JP7347863B2 - aligned gutter - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an alignment gutter that is installed in a supply gutter that allows game balls to flow down toward various game devices including game machines on a game machine island, and supplies the game balls flowing down the replenishment gutter to the various game devices.

In conventional game machine islands, in order to supply game balls to various game devices such as pachinko machines and inter-machine ball rental machines, game balls are flowed down to the top of the various game devices using a supply gutter installed inside the upper part of the island. let Then, the game balls are aligned and supplied to various game machines by an alignment gutter installed in the middle of the supply gutter.

Here, inside the upper part of the game machine island, in addition to the above-mentioned supply gutter and alignment gutter, equipment such as a computer information relay machine, a transformer, and a call lamp are arranged. In addition, various signal lines and power supply wiring (100V, 200V, 24V wiring, transformers, etc.) that connect to these equipment and various gaming machines, as well as ducts for storing wiring, etc., are arranged inside the upper part of the island. (For example, see Patent Document 1). In this way, inside the upper part of the island, various gaming machines, equipment, and wiring are placed in close proximity to each other.

By the way, when performing equipment maintenance inside the upper part of the gaming machine island, it is difficult to secure sufficient work space due to the arrangement of the equipment as described above, and in reality, it is difficult to maintain the equipment from the worker's wrist. The tip is just inside the island. Therefore, maintenance work that requires complex movements or a certain amount of force must be handled with care so as not to affect other equipment or equipment (for example, do not pull the wires, (Take care not to subject it to shock, etc.)

Furthermore, when performing maintenance on a pachinko machine or an inter-machine ball rental machine, it may not be possible to perform maintenance while the game balls are flowing. Therefore, the alignment gutter was provided with a ball stopping mechanism to stop the discharge of game balls. As a ball stopping mechanism, a stopper rotatably provided on the bottom of an alignment gutter is known (for example, see Patent Document 2). When such a stopper is rotated upward, the protruding piece enters inside through the hole in the bottom of the alignment gutter and blocks the game balls, while when rotated downward, the protruding piece moves outward from the bottom of the alignment gutter. Come out and let the game ball flow down.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-113456 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-104042

However, in the conventional ball stopping mechanism described above, since the stopper is provided on the bottom of the alignment gutter, it is usually a blind spot from the front, which is the direction in which the inside of the upper stage of the island can be approached from the outside of the game machine island. Therefore, when performing maintenance, it is not only difficult to determine the position of the stopper, but also the rotational state of the stopper, which causes problems in that it takes time and effort to stop the ball.

Further, even if the position of the stopper in the alignment gutter is known, the bottom side of the alignment gutter where the stopper is located is generally a difficult place to operate within the limited space inside the upper island. In particular, it is extremely difficult to perform ball-stopping operations in locations where there is not enough work space to reach the bottom side of the alignment gutter due to the arrangement with other devices inside the upper island. There was a problem.

The present invention has been made by focusing on the problems of the conventional technology as described above, and it is possible to change the falling state of game balls from outside the game machine island even within the limited space inside the game machine island. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an alignment gutter that can be easily operated, its operating position and status can be easily confirmed, and can improve work efficiency when performing maintenance.

The gist of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned object resides in the following invention.
It is installed in a supply gutter (5) that allows game balls to flow down towards various gaming devices including gaming machines (2) on the gaming machine island (1), and the game balls flowing down the supply gutter (5) are directed to various gaming devices. In the alignment gutter (10) that supplies
a ball path (11) that allows the game balls received from the supply gutter (5) to flow down in an aligned state; a ball regulation member (20) that changes the flowing state of the game balls on the ball path (11);
a ball alignment member (30) to which the ball regulation member (20) is attached, which is disposed above the downstream side of the ball path (11), and for aligning game balls in a line ;
A ball leveling member disposed above the upstream side of the ball alignment member (30) on the downstream side of the ball path (11), for leveling game balls stacked in multiple stages on the ball path (11) into one level. (40) and,
The ball leveling member (40) is provided so as to be able to swing in the downward direction of the game ball or in the opposite direction while facing the inside of the ball path (11) from above,
An alignment gutter (10) characterized in that the ball alignment member (30) is provided with a swing regulating portion (35) for regulating a swing range of the ball leveling member (40) in the downstream direction.

They are a front view (a) showing a state in which a ball regulating member is at a stop position in an alignment gutter according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a side view (b) of an excerpted ball regulating member. A front view (a) showing a state in which the ball regulating member is in the middle of rotation in the alignment gutter according to the embodiment of the present invention, an excerpted side view (b) of the ball regulating member, and an enlarged view of the main part of the ball regulating member It is a side view (c). They are a front view (a) showing a state in which a ball regulating member is in a downstream position in an alignment gutter according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a side view (b) of an extracted ball regulating member. FIG. 3 is a front view showing a state in which the ball leveling member is held by the swing regulating portion in the alignment gutter according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the alignment gutter according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the alignment gutter according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the alignment gutter according to the embodiment of the present invention viewed from above at another angle. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the alignment gutter according to the embodiment of the present invention viewed from below at another angle. FIG. 2 is a front view showing an alignment gutter according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an alignment gutter according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a right side view showing an alignment gutter according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a rear view showing an alignment gutter according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ball regulating member of the alignment gutter according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ball regulating member of the alignment gutter according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below. It is a front view showing the ball regulation member of the alignment gutter concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a left side view showing the ball regulation member of the alignment gutter concerning an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a right side view showing the ball regulating member of the alignment gutter according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view which shows the ball regulation member of the alignment gutter based on embodiment of this invention. It is a bottom view showing the ball regulation member of the alignment gutter concerning an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the ball regulating member of the alignment gutter is supported according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ball alignment member of the alignment gutter according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the ball alignment member of the alignment gutter according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below. It is a front view showing the ball alignment member of the alignment gutter concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a left side view showing a ball alignment member of an alignment gutter concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a right side view showing the ball alignment member of the alignment gutter concerning an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a ball alignment member of an alignment gutter according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a bottom view showing the ball alignment member of the alignment gutter according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a holding portion that constitutes a ball alignment member of an alignment gutter according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a holding portion constituting the ball alignment member of the alignment gutter according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below. It is a perspective view showing the attachment shaft which supports the sphere leveling member of the alignment gutter concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view showing the sphere leveling member of the alignment gutter according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view showing the installation position of the alignment gutter in the gaming machine island according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the installation positions of other devices in the gaming machine island according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a vertical end view showing the inside of the gaming machine island according to the embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Representative embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.
1 to 34 show one embodiment of the present invention.
The alignment gutter 10 according to the present embodiment is installed in the supply gutter 5 that allows game balls to flow down toward various gaming devices including the game machine 2 on the game machine island 1, and aligns the game balls flowing down the supply gutter 5. It is supplied to various gaming machines in a state in which the

<Overview of Game Machine Island 1>
First, an overview of gaming machine island 1 will be explained.
As shown in FIGS. 32 to 34, the gaming machine island 1 is made up of a plurality of gaming machines 2 arranged side by side in the middle of the island of a frame serving as an island frame. The gaming machine 2 is, for example, a pachinko machine that allows players to enjoy winning by shooting game balls onto a board. In the gaming machine island 1, the gaming machines 2 are generally arranged in two rows, back to back, front and back, but the gaming machines 2 may be arranged in one row on one side. Moreover, between each game machine 2, an inter-machine ball rental machine 3 for renting out game balls is arranged.

