JP7255793B2 - game machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a game machine in which a game is played by hitting game balls into a game area.

Conventionally, a ball shooting means for shooting game balls into a game area, and a circulation path for collecting the game balls shot by the ball shooting means and supplying them to the ball shooting means again are provided, and the balls possessed by the players are provided. (Rental balls + premium balls - shot balls) are converted into data, game balls are shot by a ball shooting means based on the data of the held balls, and the game balls enclosed in the game machine are repeatedly circulated. A so-called closed-ball type game machine to be used is known.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-286658

Since the enclosed ball type game machine performs a game by converting the player's ball into data as described above, a game ball that has been shot into the game area or a foul ball that has been shot but does not reach the game area It is necessary to accurately count and manage the game balls (hereinafter also referred to as "foul balls") collected during the game.
However, the conventional enclosed-ball type game machines do not manage the game balls sufficiently, and there is a possibility that errors may occur in the data of the balls held.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a gaming machine capable of correctly managing the balls possessed by the player.

(Solution 1)
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention, as described in claim 1,
a game area in which games are played with game balls;
a launch guideway leading to the play area;
ball shooting means capable of shooting a game ball into the game area through the shooting guide path;
an out-safe ball recovery path for recovering game balls that have entered the game area;
a foul ball recovery path connected between the launch rail of the ball launching means and the launch guide path, and capable of recovering a game ball flowing backward through the launch guide path or a game ball not reaching the launch guide path as a foul ball ; ,
a circulation path having at least the out-safe ball recovery path and the foul ball recovery path, and recovering game balls shot by the ball shooting means and supplying them to the ball shooting means again;
A game machine in which a player can arbitrarily digitize a ball that can be used in a game and shoot a game ball by the ball shooting means based on the data of the ball,
The foul ball recovery path is
a foul passage through which the collected foul ball passes;
a foul ball sensor for detecting foul balls passing through the foul passage and adding the number of the foul balls to the ball data ;
and a foul ball stopping means capable of stopping the game ball,
The foul ball retaining means passes the foul ball passing through the foul ball passage portion in an energized state, and retains the foul ball upstream from the detection point of the foul ball sensor when the energized state changes to the non-energized state. A gaming machine characterized in that it is a machine that allows
According to such a game machine, when a power failure happens just before a foul ball is detected by the foul ball sensor during operation, the foul ball stopping means, which has changed to a non-energized state due to the power failure, stops the foul ball. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the problem that a foul ball that should be added (returned) to the player's possession is collected without being counted.
Then, when the electric power is restored from the power outage and the energized state is restored, the foul ball stopping by the foul ball stopping means is released, so that the foul ball is normally detected by the foul ball sensor and collected into the circulation path. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the player will be disadvantaged by the power failure, and it is also possible to reduce the possibility that the management of the game balls will be disturbed due to the power failure (for example, paragraphs 0034 to 0036, FIGS. 3 and 9).

(Solution 2)
In solution 1,
The foul ball retaining means is an electrically operated valve capable of opening and closing the foul passage, and may open the foul passage when energized and close the foul passage when de-energized.
In such a game machine, an electric valve that requires electric power as a prerequisite for operation forms the foul ball stopping means, so that it is possible to quickly react to a power failure without requiring complicated control.

(Solution 3)
In solution 1,
The foul ball retaining means is an electric transfer member that transfers the game ball in the foul path portion. When energized, the electric transfer member operates to transfer the game ball to the foul ball sensor, and when de-energized, the electric transfer member. A member may stop and stop a game ball.
In such a game machine, since the game ball in the foul path portion is transferred to the foul ball sensor by energizing the electric transfer member, the electric transfer member stops the transfer of the game ball due to a power failure. . Then, when the electricity is restored after the power failure is restored, the operation of the electric transfer member is resumed, so that the power failure can be reacted quickly without requiring complicated control.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a gaming machine capable of correctly managing the balls possessed by the player.

1 is a perspective view of a pachinko machine; FIG. It is an enlarged front view of the main part of the pachinko machine showing a state in which the door frame is removed. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a ball launching device and a foul ball recovery path; FIG. 4 is a front view showing part of the ball launching device and the foul ball recovery path; 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 4; FIG. It is a front view of the ball shooting device showing a state in which a game ball has been shot. It is a partial notch front view of the ball launcher showing a ball feeder by cutting a part of the launch base frame. FIG. 4 is a front view of the ball launcher showing a state where the launch path of the launch rail is blocked by the launch rail check valve. It is a front view of the ball launcher showing a state at the time of power failure. It is an enlarged front view of the main part of the pachinko machine showing a state in which the door frame is removed, showing another form of the launch rail check valve. 11 is an enlarged front view of the ball launching device of FIG. 10; FIG. FIG. 10 is a front view showing a part of a foul ball recovery path having another form of foul ball retaining means and a ball launching device; 1 is a block diagram showing a pachinko machine and a card unit machine arranged adjacent to one side thereof; FIG. It is a flowchart of the control (1) explaining the firing process after the power is turned on or after the power failure. It is a flowchart which shows a power failure process. It is a flow chart of the control (2) explaining the firing process after power ON or recovery from power failure.

[1. Overview of pachinko machine]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The pachinko machine 1 (enclosed ball type game machine) according to the embodiment is similar to the well-known pachinko machine in terms of game content, external size, etc., and can be installed in the current island facilities in halls (pachinko game halls).
In the pachinko machine 1 according to the embodiment, a game is played by circulating a predetermined number of game balls enclosed in the machine. Then, based on the number of game balls (data on the number of balls held) based on the data on the number of rental balls input from a storage medium such as a card via the payment system, etc., the game ball can be shot, and when the game ball is shot. The data of the number of possessed balls is subtracted corresponding to the number of shot game balls.
In addition, when a game ball that has been shot enters a winning hole in the game area and a prize ball (game ball) is generated, the actual game ball is not paid out, and the number of balls in the data of the number of balls is added. Also, when the data of the number of possessed balls becomes "0", the game ball cannot be shot. In this state, when a numerical value (number of rental balls or number of replayed balls) is added to the data of the number of held balls based on the data of the amount stored in the storage medium such as the card and the data of the stored balls, the game is played again. It is possible to shoot balls. In addition, the shot game balls are collected in the game machine and circulated in the game machine so that they can be shot again.

As described above, in the pachinko machine 1 of the embodiment, prize balls are not paid out, and the number of balls put out, the number of balls entered, the number of difference balls, the number of balls held, etc. are not the actual number of game balls, but numerical values in the data. becomes. For example, the game balls actually used are limited to a predetermined number (for example, 25) that are circulated, and the number of shot balls counted by detecting the game balls shot toward the game area 5 The number of foul balls counted by detecting foul balls that were shot but did not reach the game area 5, the number of collected balls counted by detecting the game balls flowing down the game area 5, and the number of winning balls The number of winning balls, the number of rental balls borrowed from the hall side, etc. can be used to obtain the number of incoming balls, the number of outgoing balls, the number of difference balls, and the number of balls held.

