve 61a, 61b... Case body 62... Screw 63a, 63b... lower disc body 64a, 64b... upper disc body 65... screw 66a, 66b... rotary disc 67... cylindrical portion 67a, 67b... gear 68, 71, 74... return ball holding hole 69, 70 , 72, 73, 75, 76... discharging ball holding holes 69', 70', 72', 73', 75', 76'... inflow blocking ball holding holes 69a, 70a, 72a, 73a, 75a, 76a... Ball introduction slope 77 Rib 78 Peripheral wall surface 80 Non-circulating ball inflow hole 81 Circulating ball inflow hole 83, 84a, 84b Ball outflow hole 85 Front upper surface wall 86 Surrounding wall 87a, 87b... Ball receiving port, 88a, 88b ... ball release hole 89a, 89b ... inclined slope 91, 92, 94, 95, 97, 98 ... return ball retention hole 93, 96, 99 ... discharge ball retention hole 100 ... ball inlet 101 ... straightening gutter DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 102... Support shaft 103... Ball stop member 104... Engaging shaft 105... Solenoid 106... Operating piece 107... Switching valve 108... Support shaft 109... Engaging shaft 110... Solenoid 111... Operating piece , P... game ball, A... first zone, B... second zone

Claims (2)

A bowl-shaped ball tray, a circular rotating body disposed in the center of the ball tray so that the top surface is connected to the bottom surface of the ball tray, and a rotation that rotates the rotating body in a horizontal plane. A ball drop hole is formed in the center of the rotating body, and the game balls flowing into the ball tray are subjected to centrifugal force and friction due to friction with the upper surface of the rotating body when the rotating body rotates. A game ball sorting device characterized in that the ball continuously rolls in the ball receiving tray when spin is applied, and flows out from the outer peripheral edge of the ball receiving tray or falls into the ball drop opening. A plurality of the game ball distribution devices described in claim 1 are arranged adjacently, and game balls flowing out from the outer peripheral edge of the ball tray of the game ball distribution device are transferred to the ball trays of other game ball distribution devices. It is movably provided so that when a game ball falls into the ball-drop opening of one game-ball sorting device, it is more advantageous for the player than the game ball falls into the ball-drop-drop opening of the other game ball sorting device. A pinball game machine equipped with a game ball sorting device, characterized in that the difference in superiority and inferiority is provided in the ball drop opening.

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