In the game machine island 1, an upper tank 4 for storing game balls inside the upper part of the island is disposed at one location above the game machine 2. In addition, a supply gutter 5 is disposed above the gaming machine 2 in the longitudinal direction of the island to allow the game balls in the upper tank 4 to flow down toward various gaming devices such as the gaming machine 2 and the inter-machine ball rental machine 3. There is. The supply gutter 5 will be described later together with the alignment gutter 10. Note that, although not shown in the drawings, below the gaming machines 2, there is provided a lower tank or the like for storing game balls collected from each gaming machine 2 inside the lower part of the island. The game balls in the lower tank are lifted to the upper tank 4 by a lifting device installed inside the island, thereby forming a circulation path for game balls inside the island.

Further, inside the upper part of the gaming machine island 1, as explained in [Background Art], a computer information relay machine 6, a transformer 7, etc. are arranged. As shown in FIG. 34, these equipments are located near the front of the gaming machine 2 on both sides of the supply gutter 5 that passes approximately at the center in the width (depth) direction of the inside of the upper island, that is, on both sides of the gaming machine island 1. placed in position. A curtain plate 8 is provided on the outer side of the upper part of the island so that it can be opened and closed, and while the interior of the upper part of the island is covered by closing the curtain plate 8, the curtain plate 8 is opened during maintenance work. Further, below the curtain plate 8 and above the gaming machines 2, a call lamp 9 corresponding to each gaming machine 2 is arranged.

<Configuration of supply gutter 5>
Next, the supply gutter 5 will be explained.
As shown in FIGS. 32 and 34, the supply gutter 5 is arranged so as to be inclined downward from the bottom of the upper tank 4 on one end side toward the island end on the one end side of the game machine island 1 inside the upper stage of the island. has been done. As described above, the supply gutter 5 is disposed so as to pass approximately through the center of the upper island in the width (depth) direction.

The supply gutter 5 consists of a bottom wall with a predetermined width extending linearly in the longitudinal direction of the island, and both side walls erected at a predetermined height along both side edges of the bottom wall. Although not shown, game balls that flow down due to their own weight due to the slope of the supply gutter 5 are placed at the corners on both sides of the bottom wall of the supply gutter 5, corresponding to each game machine 2 and the inter-machine ball rental machine 3. There is a drop port for dropping. An alignment gutter 10 is installed at each drop opening, and game balls are supplied to each gaming machine 2 etc. via the alignment gutter 10.

<Configuration of alignment gutter 10>
Next, the alignment gutter 10, which forms the basis of the present invention, will be explained.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 12, the alignment gutter 10 has a ball path 11 through which the game balls received from the supply gutter 5 flow down in a lined-up state, and a flowing state of the game balls on the ball path 11. A ball regulating member 20 that changes the ball regulation member 20 is provided. Here, the ball path 11 is formed in the gutter body 10a, and more specifically, it is formed by a bottom wall 12 extending in the longitudinal direction of the gutter body 10a, and a front wall 13 and a rear wall standing up along both front and rear sides of the bottom wall 12. It is a groove-shaped space surrounded by 14.

The ball path 11 slopes downward from the upstream end to the downstream end, and the width of the ball path 11 is set to be slightly wider than the diameter of the game ball. One end wall 15 stands up from both ends of the bottom wall 12 at the upstream end of the ball path 11, and the other end wall 16 stands up from the downstream end of the ball path. A tubular ball outlet 17 extending downward is provided at the downstream end of the ball path 11 in front of the other end wall 16.

The ball outlet 17 is connected to a game device such as the game machine 2 via a bendable pipe member 17b (see FIG. 34) called a bellows. As a result, the game balls discharged from the ball outlet 17 in a line-up state are directly supplied to the game machine 2 and the like through the pipe member 17b. Additionally, a plurality of openings 12a are provided along the corners of the bottom wall 12 of the ball path 11 and the front and rear walls 13 and 14 of the bottom wall 12 to allow foreign matter such as dust that has entered the ball path 11 to fall. ing.

In approximately the upstream half of the ball path 11, the back wall 14 is cut out to a height halfway from the upper edge, and a ball receiving piece 18 extending outward is extended from this cut end. The ball receiving piece 18 corresponds to the drop opening in the bottom wall of the supply gutter 5 and serves as a part for receiving game balls falling from the supply gutter 5. In the alignment gutter 10, in addition to the gutter body 10a, which is the main part thereof, each of the constituent parts, which will be described in detail below, is preferably made of transparent synthetic resin in consideration of internal transparency. In each figure, some components may be shown transparently.

In the gaming machine island 1 according to the present embodiment, the gaming machines 2 are arranged in two rows, front and back, back to back, so the alignment gutter 10 is installed on both the left and right sides of the supply gutter 5 to correspond to each row of gaming machines. . Therefore, there are two types of alignment gutter 10, one installed on the right side of the supply gutter 5 and one installed on the left side of the replenishment gutter 5, and both are configured to be symmetrical with respect to each other with the replenishment gutter 5 in between. . Hereinafter, in this embodiment, one alignment gutter 10 will be described as a representative. In addition, in any of the left-right symmetrical alignment gutter 10, the front wall 13 is disposed in front of the side wall on the near side for each row of gaming machines on both sides of the supply gutter 5, and the fall of the lower part of the side wall is prevented. The ball receiving piece 18 is installed in a state that matches the mouth.

<Configuration of ball regulating member 20>
Next, the ball regulating member 20 that constitutes the alignment gutter 10 will be explained.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the ball regulating member 20 changes the flowing state of the game ball on the ball path 11, and is provided above the downstream end of the ball path 11. Here, "changing the flowing state" corresponds to stopping the flowing down of the game ball, or decelerating the flowing speed of the game ball, etc. with respect to the normal flowing state of the game ball. In this embodiment, changes in two states, the normal falling state of the game ball and the state where the flowing down of the game ball is stopped, will be mainly explained.

As shown in FIGS. 13 to 20, the ball regulating member 20 includes an operating section 21 that is operated to change the falling state of the game ball on the ball path 11, and a ball regulating member 20 that is operated in conjunction with the operation of the operating section 21 to control the ball path. It has a regulating part 22 that regulates the flow of game balls above 11. The operating section 21 is arranged on a wall surface of each of the wall surfaces 12 to 16 constituting the ball path 11 that faces a direction accessible from the outside of the gaming machine island 1 during operation. Here, the wall surface on which the operation unit 21 is arranged is the front (operator side) which is the direction accessible from the outside of the game machine island 1 with the alignment gutter 10 installed in the supply gutter 5 inside the game machine island 1. This corresponds to the front wall 13 facing the front wall.

Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the operating section 21 is disposed on the front wall 13 of the gutter body 10a surrounding the ball path 11, and protrudes outward from the front wall 13. By operating the operating section 21, the regulating section 22 is respectively displaced to a downstream position where the game balls on the ball path 11 are allowed to flow down, and a stop position where the game balls on the ball path 11 are stopped from flowing down. As mentioned above, in the gaming machine island 1, the gaming machines 2 are lined up in two rows, front and back, back to back, so the front (worker side), which is the direction accessible from the outside, in one row of gaming machines is It will be at the rear of the aircraft line.