That is, as long as there is no trouble such as game balls coming out of the machine when the door frame 3 is opened, the number of shot balls=the number of foul balls+the number of recovered balls (when the number of foul balls is not included). Number of incoming balls = number of collected balls = number of fired balls - number of fouled balls, number of thrown balls = number of awarded balls (accumulated value) = number of entered balls - number of rented balls (number of replayed balls) + number of held balls, Number of balls held = number of balls rented (or number of balls replayed) + number of balls thrown - number of balls entered, number of balls discharged - number of balls entered = number of balls difference, number of balls held = number of balls rented (or number of balls replayed) + It becomes the number of difference balls.
In this way, the game by the pachinko machine 1 is completely performed as numerical data, and errors due to spilling game balls or leaving game balls on the lower tray or the upper tray do not occur. It becomes possible to reliably manage in integer units.

[2. Configuration of pachinko machine]
Next, the body frame 2 and the door frame 3 that constitute the pachinko machine 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the pachinko machine 1, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of the main part of the pachinko machine 1 with the door frame 3 removed.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pachinko machine 1 according to the present embodiment has an outer frame 1w which is configured in a rectangular frame shape and is installed on an island facility on the hall side, and a shaft which can be freely opened and closed on the outer frame 1w. It is composed of a body frame 2 on which a game board 4 can be mounted, and a door frame 3 pivotally supported on the body frame 2 so as to be openable and closable.

[2-1. door frame]
The door frame 3 includes a game window 6 corresponding to a game area 5 of the game board 4 into which a game ball is hit, and a game window 6 which is arranged below the game window 6 and allows game balls to be hit into the game area 5 based on the player's operation. and an operation panel portion 10 provided on the lower side portion of the game window 6 (the portion corresponding to the upper plate of a known pachinko machine that is of the non-enclosed ball type).

[2-1-1. game window]
Through the game window 6, the front surface of the game board 4 (the game area 5 defined by the guide rails 8) mounted on the side of the main body frame 2 can be visually recognized with the door frame 3 closed with respect to the main body frame 2. A transparent plate 9 is attached to cover the .

[2-1-2. handle]
The handle 7 drives a shooting solenoid 23 of a ball shooting device 20, which will be described later, attached to the main body frame 2 based on the turning operation of the player, so as to shoot a game ball into the game area 5. It's becoming
The handle 7 is provided with a volume-adjustable variable resistor 88 (shown only in FIG. 13), and the rotation of the handle 7 changes the volume of the variable resistor 88, thereby By changing the driving force of the shooting solenoid 23 of 20, the game ball is shot with arbitrary strength.
In addition, the handle 7 is provided with a firing stop switch 86 (only the symbol is shown in FIG. 13), which turns the firing solenoid 23 OFF when pressed during the rotation operation (during ball firing), and the outer peripheral surface of the handle 7. and a touch switch 87 (only reference numerals are shown in FIG. 13) for detecting contact of the player with the handle 7 via conductive plating.

[2-1-3. operation panel]
A ball lending button (push-button type switch) 11 as a ball lending command input means for instructing the lending of a ball for playing a game is provided on the upper end side of the operation panel section 10 provided on the lower side of the game window 6. , a settlement button (push-button type switch) 12 as a settlement command input means for instructing settlement after finishing a pachinko game, and a card unit machine 200 (see FIG. 13) serving as a settlement system for storing ball rentals. A remaining number display section 13 for displaying the number of remaining points of a card serving as a medium is provided.
The operation panel unit 10 also has a game machine possession ball number display unit 14 that displays the current number of balls managed by the pachinko machine 1, and information such as whether the operation by the ball lending button 11 is in a valid state. An information display unit 15 for displaying is provided. The game machine possession ball number display unit 14 is capable of displaying a numerical value (the number of possession balls) on a liquid crystal display. The information display unit 15 is composed of a total of eight dot LEDs, four of which are arranged horizontally in two rows, and allows the player to recognize various types of information by turning on/off each dot LED.

[2-1-4. others]
In addition, on the front side of the door frame 3, a decorative lamp 16 that optically decorates the outer peripheral portion of the game area 5 and a speaker that emits sounds such as sound effects according to the game 17 etc. are provided.

[2-2. body frame]
The main body frame 2 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape so as to fit in the rectangular outer frame 1w, and the game board 4 is removably attached to an accommodation opening 18 formed on the front side thereof. It's stuck. By closing the door frame 3 with respect to the main body frame 2, the front surface of the game board 4 housed in the main body frame 2 (the game area 5 defined by the guide rails 8) becomes the game window 6 of the door frame 3. It is designed to face the front side from the

A shooting base frame 80 is provided below the housing opening 18 of the main body frame 2, and a ball shooting device 20, which is a ball shooting means for shooting game balls into the game area 5, is provided on the shooting base frame 80. A foul ball recovery path 32 for recovering a game ball which is shot from the shooting rail 21 of the ball shooting device 20 but returns without reaching the game area 5, and the foul ball recovery path 32 is reversely jumped and shot. A shooting rail check valve 44 for preventing game balls from flowing back to the rail 21 and a circulation path for recovering the game balls shot by the ball shooting device 20 and supplying them to the ball shooting device 20 again are provided. .

[2-2-1. game board]
In the pachinko machine 1 of the embodiment, a game is played on the front side (game area 5) of the game board 4 fitted in the housing opening 18 of the body frame 2. As shown in FIG.
That is, the pachinko machine 1 plays a game by shooting game balls into the game area 5 surrounded by the guide rails 8 of the game board 4. ), various winning openings such as starting winning openings and large winning openings (in FIG. 13, an upper starting opening switch 90 that detects a game ball that has won the upper starting winning opening arranged in the game area 5, A lower starting opening switch 91 for detecting a game ball that has entered the lower starting winning opening arranged in the game area 5, and a gate switch 92 for detecting a game ball that has passed through the gate arranged in the game area 5. , a left winning port switch 93 for detecting a game ball that has entered a winning port arranged on the left side of the game area 5, and a game ball that has entered a winning port arranged on the upper and lower right sides of the game region 5 are detected. Upper right/lower right winning opening switch 94, normal symbol and special symbol display LED board 95 arranged in game area 5, solenoid 96 for ordinary electric accessory arranged in game area 5, and game A solenoid 97 for a large winning opening arranged in the area 5 and a large winning opening count switch 98 for detecting a game ball that has won a large winning opening are provided, and are indicated only by reference numerals. A predetermined number of prize balls are given according to the winning.
Specifically, in the pachinko machine 1 of the present embodiment, which is an enclosed ball type game machine, "1" is subtracted from the data on the number of balls held in accordance with the hitting of one game ball, and at the same time, prizes are awarded to various prize openings. is added to the data of the number of balls in possession, and the number of balls in possession corresponding to this is displayed on the number display part 14 of the number of balls in the game machine.

In addition, at the lower end of the game area 5, an out port 19 is provided for receiving a game ball that has flowed down to the lowest end without winning any of the winning ports and ejecting it to the back side of the game board 4.例文帳に追加On the back side of the game board 4, although not shown, there is a collecting mechanism that collects game balls that have entered various winning openings and game balls that have flowed into the out opening 19, and guides these game balls toward an out-safe ball collection path. A gutter is installed.

[2-2-2. Ball launcher (ball launcher)]
The ball shooting device 20 shoots a game ball toward a shooting guide path 8a (see FIGS. 1 and 2) leading to the game area 5 of the game board 4 and hits the game ball into the game area 5. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 9, the ball launching device 20 includes a launch rail 21 provided obliquely upward toward the launch guide path 8a and a ball feeder capable of supplying game balls to the launch position of the launch rail 21. A part 45 and a shooting hammer 22 for shooting a game ball at the shooting position of the shooting rail 21 are provided.

[2-2-2-1. launch rail]
The firing rail 21 is a metal material having a substantially M-shaped cross section provided obliquely upward toward the entrance of the firing guide path 8a, and is fixedly attached to the front surface of the firing base frame 80. As shown in FIG. A ball stopper piece 61 is provided at the end of the inclined lower end side of the shooting rail 21 for stabilizing the game ball at the shooting position.
On the lower surface and the front and rear surfaces of the launch rail 21, a U-shaped shot ball sensor 24 in front view is provided, and the game ball at the shooting position is detected by the shot ball sensor 24. - 特許庁The shooting ball sensor 24 is composed of a transmissive photosensor in which a light emitting element and a light receiving element are arranged to face each other.

[2-2-2-2. ball feeder]
The ball supply part 45 has one end pivoted to the back side of the launch base frame 80 and the game ball supply port 36 opened in the launch base frame 80, and the other end moves up and down as shown by the solid line and the imaginary line in FIG. A swingable ball feeding member 63, a supply solenoid 47 for swinging the ball feeding member 63, a supply passage 64 for supplying game balls connecting the circulation lifting device and the ball feeding member 63, and the supply and an entrance-side ball sensor 50 provided at the end of the passage 64 and on the side corresponding to the entrance to the ball feeding member 63 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the supply port 36 is opened substantially above the firing position of the firing rail 21 (strictly speaking, slightly upstream from the firing position) in a state of penetrating the firing base frame 80 back and forth. , is large enough for one game ball to pass through.

The ball feeding member 63 includes a square C-shaped ball receiving portion 65 provided on the opposite side of the swing center, and a ball stopper projection 65a projecting from the upper edge of the ball receiving portion 65. , and an inclined bottom 65b (see FIG. 5) which is formed on the lower side of the ball receiving portion 65 and descends forward. , the ball receiving portion 65 can be switched between the low position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 7 and the high position indicated by the imaginary line in FIG.

When the ball receiving portion 65 is at the low position indicated by the solid line in FIG. communicates with the lower edge of the supply port 36 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the game ball in the supply passage 64 is blocked by the ball receiving portion 65. On the other hand, even if there is a game ball in the ball receiving portion 65, the game ball travels along the inclined bottom 65b and is discharged from the supply port 36 to the launch rail 21. rolls out into firing position.
Further, when the ball receiving portion 65 of the ball feeding member 63 swings to move to a high position as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. One leading game ball at 64 can be accepted. Of course, the game ball that enters the ball receiving portion 65 rolls forward along the slope of the inclined bottom 65b, but the inclined bottom 65b of the ball receiving portion 65 at a high position faces the back surface of the shooting base frame 80. Therefore, the ball receiving portion 65 remains in that position until the inclined bottom 65b changes to the low position and corresponds to the supply port 36. As shown in FIG.

Therefore, the ball feeding member 63 activates the supply solenoid 47, and alternately repeats the state in which the ball receiving portion 65 is at the low position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 7 and the state at the high position indicated by the imaginary line in FIG. The ball receiving portion 65 that has changed from the high position to the high position receives the leading game ball lined up in the supply passage 64, and the ball receiving portion 65 that has changed from the high position to the low position is lined up in the supply passage 64 with the ball stopper protrusion 65a. The supply operation of discharging the previously received game balls from the supply port 36 toward the shooting position while preventing the game balls from flowing down is repeated.

[2-2-2-3. projectile hammer]
Firing hammer 22 is attached to the front of firing base frame 80 via firing solenoid 23 .
The firing hammer 22 has a metal arm portion 22a that is attached to the drive shaft 23a of the firing solenoid 23 and bent in an inverted L shape with the drive shaft 23a side as a starting point. 4 from the standby position indicated by the solid line in FIG. The driving shaft 23a is swung to the hitting position of the line, and the hitting part 22b hits and shoots the rear surface of the game ball at the shooting position of the shooting rail 21, and then returns to the original standby position. ing. 4, reference numeral 60 denotes an elastic stopper that receives the swinging firing hammer 22 at the striking position.

[2-2-3. Foul ball collection path]
The foul ball recovery path 32 is provided with a foul ball recovery port 38 between the entrance of the launch guide path 8a (the end of the guide rail 8 defining the launch guide path 8a) and the tip of the launch rail 21, and below it. connected to the side.
In this foul ball recovery path 32, the game ball shot from the shooting rail 21 does not reach the game area 5 due to lack of momentum, and falls in the middle of the shooting guide path 8a, and flows backward from there to return to a foul ball recovery port 38. A game ball falling into the space is guided to the back side of the shooting base frame 80.例文帳に追加
The foul ball recovery path 32 is provided with a downpipe-like foul passage 66 in which all the collected foul balls gather and flow down in a line. A foul ball sensor 41 is provided for detecting a foul ball passing through 66 . The foul ball sensor 41 includes a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, and is composed of a transmissive photosensor that detects a game ball by blocking light as it passes.

[2-2-3-1. Sliding rail part]
By the way, in the foul ball recovery path 32, the larger the foul ball recovery port 38 is, the easier it is for the game balls that flow backwards to fall, thereby reducing the risk of backflow to the launch rail 21.例文帳に追加On the other hand, however, if the foul ball recovery port 38 is made larger, the risk of even the game ball exiting the launch rail 21 erroneously jumping into the game also increases.
Therefore, in the embodiment, the foul ball recovery path 38 is enlarged to increase the capture rate of foul balls, and an island-shaped slide rail portion 67 is provided in the middle of the path, so that the game ball exiting the launch rail 21 can be moved to the slide. It bounces off the rail portion 67 and can easily jump into the launch guideway 8a.

[2-2-3-2. Foul ball stopping means]
Further, the foul ball recovery path 32 of the embodiment is provided with foul ball stopping means capable of stopping the foul ball passing through the foul ball passage portion 66 upstream of the detection point of the foul ball sensor 41 .
As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 3, this foul ball retaining means is an electric valve 68a having a slide structure capable of opening and closing the foul passage 66. A solenoid (not shown) excited by energization causes the electric valve 68a to shoot from the base frame. 80 is retracted to open the foul passage 66, and when the electricity is de-energized due to a power failure or the like, the demagnetized solenoid causes the electric valve 68a to protrude and the foul passage 66 is closed.

As a result, when a power failure occurs just before a foul ball is detected by the foul ball sensor 41 during a game, the motor-operated valve 68a inevitably changed to a non-energized state due to the power failure closes the foul passage portion 66. Since the game ball is parked by pressing, it is possible to prevent the problem that the game ball that should be added (returned) to the player's ball is recovered without being counted.
When the power failure is restored and the solenoid returns to the energized state, the motor-operated valve 68a is pulled in and the game ball is released from stagnation. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the player will be disadvantaged by the power failure, and it is also possible to reduce the possibility that the management of the game balls will be disturbed due to the power failure.