The ball regulating member 20 has a rotating shaft portion 23 that is rotatably supported in a horizontal state orthogonal to the downward direction of the game ball above the downstream end of the ball path 11. The rotation shaft portion 23 is rotatably supported by a ball alignment member 30, which will be described later, and the ball regulation member 20 is attached to the gutter body 10a via the ball alignment member 30. The operating section 21 and the regulating section 22 are integrally provided with the rotating shaft section 23, and as the rotating shaft section 23 rotates, the operating section 21 and the regulating section 22 also rotate in synchronization.

To be more specific, the regulating portion 22 branches downward from both sides of the rotating shaft portion 23 in a bifurcated shape and extends into a pair of branch portions 221a and 221b (hereinafter, when the branch portions 221a and 221b are collectively referred to as each branch portion, 221). As shown in FIG. 1, the state in which the regulating portion 22 hangs down from the rotating shaft portion 23 and the lower end of each branch portion 221 engages with a game ball on the ball path 11 corresponds to the stop position of the ball regulating member 20. do. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the regulating portion 22 rotates upward (approximately 45 degrees) in the downstream direction from the rotating shaft portion 23, so that the lower end of each branch portion 221 does not engage the game ball on the ball path 11. This state corresponds to the downstream position of the ball regulating member 20.

As shown in FIG. 1(b), when the regulating portion 22 is at the stop position, the lower end of each branch portion 221 is set to engage with the upper side of the game ball on the ball path 11 from both sides. . Here, the lower end of each branch portion 221 is formed as an inclined end 222 that extends obliquely upward toward the center from the outer end to the inner end. Further, on the side where the game ball comes into contact with each branch portion 221, a rib 223 that extends in the longitudinal direction and comes into contact with the game ball is provided. It is sufficient to provide the ribs 223 only on the side of each branch portion 221 that the game ball hits, but in this embodiment, similar ribs 223 are provided in advance on the side of each branch portion 221 that the game ball does not hit. The ball regulating member 20 is formed laterally symmetrically.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 13 to 16, the inclined end 222 of each branch portion 221 is further provided with a taper on both front and rear sides thereof, which inclines from a slightly upper side toward the center of the front and back of the lower end. A part 224 (blacked out part in FIG. 20) of the inclined end surface of the rib 223 included in this taper becomes a part that comes into direct contact with the game ball. According to the inclined end 222 of each branch part 221, the area that comes into contact with the game ball is small, so if the ball swings upward at a slight angle from the hanging stop position toward the downstream position (see FIG. 2), Engagement with the game ball is avoided. Further, when the inclined end 222 engages with the game ball at the stop position, only a part 224 of the inclined end surface of the rib 223 contacts the game ball in as narrow an area as possible.

As shown in FIG. 20, the operating portion 21 of the ball regulating member 20 is operated from above the outer end (one side end) of the regulating portion 22, that is, from above the outer end of one branch portion 221a, across the front wall 13. It is formed to protrude downward along the outside of the front wall 13. Specifically, the operating section 21 is formed into a plate shape that is aligned on the same plane as the reference plane of the regulating section 22, and protrudes outward in a state perpendicular to the front wall 13. Therefore, the operation section 21 can be easily touched from the front side of the front wall 13, and can be rotated around the rotation shaft section 23.

The front wall 13 over which the operating section 21 straddles has a groove 13a cut out downward from its upper edge. The upper end side of the operating portion 21 is guided by the groove 13a during rotation operation in a state where interference with the front wall 13 is avoided. Here, the ball regulating member 20 is arranged to sandwich the front wall 13 in a gap 225 between the inner side of the operating portion 21 and the outer end of one branch portion 221a. Further, in the ball regulating member 20, the rotation shaft portion 23 is rotatably supported by a ball alignment member 30, which will be described later, and each branch portion 221a, 221b of the regulating portion 22 is connected to the front wall 13 and the back surface on the ball path 11. It is arranged between the wall 14 and the wall 14.

According to such a supported state of the ball regulating member 20, the frictional force between the outer end of the regulating part 22 and the inner side of the front wall 13 which are in contact with each other, and the frictional force between the inner side of the operating part 21 and the front wall 13 which are in contact with each other are generated. Although it is possible to maintain the rotational position of the ball regulating member 20 by the frictional force between the ball regulating member 20 and the outside, there is a risk that the ball regulating member 20 may rotate unexpectedly if a load that exceeds the frictional force is applied. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the engaging portion 226 provided on either the outer end of the regulating portion 22 or the inner side of the front wall 13 is engaged with or disengaged from the engaged portions 19a, 19b provided on the other. Accordingly, the ball regulating member 20 is configured to be movable to and held at a stop position or a downstream position.

That is, at the outer end of the branched portion 221a of the regulating portion 22, an engaging portion 226 is provided as a hemispherical projection. On the other hand, the front wall 13 is provided with engaged parts 19a and 19b, which are two small holes with which the engaging part 226 engages at respective positions when the branching part 221a is in the stop position or the downstream position. It is being The gutter body 10a including the front wall 13 and the ball regulating member 20 are both made of synthetic resin, and can be elastically deformed to a certain extent. , the engaging portion 226 can elastically engage and disengage from the engaged portions 19a and 19b. In addition, as a reverse embodiment, one engaged part 19, which is a small hole, may be provided in the regulating part 22, while two engaging parts 226, which are protrusions, may be provided in the front wall 13.

<Configuration of sphere alignment member 30>
As shown in FIG. 1, a ball alignment member 30 is disposed above the downstream side of the ball path 11. The ball alignment member 30 gradually aligns game balls that are about to rise to two or more levels on the ball path 11 in a line. The ball alignment member 30 includes a guide piece 31 that faces the inside of the ball path 11 from above and guides the game balls in a line, and an upper surface part 32 that extends horizontally to the upper end of the guide piece 31. The guide piece 31 is interposed between the front wall 13 and the back wall 14 on the ball path 11, and the lower edge 31a facing the bottom wall 12 moves downward from one end (upstream) side to the other end (downstream) side. It is a curved part that aligns the game balls in a line and guides them to the ball outlet 17.

The upper surface part 32 is a part that extends horizontally to the upper end of the guide piece 31 and is fixed between the upper edges of the front wall 13 and the rear wall 14 of the ball path 11. On the downstream side of the front wall 13 and the rear wall 14 where the ball alignment member 30 is disposed, the upper end edge of each side wall is cut out to a lower position in a stepped manner to form a recessed step, and the upper end edge of the recessed step The upper surface portion 32 is placed between them. As shown in FIGS. 21 to 27, a bearing portion 33 that rotatably supports the rotating shaft portion 23 of the ball regulating member 20 is provided approximately at the center of the upper surface portion 32. As shown in FIGS.

In the bearing part 33, the upper surface part 32 is notched in both directions only at this part, and the rotating shaft part 23 is rotatably fitted into the upper end of the guide piece 31 exposed below the center of this notch. A groove with a circular cross section is formed. Therefore, in the ball regulating member 20, the rotary shaft portion 23 is rotatably supported by the bearing portion 33 of the ball alignment member 30, with each branch portion 221 of the regulating portion 22 straddling the bearing portion 33.