The foul ball retaining means is not limited to the electric valve 68a described above. For example, as shown in FIG. The electric transfer member 68b always rotates at a constant speed when energized to transfer the foul ball between the pawls of the pawl wheel to the foul ball sensor 41, and when power is cut off due to a power failure, the electric transfer member 68b inevitably stops to transfer the foul ball. stop. Then, when the power is restored and the power supply is restored, the rotation of the electric transfer member 68b is restarted, so that the stopped foul ball can be detected by the foul ball sensor 41. FIG.
As described above, according to the foul ball retaining means of the embodiment, it is possible to quickly react to a power failure without requiring complicated control.

[2-2-4-1. Launch rail check valve (1)]
In the embodiment, a launch rail check valve 44 is provided to prevent game balls from jumping over the foul ball recovery path 32 in the reverse direction and flowing back to the launch rail 21 .
The firing rail check valve 44 here is integral with the firing hammer 22 as shown in FIGS. The tip of the provided valve arm 22c is bent. The launch rail check valve 44 is located above the end of the launch rail 21 opposite to the launch position, that is, on the projecting side, and blocks the launch path of the game ball.

According to the firing rail check valve 44 of this embodiment, when the firing hammer 22 is in the standby position as shown in FIG. Even if a certain foul ball advances in the opposite direction along the launch path and jumps over the foul ball recovery port 38, the launch path is closed by the launch rail check valve 44, so it bounces there and falls into the foul ball recovery port 38. do.
On the other hand, when the firing hammer 22 changes to the striking position as shown in FIG. 6, the firing rail check valve 44 swings together with the firing hammer 22 and bounces upward, leaving the firing path in that posture. Therefore, there is absolutely no possibility that the launched game balls will collide with each other.
As described above, the launch rail check valve 44 swings integrally with the launch hammer 22 to open before the game ball launched from the launch position of the launch rail 21 collides with the launch path. After the game ball has passed through it, it is opened and closed to close the shooting path.

The means for integrating the firing rail check valve 44 with the firing hammer 22 is suitable when the firing rail 21 is relatively short. Installation can be difficult due to the wide range. In such a case, the firing hammer 22 and the firing rail check valve 44 may be separated and interlocked by interposing a suitable transmission mechanism such as a link or a gear. By doing so, it is possible to flexibly cope with a long launch rail 21. - 特許庁

[2-2-4-2. Launch rail check valve (2)]
In addition to the case where the firing rail backflow prevention valve 44 is integrated with or interlocked with the firing hammer 22 as described above, the firing rail check valve 44 may slide up and down separately from the firing hammer 22 as shown in FIGS. It may be formed by a valve element that can slide back and forth or rotate, and the firing path may be opened and closed at the same timing as described above by a separate valve opening/closing means such as a solenoid or a motor. In this case, the firing rail check valve 44 can be provided in the vicinity of the firing guideway 8a so that the backflowing foul balls reach the foul ball recovery port 38 at an early stage after exiting the firing guideway 8a. You can force it to fall.

The launch rail check valve 44 is rotatably attached to the upper end or lower end of a square thin valve plate about an axis in the front-rear direction. A so-called one-way valve structure that is locked against the force of In this case, the speed and trajectory may be affected by the collision of the game ball at the time of launch, and there are disadvantages such as the need to replace it in a short period of time due to the repeated impact of the game ball. However, it is possible to prevent the reverse flow to the launch rail 21 in the simplest manner, and by doing so, it is possible to obtain a greater benefit that the game balls can be managed accurately.
Also, when the structure in which the launch rail check valve 44 is provided in the launch path and the structure in which the front surface of the ball launcher 20 is covered with a transparent plate are combined, visibility inside the launch rail 21 can be maintained. It is possible to prevent game balls other than enclosed game balls from being intentionally or accidentally thrown into the launch rail.

[2-2-5. circulation route]
The circulation path is for collecting all the game balls shot by the ball shooting device 20 and returning the game balls to the ball shooting device 20 for shooting again.
This circulation path includes a launch path that is a passage of game balls from the launch rail 21 to the launch guide path 8a, a launch guide path 8a that leads to the game area 5, a game area 5 where the game balls flow down, and a game area. An out-safe ball recovery path (not shown) for recovering game balls that have flowed down 5 and entered various winning openings or out openings 19, and a game ball (foul a foul ball recovery path 32 for recovering balls), a circulation lifting device (not shown) to which the out-safe ball recovery path and the foul ball recovery path 32 are connected, an upper part of the circulation lifting device, and the ball supply A supply passage 64 that connects the portion 45 and feeds the game balls from the circulation lifting device to the ball supply portion 45 of the ball launching device 20, and the ball supply portion 45 that supplies the game balls in the supply passage 64 to the launch position of the launch rail 21. and a ball shooting device 20 for shooting a game ball at a shooting position.

In addition, the circulation lifting device that constitutes a part of the circulation path is provided on the rear surface side of the launch base frame 80, and has a lifting device such as a screw conveyor and an appropriate ball polishing device for cleaning game balls. is built-in.
In addition, in the middle of the passage of the out-safe ball recovery path that constitutes a part of the circulation path, there are game balls that have passed through the out-safe ball recovery path, in other words, game balls that have been hit into the game area 5 (out An out-safe ball detection switch 40 (only the symbol is shown in FIG. 13) is provided for detecting a ball and a safe ball). The out-safe ball detection switch 40 is composed of a transmissive photosensor that detects a game ball by shading a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element facing each other.

[2-3. Circulation of game balls]
Since the pachinko machine 1 of the embodiment is configured as described above, the game ball supplied to the firing position of the firing rail 21 as shown in FIG. Then, it slides on the upper surface of the sliding rail portion 67, jumps over the foul ball recovery port 38, and is driven into the game area 5 through the shooting guide path 8a. Then, the game balls that enter the game area 5 flow down the game area 5, and some of the game balls are placed in the game area 5 Various winning openings (for example, normal winning opening, start winning opening, big winning opening etc.), it becomes a safe ball and is guided to the out-safe ball recovery path through the recovery gutter on the back side of the game board 4.例文帳に追加

On the other hand, a game ball that has flowed down the game area 5 and has not entered any of the winning openings flows into an out opening 19 at the center of the lower end of the game area 5, becomes an out ball, and passes through a collection gutter on the back surface of the game board 4. Guided to the out-safe ball recovery path. The out-balls and safe balls guided to the out-safe ball recovery path are sent to the circulation lifting device after being detected by the out-safe ball detection switch 40 (see FIG. 13) provided in the middle of the path. .

In addition, a game ball that does not reach the game area 5 in spite of being shot by the shooting hammer 22, turns to fall, and flows backward along the shooting guide path 8a enters the foul ball recovery port 38 and returns to the foul ball recovery path 32. Induced. Then, the foul ball guided from the foul ball recovery port 38 to the foul ball recovery path 32 passes through the foul ball passage portion 66 of the foul ball recovery path 32 and is detected by the foul ball sensor 41. and sent to the circulation lifting device.