As shown in FIG. 22, a plurality of reinforcing ribs 34 are provided at the corners of the joint between both sides of the upper end of the guide piece 31 and the lower surface side of the upper surface portion 32. As shown in FIG. Of these ribs 34, a rib 34a located immediately beside the bearing portion 33 serves as a stopper to prevent the ball regulating member 20 from rotating upstream from the stop position. Further, on one end (upstream) side of the upper surface portion 32, a swing regulating portion 35 that regulates the swing range of a ball leveling member 40, which will be described later, is integrally provided. This swing regulating portion 35 will be described later.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, a separate holding part 36 is retrofitted on the upper side of the upper surface part 32 so as to cover the rotating shaft part 23 of the ball regulating member 20 fitted in the bearing part 33. . Thereby, the rotating shaft portion 23 is surrounded so as not to come off from the ball alignment member 30. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 28 and 29, the holding portion 36 includes a rectangular lower surface portion 37 having a size that covers the upper side of the upper surface portion 32, and a rectangular lower surface portion 37 that stands perpendicularly from one end edge of the lower surface portion 37. It consists of a vertical wall portion 38. A right isosceles triangular reinforcing piece 39 is integrally provided at both ends of the lower surface part 37 and the vertical wall part 38, and extends between the edges thereof.

The holding part 36 is fixed to the upper surface part 32 of the ball alignment member 30 and is designed so that the vertical wall part 38 is aligned on the same plane as the back wall 14 of the ball path 11. This standing wall portion 38 serves as a bracket for fixing the alignment gutter 10 to the side wall of the supply gutter 5. Approximately at the center of the vertical wall portion 38, a mounting hole 38a is provided through which a clip 50, which is a means for fixing to the side wall of the supply gutter 5, is inserted.

A supporting piece 37a that surrounds the upper surface part 32 from the outside is provided around the lower surface part 37 and projects downward. The inside of each support piece 37a is provided with a projection 37b that fits into a small hole on the outside of the front wall 13 and back wall 14 of the ball path 11 on which the upper surface portion 32 is placed, respectively. Therefore, by pressing the upper surface part 32 with the presser part 36 covered, each support piece 37a is elastically deformed and opens outward, climbing over the outside of the front wall 13 and the back wall 14 and entering the small hole. They are fitted and fixed.

Further, a rear surface portion 31b is provided so as to be continuous along the rear end of the guide piece 31 that hangs down from the upper surface portion 32. The rear surface portion 31b is exposed to the outside of the other end wall 16 when the ball alignment member 30 is attached to the recessed step portion on the downstream side of the ball path 11. The other end wall 16 is provided with a vertical groove into which the rear end of the guide piece 31 connected to the rear surface portion 31b is inserted to expose the rear surface portion 31b to the outside of the other end wall 16.

<Configuration of sphere leveling member 40>
As shown in FIG. 1, a ball leveling member 40 is disposed above the ball aligning member 30 on the downstream side of the ball path 11 and in front of the ball aligning member 30. As shown in FIG. The ball leveling member 40 is for leveling the game balls stacked in multiple stages on the ball path 11 into one level. The ball leveling member 40 is provided between the front wall 13 and the back wall 14 of the ball path 11 so as to be able to swing in the downward direction of the game ball or in the opposite direction while facing the inside of the ball path 11 from above. ing.

To be more specific, the ball leveling member 40 is composed of a pendulum 41 whose outer periphery that contacts the game ball has a cylindrical surface. The pendulum 41 is pivotally supported between the front wall 13 and the rear wall 14 of the ball path 11 via a mounting shaft 43 that passes horizontally through the upper portion of the pendulum 41 . The pendulum 41 is arranged so as to swing at a position where it comes into contact with a game ball in the second or higher layer among the game balls stacked in multiple stages on the ball path 11. A metal weight 42 having a heavy specific gravity is housed in a lower portion of the pendulum 41 eccentrically opposite to the mounting shaft 43 so that the center of gravity is significantly biased toward the lower side.

As shown in FIGS. 30 and 31, the mounting shaft 43, which is the center of swing of the pendulum 41, has a flange-like flat disk-shaped head 45 provided at the base end of a cylindrical shaft portion 44. There is. Furthermore, a clip portion 46 that can be expanded by elastic deformation is provided at the tip of the shaft portion 44 . As shown in FIG. 10, the clip portion 46 is fitted into a small hole in the front wall 13 of the ball path 11. Here, the length of the narrow diameter portion on the distal end side of the shaft portion 44 following the clip portion 46 matches the thickness of the front wall 13.

The base end side of the shaft portion 44 fits into a small hole in the back wall 14 of the ball path 11, and the disk-shaped head 45 is located on the outside of the back wall 14 to prevent it from coming off. A circular groove into which the head 45 is inserted is provided around the small hole in the back wall 14. By fitting the head 45 into this groove, the outer surface of the head 45 is designed to be aligned on the same plane as the outer reference surface of the rear wall 14, and when fixed to the side wall of the supply gutter 5. can be brought into close contact with

Furthermore, when the ball leveling member 40 swings, it is necessary to restrict the range of its swing in order to reliably prevent the upper layer of game balls from advancing. Therefore, a swing regulating section 35 is provided for regulating the swinging range of the ball leveling member 40, particularly in the downstream direction, and this swing regulating section 35 is provided integrally with the ball aligning member 30. That is, as shown in FIG. 22, at one end side of the upper surface portion 32 of the ball alignment member 30, a swing regulating portion 35 is provided erected upward.

The swing regulating portion 35 is arranged at a position facing the pendulum 41 from the downstream side. On the side of the swing regulating portion 35 facing the upstream side of the ball path 11, there is formed a bent surface that faces the downstream half of the outer periphery of the pendulum 41 and surrounds the pendulum 41 at a distance. As shown in FIG. 4, a surface of the curved surface of the swing regulating portion 35 that slopes downward on the upper end side is a regulating surface 35a that comes into contact when the ball leveling member 40 swings to a predetermined angle in the downstream direction. It becomes.

The swing regulating portion 35, including its regulating surface 35a, is integrally molded from synthetic resin as a part of the ball alignment member 30, and is capable of elastic deformation to some extent. Here, when the ball leveling member 40 contacts the regulating surface 35a with a pressing force equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the ball leveling member 40 is brought into contact with the regulating surface 35a due to the elastic deformation of the swing regulating portion 35. is set to be retained. Note that the predetermined angle at which the swinging of the ball leveling member 40 is regulated by the swinging regulating portion 35 is a design matter that can be determined as appropriate; , it is preferable to set it at an arbitrary angle of 180 degrees or less.

<Main function of alignment gutter 10>
Next, the function of the alignment gutter 10 will be explained.
In FIG. 32, the game balls flowing out from the upper tank 4 into the supply gutter 5 flow into the upstream side of each alignment gutter 10 from the drop openings at both ends of the replenishment gutter 5. The game balls flowing into the alignment gutter 10 either fall directly into the ball path 11 or once fall onto the ball receiving piece 18 and then flow into the ball path 11. The game balls received in the ball path 11 flow down by their own weight from the upstream end toward the downstream end according to the slope of the bottom wall 12.

As shown in FIG. 1, a ball leveling member 40 is arranged above the downstream side of the ball path 11, and the ball leveling member 40 smoothes the game balls that overlap in multiple stages in the ball path 11 into one level. . Further, a ball alignment member 30 is arranged immediately downstream of the ball leveling member 40, and the ball alignment member 30 aligns the game balls in a line so that they do not rise to two or more levels. By ensuring that the game balls are aligned in a line in this manner, they can be efficiently discharged from the ball outlet 17.