Game balls (out balls, safe balls, and foul balls) sent to the circulation pumping device from the out-safe ball recovery path and the foul ball recovery path 32 are sent to the supply passage portion 35 . The game balls sent into the supply passage portion 35 are sent out one by one from the supply port 36 to the shooting position of the shooting rail 21 by the operation of the ball supply portion 45, and are shot again by the shooting hammer 22.例文帳に追加

[2-4. Overview of pachinko machine control (1)]
Next, an overview of the control of the pachinko machine 1 and the card unit machine 200 arranged adjacent to one side thereof will be described with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG.
The control of the pachinko machine 1 is roughly divided into a main board group and a peripheral board group. Among them, the main board group controls game operations and the peripheral board group controls performance operations. All of these boards are installed on the back side of the pachinko machine 1, and normally, unless the body frame 2 is unlocked and then opened, it cannot be viewed or operated from the front side. do not have.

In FIG. 13 , the main board group consists of a main control board 100 and a game ball management control board 110 , and the peripheral board group consists of a peripheral control board 120 . The main control board 100 includes a CPU 101 as a central processing unit, a ROM 102 as a read-only memory, a RAM 103 as a readable/writable memory, and the like. Among these, the CPU 101 executes a game control program stored in the ROM 102, and controls various games performed by the pachinko machine 1 along with this execution. The CPU 101 also creates commands to be transmitted to the peripheral board group and the game ball management control board 110 . The RAM 103 also temporarily stores information such as various data generated in various processes executed by the main control board 100 and input signals.

The main control board 100 has an upper start switch 90, a lower start switch 91, a gate switch 92, a left win switch 93, an upper right/lower win switch 94, and an LED board 95 for normal/special symbol display. It is connected via a panel relay terminal plate 140, and the panel relay terminal plate 140 has a normal electric accessory solenoid 96, a large winning opening solenoid 97, and a large winning opening count switch 98 connected to the large winning opening relay terminal plate 141. connected through As a result, detection signals are input to the main control board 100 from these switches. Specifically, when the game ball passes through the gate in the process of flowing down the game area 5 , the passage is detected by the gate switch 92 and a detection signal is input to the main control board 100 . Also, when the game ball enters the upper start winning opening, a detection signal is input from the upper starting opening switch 90 to the main control board 100, and when the game ball enters the lower starting winning opening, the lower starting opening switch 91 A detection signal is input to the main control board 100, and when the game ball enters the left winning opening, a detection signal is input to the main control board 100 from the left winning opening switch 93, and the game ball enters the upper right and lower right winning openings. When a prize is won, a detection signal is input to the main control board 100 from the upper right/lower right prize opening switch 94 . Also, when a game ball wins in a big winning hole during a big winning game, a detection signal is input from the big winning hole count switch 98 to the main control board 100 .

Then, the CPU 101 executes processing according to these input detection signals. That is, the CPU 101 outputs respective drive signals to various solenoids 96, 97 and normal/special symbol display LED board 95 based on the input detection signal, and provides prize balls according to winning (this In the embodiment, a prize ball command is output to the game ball management control board 110 to indicate that the number of prize balls is added to the number of balls data. Also, the CPU 101 outputs an effect command signal to the peripheral control board 120 via the function separation relay terminal board 142 . The peripheral control board 120, like the main control board 100, includes a CPU as a central processing unit, a ROM as a read-only memory, and a RAM as a readable/writable memory. , by executing the production control program stored in the ROM, the processing based on the production command received from the main control board 100 is executed. In addition, although not shown, the peripheral control board 120 includes light decoration means (for example, decoration lamps 16, etc.) provided on the door frame 3 and the game board 4 (game area 5), sound generation means (for example, decoration lamps 16, etc.) provided on the door frame 3 ( For example, speaker 17, etc.), and production means (for example, a liquid crystal display for displaying decorative patterns, etc.) provided on the game board 4 (game area 5) are connected, and the production input from the main control board 100 side Based on the command signal, drive signals are output to the light decoration means, the sound generation means, and the effect means.

The game ball management control board 110 includes a management CPU 111 as a central processing unit, a management ROM 112 as a read-only memory, and a management RAM 113 as a readable/writable memory. Of these, the management CPU 111 executes a management control program stored in the management ROM 112, and controls the management of the number of balls in the pachinko machine 1 in accordance with this execution. The management CPU 111 also creates commands to be transmitted to the main control board 100, the card unit machine 200, and the like. In addition, the management RAM 113 temporarily stores information such as various data and input signals generated in various processes executed by the game ball management control board 110 .

The main control board 100 is connected to the game ball management control board 110 via the main drawer relay terminal board 143, and the card unit machine 200, the power supply board 130 and the external terminal board 144 are connected. As a result, the game ball management control board 110 enables exchange of various data between the main control board 100 and the card unit machine 200, and power is supplied from the power supply board . The power supplied from the power board 130 is also supplied to the main control board 100 to the peripheral control board 120 via the game ball management control board 110 . The external terminal board 144 is connected to an external computer not shown (for example, a hall computer, a computer in the island facility, etc.), and the external computer receives necessary information (for example, safe balls, out balls, prize balls, etc.). , the number of hits, frame opening, etc.) can be transmitted.

In addition, the game ball management control board 110 includes a shooting ball sensor 24, a foul ball sensor 41, foul ball stopping means (electric valve 68a, electric transfer member 68b), an out-safe ball detection switch 40, a supply solenoid 47, and an entrance. A side ball sensor 50 is connected via a sensor relay board 145, and a ball lending button 11, a checkout button 12, a remaining number display section 13, a game machine possession ball number display section 14, and an information display section 15 are mounted. An electronic top plate display board 146 is connected. Further, the game ball management control board 110 is connected with a door frame open switch 147 for detecting the opening of the door frame 3 and a body frame open switch 148 for detecting the opening of the body frame 2. The firing device 20 (the handle relay terminal plate 149 to which the firing solenoid 23, the firing stop switch 86 of the handle 7, the touch switch 87 and the variable resistor 88 are connected) is connected.

As a result, the game ball management control board 110 includes a launch ball sensor 24 for detecting a game ball at the launch position, and an out/safe ball detection switch for detecting a game ball (out ball and safe ball) hit into the game area 5. 40. Based on signals input from a foul ball sensor 41 for detecting a fouled game ball (foul ball), an entrance side ball sensor 50 for controlling feeding of game balls to the ball launching device 20 by a supply solenoid 47, etc. Then, the corresponding signals are output to the main control board 100, the external terminal board 144, the card unit machine 200, and the like.

Management control of the game ball management control board 110 for a prepaid card (recording medium such as an IC card or a magnetic card) inserted into the card unit machine 200 will be described. First, when a pachinko game is played, when a prepaid card is inserted into the card slot of the card unit machine 200, the game ball management control board 110 converts the ball number data (remaining number of points) recorded on the card into the number of remaining points. Displayed on the display unit 13 . Here, when the player operates the ball lending button 11, a predetermined number or value is withdrawn from the remaining number of prepaid cards, and the number or value corresponding to the withdrawn number or value (as a ball lending fee, A set ratio, for example, a number or numerical value obtained by subtracting about 40% from 10%) is stored as ball number data in the game machine ball number storage area of the management RAM 113, and the number of balls possessed by the game machine is stored. Displayed on the display unit 14 .