As shown in FIG. 34, the alignment gutter 10 (ball outlet 17 thereof) is connected to the gaming machine 2 and the inter-machine ball rental machine 3 via the pipe member 17b. Therefore, the game balls discharged from the ball outlet 17 are supplied to the game machine 2 and the like through the pipe member 17b as they are. In such an alignment gutter 10, the flowing state of the game balls on the ball path 11 can be changed by the ball regulating member 20. For example, when performing maintenance on the game machine 2 or the intermachine ball lending machine 3, it may not be possible to perform maintenance while game balls are being supplied.

When performing maintenance on various gaming machines, if the ball regulating member 20 in the alignment gutter 10 is used to stop the falling of gaming balls on the ball path 11, the supply of gaming balls to the various gaming machines can be stopped. . When the operating section 21 of the ball regulating member 20 is operated by an operator's hand, the regulating section 22 that is linked to the operation of the operating section 21 can regulate the falling of game balls on the ball path 11.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the operation part 21 of the ball regulating member 20 is arranged particularly on the front wall 13 among the wall surfaces 12 to 16 of the gutter body 10a surrounding the ball path 11, and is located on the front wall 13. It protrudes outward from 13. Here, the front wall 13 is a wall surface facing the front (worker side), which is a direction accessible from the outside of the game machine island 1 when the alignment gutter 10 is installed in the supply gutter 5 inside the game machine island 1. .

In FIG. 34, when performing maintenance on the gaming machine island 1, the worker opens the curtain plate 8 from the front side of the gaming machine island 1, which is the worker's side, and approaches the inside of the upper part of the island from the outside of the gaming machine island 1. You will have to put your hands in the work. Here, the supply gutter 5 and the alignment gutter 10 are arranged so as to pass approximately through the center of the gaming machine island 1 in the width (depth) direction. Therefore, in the alignment gutter 10, not only the back wall 14 but also the bottom wall 12 become a blind spot when viewed from the front, which is the direction accessible from the outside of the gaming machine island 1. If it is necessary to work on the bottom wall 12, the bottom wall 12 becomes a blind spot, and the user is forced to fumble around and perform the work inefficiently.

On the other hand, since the front wall 13 of the ball path 11 can be easily accessed and viewed from outside the gaming machine island 1, the operating section 21 of the ball regulating member 20 is arranged on this front wall 13. , project outward from the front wall 13. According to this arrangement of the operating section 21, the operating section 21 can be easily operated even in a narrow space inside the gaming machine island 1. Through a simple operation of the operation unit 21, the regulating unit 22 can be set to a downstream position where the game ball on the ball path 11 is allowed to flow down, and a stop position where the game ball on the ball path 11 is stopped from flowing down, as will be described in detail later. Displaced to.

When performing maintenance on the game machine island 1 as described above, when stopping the supply of game balls to various game machines, the location of the operation unit 21 is important from the viewpoint of work efficiency. Regarding the arrangement position of the operating part 21, not only the orientation of each wall surface 12 to 16 of the gutter body 10a but also the height position related to the height of the worker are important. For example, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's ``2013 National Health and Nutrition Survey Report'' (Part 2 Physical Condition Survey Results), approximately 70% of both men and women have a height in the range of 140 to 174 cm.

On the other hand, inside the upper island of the game machine island 1, the height at which each alignment gutter 10 is arranged varies slightly depending on the slope of the supply gutter 5, but it is usually within 160 to 190 cm. It is being It should be noted that the provision of the replenishment gutter 5 protruding outward from the game machine island 1 is not very convenient since the ceiling of the game machine island 1 is not flat, and it is also undesirable in terms of design, so it is not often done. Furthermore, maintenance requires a stepladder, which is not practical.

Further, on the front side inside the upper part of the island, a call lamp 9 and a wiring duct 9a are usually arranged at a height of about 150 to 170 cm. Therefore, inside the upper part of the island, a space at a height of 170 to 190 cm above the installation position of the call lamp 9, etc. becomes an effective space for work where the alignment gutter 10 can be easily approached from the front. . In this space with a vertical width and height of about 20 cm ([D] in Fig. 34), not only the supply gutter 5 and the alignment gutter 10, but also the computer information relay device 6, transformer 7, etc. are densely arranged. There is.

Therefore, it has not been easy to perform maintenance on the equipment and various gaming machines inside the upper part of the island, as there is only enough work space to fit the tip of the wrist. Furthermore, as described above, the supply gutter 5 and the alignment gutter 10 are located approximately at the center of the gaming machine island 1 in the width (depth) direction, so the supply gutter 5 is positioned downstream of the supply gutter 5 (on the left side in FIG. 32). In this case, the bottom surfaces of the supply gutter 5 and the alignment gutter 10 become blind spots when viewed from the operator. Furthermore, even on the upstream side of the supply gutter 5 (on the right side in FIG. 32), the replenishment gutter 5 and the alignment gutter 10 are often located behind other equipment, resulting in poor visibility.

The operation section 21 of the ball regulating member 20 is arranged on the front wall 13 of the ball path 11, taking into account the situation inside the upper island. As a result, even in a space with a limited height, which is usually 170 to 190 cm out of the total height of the game machine island 1, and even in situations where other equipment is densely arranged, the operator can use the ball regulating member. The position and status of the operating section 21 of 20 can be easily checked, and the operation can be easily performed with just a fingertip. Therefore, the user is not forced to perform inefficient work while fumbling around, and there is no risk of damage to the operating section 21 due to erroneous operation.

<Regulation of falling game balls by alignment gutter 10>
In the alignment gutter 10 , the ball regulating member 20 is rotatably supported by a rotating shaft portion 23 above and in front of the downstream end of the ball path 11 . The regulating portion 22 of the ball regulating member 20 extends downward from the rotating shaft portion 23 . Further, the operating portion 21 of the ball regulating member 20 is operated from above the outer end of one branch portion 221a of the regulating portion 22, straddling the upper edge of the front wall 13 of the ball path 11, and extending along the outer side of the front wall 13. It protrudes downward. As a result, the restricting part 22 can be rotated from the downstream position to the stop position by a simple operation of placing a finger on the operating part 21 and rotating it around the rotating shaft part 23.

Furthermore, since the operating section 21 is located outside the front wall 13, even if a large load is applied to the operating section 21 and it breaks (breaks), the damaged operating section 21 will not fall into the ball path 11. , it is possible to prevent the situation in which the liquid remains in the alignment gutter 10. Furthermore, since the rotating shaft section 23 is supported by the bearing section 33 in the ball alignment member 30 and covered by the holding section 36 from above, even if the operating section 21 is damaged (broken), the rotating shaft section 23 and the regulating portion 22 are kept supported above the ball path 11 by the ball alignment member 30. In this way, since the regulating portion 22 of the ball regulating member 20 is also supported by the rotating shaft portion 23, it does not fall into the ball path 11 and remain there.