Here, when the player operates the handle 7 in front of the machine, the supply solenoid 47 of the ball supply unit 45 is actuated, one game ball is sent out to the shooting position of the shooting rail 21, and the movement of this game ball is the entrance. It is detected by the side ball sensor 50 (see steps S26 to S30 in the flow chart of FIG. 14). Then, the game ball management control board 110 subtracts "1" from the number of balls in possession data stored in the game machine ball number storage area of the management RAM 113 in response to the supply of one game ball to the launch rail 21. At the same time, this is displayed on the game machine possession ball number display section 14 (at step S32).

Next, when the game ball at the shooting position is detected by the shooting ball sensor 24 (same step S34), the shooting solenoid 23 operates (same step S36), and the game ball at the shooting position is played by the shooting hammer 22. A region 5 is embossed.
If the game ball that has entered the launch guideway 8a flows backward due to lack of momentum and falls directly into the foul ball recovery port 38, or hits the launch rail check valve 44 as shown in FIG. When the foul ball falls into the foul ball recovery port 38, the foul ball enters the foul ball recovery port 38, is fed into the foul ball recovery path 32, and is detected by the foul ball sensor 41 (step S12). Each time one foul ball is detected by the foul ball sensor 41, the game ball management control board 110 adds "1" to the number-of-balls data stored in the game-machine-ball-number storage area of the management RAM 113. Along with the addition (at step S14), this is displayed on the game machine possession ball number display unit 14, thereby avoiding the inconvenience of subtracting foul balls from the ball number data.

On the other hand, for example, if the striking force of the shooting hammer 22 is drastically reduced due to a momentary voltage drop or the like, and such a game ball remains on the shooting rail 21 due to such a failure, such a game ball (hereinafter referred to as a misfire) ) is detected by the firing ball sensor 24 (step S24) before a series of ball feeding operations (steps S26 to S32), and the firing hammer is fired without the ball feeding operation by the ball feeding section 45. 22 is activated (steps S24, S36). Therefore, there is no possibility that the unexploded ball and the next game ball are mixed on the shooting rail 21, and the game balls can be surely shot one by one. Easier to manage.

When the game ball launched by the ball launching device 20 enters various winning holes (starting winning hole, big winning hole, etc.) in the game area 5, the game ball is detected by various winning detection switches provided for each winning hole. Detected by (upper starting port switch 90, lower starting port switch 91, left winning port switch 93, upper right/lower right winning port switch 94, big winning port count switch 98), the game ball management control board 110 According to the winning of game balls by various winning detection switches, the value of the number of winning balls preset for each winning opening is added from the data of the number of balls in possession stored in the storage area of the number of game balls in the management RAM 113. This is displayed on the game machine possession ball number display section 14. - 特許庁The game balls (safe balls) that have entered various prize-winning ports pass through the back surface of the game board 4 together with the game balls (out-balls) that have flowed into the out port 19 without winning any of the prize-winning ports, and the out-safe ball recovery path. , and detected by the out-safe ball detection switch 40 . Also, the game balls passing through the out-safe ball recovery path are guided to the circulation lifting device together with the game balls passing through the foul ball recovery path 32 .

Next, if a power failure occurs during a game before the game ball is detected by the foul ball sensor 41, the foul ball stopping means (motorized valve 68a, motorized transfer member 68b) changed to a non-energized state due to the power failure. ) stops the game balls, it is possible to prevent the problem that the game balls that should be added (returned) to the player's possession (steps S12 and S13) are recovered without being counted.

Specifically, when a power failure warning signal is received due to a power switch OFF or an instantaneous power failure, the power failure processing of FIG. 15 is started. As a result, the foul ball retaining means protrudes into the foul ball passage portion 66 and functions as a cover for the foul ball sensor 41 .
Such a mechanism is adopted because it is impossible to predict when the power failure will occur, and there is a possibility that the foul ball sensor 41 cannot detect the foul ball.
In other words, if a power failure occurs immediately after launching, it will take a considerable amount of time for the launched game ball to drop as a foul ball and be detected. For example, if it takes a maximum of 1 second to detect a foul ball, power failure processing cannot be started until 1 second has elapsed after power failure. It is not practical because a large-capacity capacitor is required to maintain the power supply of the CPU and the power supply of the sensor.
Therefore, by using a foul ball stopping means and making the detection wait until the next power supply restoration when a foul ball occurs immediately after a power failure, it is possible to perform accurate ball management without being affected by the power failure. .
After the foul ball stopping means covers the foul ball sensor 41, the interruption prohibiting process is performed in step S52 of FIG. At step S56, a checksum is calculated from the contents of the RAM and stored, a backup flag is turned ON at step S58, RAM access is prohibited at step S60, and then the processing is looped.

When the power is turned on or the system recovers from a power failure, power failure recovery processing in step S5 is first performed. This is the same as the conventional power failure recovery process. By creating interrupt mode settings, I/O input/output settings, and checksums and comparing them with the stored checksums, it is possible to confirm that the contents of RAM are normal. This includes processing such as verifying whether the backup flag is kept in the current state and clearing the backup flag.
After completing the power failure recovery process in step S5, the foul ball stopping means is turned ON (the lid is opened) in step S10 in order to return to the regular process. When the game ball is placed on the foul ball retaining means by turning on the foul ball retaining means, it is detected by the foul ball sensor 41 (step S12). If it is detected, it is a game ball that was shot but did not reach the game area 5, so "1" is added to the number of balls possessed by the player (step S14). When no game ball is detected by the foul ball sensor 41, the number of balls possessed by the player is not added, and the processing is continued as it is.

Now check the normal firing conditions. The normal firing conditions are that the player touches the touch switch on the handle 7 (step S16), and that the volume of the variable resistor built into the handle 7 is above a certain value (step S18). ), and the firing stop switch has not been pressed (step S20).
Furthermore, in this gaming machine, it is also confirmed that a launch permission signal is issued from the main control board 100 (step S22).

Prior to launching, the launching ball sensor 24 is checked (step S24). If the shooting ball sensor 24 is ON, it means that there is already a game ball on the shooting rail 21, so the process of sending a game ball onto the shooting rail 21 in steps S26 to S34 is omitted.
When it is confirmed in step S24 that there is no game ball on the launch rail 21, the processing from step S26 onwards is performed to supply the game ball to the launch position.

First, in step S26, it is confirmed that there is a game ball immediately before the ball feeding member 63. For confirmation, the ball sensor 50 on the entrance side is used, and if it is not ON, it means that the game ball is not sent from the circulation pumping device, so wait until it comes.
Then, if the entrance-side ball sensor 50 is ON, the supply solenoid 47 is operated (step S28) to send game balls to the supply port 36.