As shown in FIG. 20, according to the above-described support state of the ball regulating member 20, the frictional force between the outer end of the branch portion 221a of the regulating portion 22 and the inner side of the front wall 13 of the ball path 11, which are in contact with each other, It is also conceivable that the rotational position of the ball regulating member 20 is maintained by the frictional force between the inner side of the operating part 21 and the outer side of the front wall 13 of the ball path 11, which are in contact with each other. However, if a load that exceeds the frictional force is applied to the ball regulating member 20, there is a risk that the ball regulating member 20 may rotate unexpectedly.

Therefore, in the ball regulating member 20 according to the present embodiment, the engaging portion 226 provided on either the outer end of the branch portion 221a or the inner side of the front wall 13 is replaced with the engaged portion 19a provided on the other. , 19b. That is, when the ball regulating member 20 is at the stop position, the engaging portion 226 located at the branch portion 221a engages with the one engaged portion 19a located on the front wall 13. On the other hand, when the ball regulating member 20 is in the downstream position, the engaging portion 226 located at the branch portion 221a engages with another engaged portion 19b located on the front wall 13.

Thereby, the ball regulating member 20 can be moved to the stop position or the downstream position and firmly held by not only the frictional force but also the mechanical holding force due to engagement and disengagement. Further, since the operator who operates the operation section 21 also feels the operation feeling caused by the engagement and disengagement between the engagement section 226 and the engaged sections 19a and 19b, it is easy to recognize that the operation section has changed to the stop position or the downstream position. The gutter body 10a including the front wall 13 and the ball regulating member 20 are both made of synthetic resin and can be elastically deformed to a certain extent, and due to the gap (play) [A] shown in FIG. The engaging portion 226 can be elastically engaged with and disengaged from the engaged portions 19a and 19b.

More specifically, in FIG. 20, when the operation part 21 of the ball regulating member 20 is moved with a finger and rotated around the rotating shaft part 23, the outer end of the branching part 221a is moved as shown by the arrow [C] in FIG. The ball regulating member 20 is elastically deformed so that the engaging portion 226 located at the front wall 13 enters the inside of the front wall 13. At this time, the deformed part of the branch part 221a comes closer to the front of the guide piece 31, so in order to release the extra deformed part, there is a space between the inner end of the branch part 221a and the front of the guide piece 31. It is necessary to set a wide gap [A].

However, if the deviation is allowed to reach the rotating shaft section 23 that rests on the upper end (bearing section 33) of the guide piece 31, the ball regulating member 20 will wobble, so there is a slight gap [B] around the rotating shaft section 23. only set. Similarly, it is sufficient to set only a small gap [B] between the outer end of the branch portion 221b and the back surface of the guide piece 31. Thereby, the engaging portion 226 can be elastically engaged with and disengaged from the engaged portions 19a and 19b without causing the ball regulating member 20 to wobble.

Furthermore, by providing the engaging portion 226 and the engaged portions 19a and 19b on the outer end of the branch portion 221a and the inner side of the front wall 13 instead of on the inner side of the operating portion 21 and the outer side of the front wall 13, the operating portion Even if 21 is deformed due to a large load, the engagement and disengagement relationship with front wall 13 is maintained not with operating part 21 but with regulating part 22. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ball regulating member 20 from being in a free state where it is not fixed anywhere, and the function of the ball regulating member 20 can be maintained.

As shown in FIG. 3, in normal times when the game balls are flowing down smoothly on the ball path 11 in the alignment gutter 10, the ball regulating member 20 is in the flowing down position. That is, the regulating section 22 together with the operating section 21 are held at a position rotated upward by 45 degrees in the downstream direction from a vertical line passing through the rotating shaft section 23 . Here, the engaging portion 226 located at the branched portion 221a of the regulating portion 22 engages with the engaged portion 19b located on the front wall 13 (see FIG. 20). In this way, when the ball regulating member 20 is in the downstream position, the inclined ends 222 of each branch portion 221 in the regulating section 22 do not engage with the game ball on the ball path 11, so the game ball flows down as it is.

When performing maintenance on the game machine island 1, when stopping the supply of game balls to the various game machines, the operator operates the operation part 21, which is located outside the front wall 13 and is easily accessible, as described above. That is, the user puts his/her finger on the operation part 21 and moves it so that it hangs down around the rotating shaft part 23, thereby rotating the ball regulating member 20 to the stop position. When the operation part 21 starts to move, the engaging part 226 at the branch part 221a of the regulating part 22 separates from the engaged part 19b that was engaged with the front wall 13 and slides on the inside of the front wall 13. move.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the ball regulating member 20 rotates to the stop position, the engaging portion 226 on the regulating portion 22 engages with another engaged portion 19a on the front wall 13, and the ball regulating member 20 is held in the stopped position. In this way, when the ball regulating member 20 is at the stop position, the inclined ends 222 of each branch part 221 in the regulating part 22 engage with the game ball on the ball path 11, so the game ball cannot flow down and stops. do. Therefore, the supply of game balls to the various gaming machines is temporarily stopped, and maintenance and inspection of the various gaming machines can be performed during this time.

Specifically, when the ball regulating member 20 is at the stop position, the inclined ends 222 of each branch portion 221 engage with the upper side of the game ball on the ball path 11 from both sides, as shown in FIG. 1(b). do. In this way, by bifurcating the regulating part 22 as each branch part 221, it becomes easy to impart elasticity, and moreover, it is possible to securely apply elasticity to the game ball not only from one place but from two places on both sides. can be engaged with.

A load is applied to each branch portion 221 when the game ball is engaged and stopped. Therefore, by providing ribs 223 on the side of each branch portion 221 that the game ball hits, the strength is increased. By bringing the game ball into contact with the ribs 223, deformation or damage to each branch portion 221 can be prevented. As shown in FIG. 20, in particular, only a portion 224 (blacked out portion in the figure) of the inclined end surface of the rib 223 is a portion that comes into direct contact with the game ball. Thereby, each branch portion 221 can be brought into contact with the game ball only in the narrowest possible area.

By the way, it is sufficient to provide the ribs 223 only on the side of each branching part 221 that is hit by the game ball, but in this embodiment, similar ribs 223 are provided also on the side of each branching part 221 that is not hit by the game ball. As a result, the ball regulating member 20 is formed laterally symmetrically. As mentioned above, the alignment gutter 10 is installed along both the left and right sides of the supply gutter 5, so there are those installed on the right side and those installed on the left side, and both are symmetrical with the supply gutter 5 in between. configured.

In accordance with the two types of alignment troughs 10, it is usually necessary to prepare two types of ball regulating members 20, depending on the direction in which the game balls engage with the regulating portions 22. Therefore, in the present embodiment, ribs 223 are provided on both sides of each branch portion of the regulating portion 22, and one type of rib 223 is used in advance so that it can be used on either the left or right side. Thereby, manufacturing costs can be reduced, such as using a single mold for molding the ball regulating member 20. Further, since the ribs 223 are provided on both sides of the regulating portion 22, the strength of the regulating portion 22 can be further increased.

Further, the lower end of each branch portion 221 of the regulating portion 22 is an inclined end 222 that extends obliquely upward toward the center from the outer end to the inner end. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, even in the process where the regulating part 22 swings upward from the stop position directly below the rotating shaft part 23 toward the downstream position at a small angle, the game on the ball path 11 Engagement with the ball can be avoided. Therefore, in the process of returning the ball regulating member 20 from the stop position to the downstream position, the game ball can easily pass through even at an early stage on the way.

Conversely, in the process of rotating the ball regulating member 20 from the downstream position to the stop position, the game ball is stopped only at the time when each branch portion 221 reaches the stop position or just before that. That is, since the state of engagement with the game ball is changed by a small change in the rocking angle of the regulating part 22 (a change in an extremely short period of time in terms of operation), the state of engagement with the game ball is changed, so that the game when the regulating part 22 stops the game ball is The push back of the ball can be reduced, no extra load is applied, and easy operation can be realized. Note that when the ball regulating member 20 is rotated from the downstream position to the stop position, the ribs 34a on the ball alignment member 30 act as a stopper, so that the ball regulating member 20 is prevented from rotating upstream from the stop position. Ru.

According to the ball regulating member 20 as described above, it has a simple configuration, and even within the limited space inside the gaming machine island 1, it is possible to easily perform an operation for changing the flowing state of the game ball from outside the gaming machine island 1. I can do it. Furthermore, the operating position and state of the operating section 21 can be easily confirmed, and work efficiency when performing maintenance can be improved. In addition, conventional stoppers are configured to rotate on the outside of the bottom surface of the alignment gutter, so extra space is required for the trajectory of the rotation of the stopper. However, according to the ball regulating member 20, Since the regulating portion 22 does not protrude out of the ball path 11, it is possible to further downsize the ball.

<Other functions of the alignment gutter 10>
Further, according to the alignment gutter 10, a ball leveling member 40 is arranged above the upstream side of the ball alignment member 30 on the downstream side of the ball path 11, and the ball leveling member 40 removes game balls that overlap in multiple stages. Evened out in one step. Thereby, when the game balls reach the ball alignment member 30, they do not overlap and can be reliably aligned.

The ball leveling member 40 is provided so as to be able to swing in the downward direction of the game ball or in the opposite direction while facing the inside of the ball path 11 from above. Therefore, the game balls in the upper layer of the second and higher tiers come into contact with the ball leveling member 40 and are prevented from advancing, but at this time, the upper layer game balls can move slightly due to the swinging of the ball leveling member 40. , the flow of the game balls in the first tier is not obstructed, and the game balls flow down in a leveled state.

When the ball leveling member 40 is oscillated in this way, it is necessary to restrict the range of its oscillation in order to reliably prevent the upper layer of game balls from advancing. Therefore, a swing regulating section 35 is provided for regulating the swinging range of the ball leveling member 40, and here the swing regulating section 35 is provided integrally with the ball aligning member 30. Thereby, there is no need to prepare the swing regulating part 35 as a separate component, the number of parts and the number of assembly steps can be reduced, and the configuration can be simplified.

Here, the swing regulating portion 35 includes a regulating surface 35a that comes into contact when the ball leveling member 40 swings to a predetermined angle in the downstream direction. When the ball leveling member 40 abuts against the regulating surface 35a with a pressing force equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the ball leveling member 40 abuts against the regulating surface 35a due to the elastic deformation of the swing regulating portion 35 itself. It can be held in the state. Thereby, the ball leveling member 40 does not swing unnecessarily during transportation of the alignment gutter 10, and wear of the member can be prevented.

Further, according to the alignment gutter 10, a ball alignment member 30 is arranged above the downstream side of the ball path 11, and the ball alignment member 30 discharges the game balls in a lined state. The ball alignment member 30 aligns and guides the game balls in a line by means of a guide piece 31 that faces inside the ball path 11 from above. An upper surface part 32 is horizontally connected to the upper end of the guide piece 31, and the upper surface part 32 is fixed between the upper edges of the front wall 13 and the rear wall 14 of the ball path 11.

In this way, the ball alignment member 30 is fixed between the front wall 13 and the back wall 14 of the ball path 11 by the top surface portion 32, and the guide piece 31 extending below the top surface portion 32 faces the inside of the ball path 11 from above. I'm here. This ball alignment member 30 is used as it is to attach the ball regulating member 20. That is, a bearing portion 33 is provided above the upper surface portion 32 of the ball alignment member 30, and the rotating shaft portion 23 is rotatably supported by the bearing portion 33. Thereby, there is no need to prepare the bearing part 33 as a separate part, the number of parts and the number of assembly steps can be reduced, and the configuration can be simplified.

In particular, in the ball alignment member 30, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, a separate holding portion is provided above the upper surface portion 32 so as to cover the rotating shaft portion 23 of the ball regulating member 20 fitted in the bearing portion 33. 36 has been retrofitted. Thereby, the rotating shaft portion 23 is surrounded so as not to come off from the ball alignment member 30. Here, since the holding part 36 is fixed to the upper surface part 32 by a snap fit, it can be easily and reliably assembled without using any fixing means such as adhesive or screws. Note that the projections 37b on each support piece 37a of the holding portion 36 are provided with a taper to make it easier to climb over the outside of the front wall 13 and the back wall 14.

<About another invention concept>
Next, other inventive concepts that can be grasped from the above-described embodiments (including modified examples) will also be described. Inventive concepts [A] to [E] that are not described in [Claims] will be explained in order below.

[A] The regulating portion 22 of the ball regulating member 20 branches downward from both sides of the rotating shaft portion 23 into a bifurcated shape, and
The operating portion 21 extends outward from above one end of one of the branch portions 221a and 221b of the restriction portion 22,
When the regulating portion 22 is at the stop position, the lower ends of the respective branch portions 221a, 221b engage with the upper side of the game ball on the ball path 11 from both sides, and the respective branch portions 221a, 221b engage with the upper side of the game ball on the ball path 11 from both sides. The alignment gutter 10 is characterized in that the lower ends are each formed as an inclined end 222 extending diagonally upward toward the center from the outer end to the inner end.

According to the alignment gutter 10 described in [A], as described above, the regulating portion 22 of the ball regulating member 20 branches downward from both sides of the rotating shaft portion 23 and extends downward. . Here, when the regulating portion 22 is at the stop position, the lower ends of each branch portion 221a, 221b engage with the upper side of the game ball on the ball path 11 from both sides. By bifurcating the regulating portion 22 in this way, it becomes easy to impart elasticity, and moreover, it is possible to reliably engage the game ball not only from one location but from two locations on both sides. I can do it.

Further, the lower ends of each of the branch portions 221a and 221b of the regulating portion 22 are formed as inclined ends 222 that extend obliquely upward toward the center from the outer end to the inner end. Thereby, even if the angle at which the regulating portion 22 swings upward from the stop position directly below the rotating shaft portion 23 toward the downstream position is small, engagement with the game ball on the ball path 11 can be avoided. This makes it easier for game balls to pass through.

Conversely, even when the regulating portion 22 is changed from the downstream position to the stop position, the state of engagement with the game ball is changed by a small change in the swinging angle (change in an extremely short time in terms of operation). Therefore, when the regulating part 22 stops the game ball, the pushing back of the game ball can be reduced, no extra load is applied, and easy operation can be realized.

[B] The arrangement according to [A] above, characterized in that a rib 223 extending in the longitudinal direction and abutting the game ball is provided on the side where the game ball comes into contact with each branch portion 221a, 221b of the regulating portion 22. Gutter 10.