When the game ball is sent, the ball sensor 50 on the entrance side is turned off until the next game ball arrives, so after confirmation (step S30), "1" is subtracted from the player's ball (step S32).
Next, after checking the shooting ball sensor 24 in step S34 and confirming that there is a game ball at the shooting position on the shooting rail 21, the shooting solenoid 23 is driven in step S36, so that the game ball is sent to the game area 5. is typed.
After the launch, the process returns to step S12 to determine if a foul ball has occurred, and the preparation process for launching the next game ball is started.

Next, the case where the game player operates the checkout button 12 to end the game will be described.
First, the shooting ball sensor 24 is used to confirm whether or not a game ball remains at the shooting position of the shooting rail 21.例文帳に追加Here, if the game ball remains at the shooting position, the shooting hammer 22 is automatically actuated to hit the game ball with such a weak impact that it drops into the foul ball recovery port 36.例文帳に追加Then, when the hit game ball is guided to the foul ball recovery path 32 and detected by the foul ball sensor 41, "1" is added to the data of the number of held balls.
Then, when the game ball is no longer detected by the shooting ball sensor 24, or when the game ball is not detected by the shooting ball sensor 24 from the beginning when the settlement button 12 is operated, the game ball management control board 110 stores the management RAM 113. The number-of-balls data stored in the number-of-balls storage area of the game machine is written as the number-of-balls data of the prepaid card (recording medium such as an IC card or magnetic card) inserted in the card unit machine 200 (at this time, If the number of balls in the prepaid card is already stored in the prepaid card, the number of balls in the current game is added to the number of balls in the prepaid card). is reset, and the prepaid card is extracted from the card unit machine 200.

[2-5. Overview of pachinko machine control (2)]
In the above control (1), the ball feeding operation for one game ball of the ball feeding member 63 (in the above embodiment, the ball feeding operation is detected by the entrance-side ball sensor 50, but the operation of the supply solenoid 47 16 is subtracted from the data of the held ball, but in this control (2), as in steps S40, S42, and S44 of the flow chart of FIG. 22 is detected by a ball sensor 24, and "1" is subtracted from the data of the held ball.
That is, in step S28, the supply solenoid 47 is activated, and in step S30, after confirming the supply of game balls by turning off the ball sensor 50 on the entrance side, in step S40, the shot ball sensor 24 is checked and the shooting position of the shooting rail 21 is reached. After confirming that there is a game ball, the shooting solenoid 23 is operated in step S42 to hit the game ball. After that, in step S44, the shot ball sensor 24 confirms that there is no game ball at the shooting position of the shooting rail 21, and if the shot ball sensor 24 is OFF, it is assumed that the game ball has been shot, and from the ball data " Subtract 1".
On the other hand, if the shot ball sensor 24 is ON in step S44, it means that the game ball (unexploded ball) still exists on the shooting rail 21, so the game ball is sent to the shooting rail 21 in steps S26 to S40. The ball feeding process is omitted, the firing solenoid 23 is actuated in step S42 to launch an unfired ball, and in step S44 again it is confirmed that there is no game ball at the firing position of the firing rail 21, and the firing ball sensor 24 is turned off. Assuming that the game ball has been shot, "1" is subtracted from the ball data in step S46.
After the launch, the process returns to step S12 to determine if a foul ball has occurred, and the preparation process for launching the next game ball is started.
Since the rest is the same as the control (1), the description is omitted.

[3. Solutions Included in Embodiments]
The above-described embodiments include the following solutions, including the inventions described in the claims.

[3-1. Solution A]
(Solution A1)
a game area in which games are played with game balls;
a launch guideway leading to the play area;
ball shooting means capable of shooting a game ball into the game area through the shooting guide path;
a foul ball recovery path connected between the launch rail of the ball launching means and the launch guide path, and capable of recovering a game ball flowing backward through the launch guide path or a game ball not reaching the launch guide path;
a circulation path for collecting the game balls shot by the ball shooting means and supplying them to the ball shooting means again;
A game machine in which a ball held by a player is converted into data and a game ball can be shot by the ball shooting means based on the data of the held ball,
To provide a game machine provided with a launch rail backflow prevention valve capable of preventing backflow to the launch rail in the middle of the launch path for game balls launched from the launch position of the launch rail to reach the launch guide path. do.
According to such a game machine, a game ball that is launched from the launch rail but fails to reach the game area due to lack of momentum falls in the middle of the launch guide path, travels backward along the launch path, and reaches the launch rail. Even if it is accelerated to a achievable momentum, it collides with the launch rail check valve in the middle of the launch path, so there is no risk of backflow to the launch rail. Therefore, the game balls can be managed accurately because they are quickly collected in the foul ball collection path and properly processed.

(Solution A2)
In solution A1,
The firing rail check valve may be positioned above the end of the firing rail opposite the firing position to prevent backflow to the firing rail. This effectively prevents backflow to the firing rail.

(Solution A3)
In Solution A1 or Solution A2,
A valve opening and closing means capable of opening and closing the launch rail check valve,
The valve opening/closing means is
opening the launch rail check valve to open the launch path before the game ball launched from the launch position of the launch rail collides with the launch rail check valve;
After the game ball shot from the shooting position of the shooting rail passes through the shooting rail check valve, the shooting rail check valve may be closed to close the shooting path.
According to such a game machine, since the launch rail check valve does not come into contact with the game ball immediately after being launched, there is no risk of affecting the trajectory or momentum of the launched game ball. Since the game balls do not collide immediately after being shot, there is no need to frequently replace them.

(Solution A4)
In solution A3,
The ball shooting means comprises a shooting hammer having a hitting part at its tip,
The firing rail check valve may be integral with the firing hammer.
According to such a game machine, since the firing hammer and the firing rail check valve operate together, the firing hammer serves as valve opening/closing means for the firing rail check valve. Therefore, there is no need to separately provide a valve opening/closing means, and extra component costs and complicated control are unnecessary.

(Solution A5)
In solution A4,
The shooting hammer of the ball shooting means may be formed so as to be swingable about a driving shaft, and the shooting rail check valve may be provided on the opposite side of the hitting portion with the driving shaft interposed therebetween. .
According to such a game machine, it is possible to provide a launch rail check valve that operates simply and reliably.

(Solution A6)
In solution A3,
The ball shooting means comprises a shooting hammer having a hitting part at its tip,
The firing rail non-return valve may be formed separately from the firing hammer and operatively connected to the firing hammer.
According to such a game machine, since the distance between the striking portion of the firing hammer and the firing rail check valve can be increased, it is possible to flexibly cope with a long firing rail.

[3-2. Solution B]
(Solution B1)
a game area in which games are played with game balls;
a ball shooting means capable of shooting a game ball toward the game area;
a circulation path for collecting the game balls shot by the ball shooting means and supplying them to the ball shooting means again;
A game machine in which a ball held by a player is converted into data and a game ball can be shot by the ball shooting means based on the data of the held ball,
The ball launching means is
a launch rail for launching game balls;
a ball supply unit capable of supplying game balls to the launch position of the launch rail;
a shooting ball sensor capable of detecting a game ball at the shooting position of the shooting rail;
a firing hammer for firing the game ball in the firing position;
The gaming machine is characterized in that when the shooting ball sensor detects the game ball at the shooting position, the shooting hammer can be operated without the ball supplying operation by the ball supplying section.
According to such a game machine, even if the striking force of the ball shooting means is drastically reduced due to, for example, a momentary voltage drop or the like, and the game ball remains on the shooting rail due to such a failure, the game ball is detected by the shooting ball sensor. , the shooting hammer can be operated without the ball supplying operation by the ball supplying section, so that the game balls can be reliably shot one by one. Therefore, management of game balls is facilitated.
(Solution B2)
In solution B1,
The ball supply unit of the ball launching means has a ball feeding member capable of feeding game balls one by one to the launching position,
The game ball detected by the shot ball sensor may be shot after "1" is subtracted from the held ball data by the ball sending operation of the ball sending member for one game ball.
According to such a game machine, the ball feeding operation of the ball feeding member that operates relatively stably subtracts "1" from the data of the held ball, and then the game ball detected by the ball sensor is fired. Therefore, it is easy to manage the game balls.
(Solution B3)
In solution B2,
The ball feeding operation of the ball feeding member for one game ball may be detected by an entrance-side ball sensor provided in a supply passage connected to the entrance side of the ball feeding member.
According to such a game machine, since the distance from the mechanical driving unit for firing to the sensor can be increased, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection due to vibration of the firing motion.

[3-3. Solution C]
(Solution C1)
a game area in which games are played with game balls;
a launch guideway leading to the play area;
ball shooting means capable of shooting a game ball into the game area through the shooting guide path;
a foul ball recovery path connected between the launch rail of the ball launching means and the launch guide path, and capable of recovering a game ball flowing backward through the launch guide path or a game ball not reaching the launch guide path;
a circulation path for collecting the game balls shot by the ball shooting means and supplying them to the ball shooting means again;
A gaming machine in which a player's ball is converted into data and a game ball can be shot by the ball shooting means based on the data of the ball held by the player,
The foul ball recovery path is
a foul passage through which the collected game balls pass;
a foul ball sensor for detecting a game ball passing through the foul passage;
and a foul ball stopping means capable of stopping the game ball,
The foul ball stopping means passes the game ball passing through the foul passage part in an energized state, and stops the game ball upstream from the detection point of the foul ball sensor when the energized state changes to the non-energized state. A gaming machine characterized by being a thing.
According to such a game machine, when a power failure occurs just before the game ball is detected by the foul ball sensor during operation, the foul ball stopping means, which has changed to a non-energized state due to the power failure, stops the game ball. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the problem that a game ball that should be added (returned) to the player's possession is recovered without being counted.
When the electric power is restored after the power failure is restored, the foul ball retaining means stops the game ball, so that the game ball is normally detected by the foul ball sensor and recovered to the circulation path. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the player will be disadvantaged by the power failure, and it is also possible to reduce the possibility that the management of the game balls will be disturbed due to the power failure.
(Solution C2)
In solution C1,
The foul ball retaining means is an electrically operated valve capable of opening and closing the foul passage, and may open the foul passage when energized and close the foul passage when de-energized.
In such a game machine, an electric valve that requires electric power as a prerequisite for operation forms the foul ball stopping means, so that it is possible to quickly react to a power failure without requiring complicated control.
(Solution C3)
In solution C1,
The foul ball retaining means is an electric transfer member that transfers the game ball in the foul path portion. When energized, the electric transfer member operates to transfer the game ball to the foul ball sensor, and when de-energized, the electric transfer member. A member may stop and stop a game ball.
In such a game machine, since the game ball in the foul path portion is transferred to the foul ball sensor by energizing the electric transfer member, the electric transfer member stops the transfer of the game ball due to a power failure. . Then, when the electricity is restored after the power failure is restored, the operation of the electric transfer member is resumed, so that the power failure can be reacted quickly without requiring complicated control.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.
For example, in the embodiment, the shooting hammer 22 has a swing structure so as to shoot the game ball, but it may have a linear structure in which a solenoid plunger that reciprocates linearly shoots the game ball. And, this linear structure firing hammer 22 has [2-2-4-2. Firing rail check valve (2)] and the firing hammer 22 described with reference to FIGS.
Moreover, in the embodiment, all of the enclosed game balls are made of non-magnetic stainless steel. Therefore, although all the sensors are optical photosensors, a sensor capable of detecting magnetic game balls is placed in an arbitrary portion of the supply passage 64, for example, where all the game balls pass in the middle of the circulation path. At least one proximity switch (for example, a flat-type proximity switch that detects a game ball as a metal body by a change in impedance of a detection coil of a high-frequency oscillator circuit) may be provided. By doing so, even if a game ball made of steel is thrown into the circulation path for the purpose of cheating using a magnet, the cheating can be easily detected.

1 pachinko machine 1w outer frame 2 main body frame 3 door frame 4 game board 5 game area 7 handle 8 guide rail 8a launch guideway 10 operation panel portion 11 ball lending button 12 checkout button 13 remaining number display portion 14 game machine possession number display Part 15 Information display part 18 Storage opening 19 Out port 20 Ball launching device (ball launching means)
21 firing rail 22 firing hammer (valve opening/closing means)
22a arm portion 22b striking portion 22c valve arm 23 firing solenoid (valve opening/closing means)
23a Drive shaft 24 Launch ball sensor 32 Foul ball recovery path 36 Supply port 38 Foul ball recovery port 40 Out-safe ball detection switch 41 Foul ball sensor 44 Launch rail check valve 45 Ball supply unit 47 Supply solenoid 50 Inlet side ball sensor 60 Elastic stopper 61 Ball stop piece 63 Ball feeding member 64 Supply passage 65 Ball receiver 65a Ball stop projection 65b Inclined bottom 66 Foul passage 67 Slide rail 68a Electric valve (Foul ball stopping means)
68b Electric transfer member (foul ball stopping means)
80 Launch base frame 100 Main control board 110 Game ball management control board 120 Peripheral control board 130 Power supply board 144 External terminal board 200 Card unit machine

Claims (1)

a game area in which games are played with game balls;
a launch guideway leading to the play area;
ball shooting means capable of shooting a game ball into the game area through the shooting guide path;
an out-safe ball recovery path for recovering game balls that have entered the game area;
a foul ball recovery path connected between the launch rail of the ball launching means and the launch guide path, and capable of recovering a game ball flowing backward through the launch guide path or a game ball not reaching the launch guide path as a foul ball ; ,
a circulation path having at least the out-safe ball recovery path and the foul ball recovery path, and recovering game balls shot by the ball shooting means and supplying them to the ball shooting means again;
A game machine in which a player can arbitrarily digitize a ball that can be used in a game and shoot a game ball by the ball shooting means based on the data of the ball,
The foul ball recovery path is
a foul passage through which the collected foul ball passes;
a foul ball sensor for detecting foul balls passing through the foul passage and adding the number of the foul balls to the ball data ;
and a foul ball stopping means capable of stopping the game ball,
The foul ball retaining means passes the foul ball passing through the foul ball passage portion in an energized state, and retains the foul ball upstream from the detection point of the foul ball sensor when the energized state changes to the non-energized state. A gaming machine characterized in that it is a machine that allows

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