According to the alignment gutter 10 described in [B], as described above, each branch portion 221a, 221b forming the regulating portion 22 of the ball regulating member 20 contacts the game ball on the side that the game ball contacts. Ribs 223 are provided. A load is applied to each branch portion 221a, 221b of the regulating portion 22 when the game ball is engaged and stopped. Therefore, by providing ribs 223 on each branching part 221a, 221b, the strength can be increased, and by bringing the game ball into contact with the rib 223, deformation or damage of each branching part 221a, 221b can be prevented. .

[C] By providing the ribs 223 extending in the longitudinal direction also on the side where the game ball does not hit at each branch portion 221a, 221b of the regulating portion 22, the ball regulating member 20 is formed symmetrically. The alignment gutter 10 according to the above [B], characterized by:

According to the alignment gutter 10 described in [C], as described above, the ball regulating member 20 also has the rib 223 on the side where the game ball does not hit at each branch portion 221a, 221b of the regulating portion 22. By providing them in the same way, they are formed laterally symmetrically. Generally, the alignment gutter 10 is installed along both the left and right sides of the supply gutter 5, so there are those installed on the right side and those installed on the left side, and both are configured symmetrically with the replenishment gutter 5 in between. be done. In accordance with this, the ball regulating member 20 is also symmetrical in that the side of the regulating portion 22 that the game ball engages with is different, so it is usually necessary to prepare two types.

Therefore, by providing ribs 223 on both sides of each branching part 221a, 221b of the regulating part 22 and making it common in advance to one type that can be used on either the left or right side, the mold for molding the ball regulating member 20 can be used. It is possible to reduce manufacturing costs by integrating the two into one. Further, since the ribs 223 are provided on both sides of the regulating portion 22, the strength of the regulating portion 22 can be further increased.

[D] A ball leveling member 40 is disposed above the upstream side of the ball alignment member 30 on the downstream side of the ball path 11, and is for leveling the game balls stacked in multiple stages on the ball path 11 into one level. death,
The ball leveling member 40 is provided so as to be able to swing in the downward direction of the game ball or in the opposite direction while facing the inside of the ball path 11 from above,
The alignment gutter 10 described in [C] above, wherein the ball alignment member 30 is provided with a swing regulating portion 35 that regulates a swing range of the ball leveling member 40 in the downstream direction.

According to the alignment gutter 10 described in [D], as described above, the ball leveling member 40 is disposed above the ball alignment member 30 on the downstream side of the ball path 11 and in front of the ball alignment member 30. The game balls stacked in multiple stages are leveled into one level by the ball leveling member 40. Thereby, when the game balls reach the ball alignment member 30, they do not overlap and can be reliably aligned.

Here, the ball leveling member 40 is provided so as to be able to swing in the downward direction of the game ball or in the opposite direction while facing the inside of the ball path 11 from above. Therefore, the game balls in the upper layer of the second and higher tiers come into contact with the ball leveling member 40 and are prevented from advancing, but at this time, the upper layer game balls can move slightly due to the swinging of the ball leveling member 40. , the flow of the game balls in the first tier is not obstructed, and the game balls flow down in a leveled state.

When the ball leveling member 40 swings, it is necessary to restrict the range of its swing in order to reliably prevent the upper layer of game balls from advancing. Therefore, a swing regulating section 35 is provided for regulating the swinging range of the ball leveling member 40, and here the swing regulating section 35 is provided on the ball alignment member 30. Thereby, there is no need to prepare the swing regulating part 35 as a separate component, the number of parts and the number of assembly steps can be reduced, and the configuration can be simplified.

[E] The swing regulating portion 35 includes a regulating surface 35a that comes into contact when the ball leveling member 40 swings to a predetermined angle in the downstream direction,
When the ball leveling member 40 contacts the regulating surface 35a with a pressing force equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the ball leveling member 40 contacts the regulating surface 35a due to the elastic deformation of the swing regulating portion 35. The alignment gutter 10 according to item [D], wherein the gutter 10 is held in an abutting state.

According to the alignment gutter 10 described in [E], as described above, the swing regulating portion 35 comes into contact with the ball leveling member 40 when the ball leveling member 40 swings to a predetermined angle in the downstream direction. A regulating surface 35a is provided. When the ball leveling member 40 contacts the regulating surface 35a with a pressing force of a predetermined value or more, the ball leveling member 40 contacts the regulating surface 35a due to the elastic deformation of the swing regulating portion 35 itself. keep it in that state. Thereby, the ball leveling member 40 does not swing unnecessarily during transportation of the alignment gutter 10, and wear of the member can be prevented.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention may be modified or added without departing from the gist of the present invention. Included in invention. For example, in the embodiment described above, the operating section 21 of the ball regulating member 20 is arranged on the front wall 13 of the alignment gutter 10, but if a wall surface other than the front wall 13 is easier to access than the outside, It may be placed on the wall surface.

In addition, there are two patterns in which the falling state of the game ball is changed by the ball regulating member 20: the normal flowing state of the game ball and the stopping of the falling game ball. It is also possible to decelerate the speed at which the game ball flows down by hitting the game ball in a state where it hangs down due to its own weight in a free state in which the regulating portion 22 is not engaged. Furthermore, the specific shape of each component of the alignment gutter 10 is not limited to what is illustrated.

In a game machine island made up of pachinko machines that use game balls as game media, it can be particularly applied as ancillary equipment for a supply gutter that supplies game balls to each pachinko machine.

1...Game machine island 2...Game machine 3...Inter-machine ball rental machine 4...Upper tank 5...Supply gutter 6...Information relay machine 7...Transformer 8...Curtain plate 10...Alignment gutter 10a...Gutter body 11...Ball route 12... Bottom wall 13...Front wall 14...Back wall 20...Ball regulating member 21...Operation part 22...Regulating part 221a, 221b...Branch portion 222...Slanted end 223...Rib 23...Rotating shaft part 30...Ball alignment member 31...Guide piece 32... Upper surface part 33... Bearing part 34... Rib 35... Swing regulating part 36... Holding part 40... Ball leveling member 41... Pendulum 42... Weight 43... Mounting shaft 50... Clip

Claims (2)

In the alignment gutter that is installed in the supply gutter that flows down the game balls towards various gaming devices including gaming machines on the gaming machine island, and supplies the game balls flowing down the supply gutter to the various gaming devices,
a ball path that allows the game balls received from the supply gutter to flow down in an aligned state; a ball regulation member that changes the flowing state of the game balls on the ball path;
a ball aligning member to which the ball regulating member is attached and disposed above the downstream side of the ball path for aligning game balls in a line ;
a ball leveling member disposed above the upstream side of the ball alignment member on the downstream side of the ball path, for leveling game balls stacked in multiple stages on the ball path,
The ball leveling member is provided so as to be able to swing in the downward direction of the game ball or in the opposite direction while facing the ball path from above,
An alignment gutter characterized in that the ball alignment member is provided with a swing regulating portion that limits a swing range of the ball leveling member in a downstream direction . The ball regulating member includes an operating section that is operated to change the falling state of the game ball on the ball path, and a regulating section that regulates the falling of the game ball on the ball path in conjunction with the operation of the operating section. and,
The operation section is configured such that when the alignment gutter is installed in a supply gutter inside the gaming machine island , an operator can manually operate the alignment gutter inside the upper stage of the gaming machine island from the front side of the ball path in the alignment gutter. 2. The alignment gutter according to claim 1, wherein the alignment gutter is arranged in a direction in which the gutter is inserted.

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