JPH01212585A - Pachinko ball storage tank inside pachinko island - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the shortage of balls in a pachinko island by storing an adequate amount of balls in pachinko storage tanks while making the balls running over from distribution routes flow in to the storage tanks, and making the balls flow out from the storage tanks when premium balls are released abundantly to reduce the balls in collection routes. CONSTITUTION:When pachinko machines 30 installed to a pachinko island are operated, and the number of premium balls and the number of collecting balls are equal, there is no change of the balls circulating through premium ball distribution pipes 7, pachinko machines 30, collection pipes 20, and a grinding/lifting machine 12, and being stored in the storage tanks 17. When the number of the collecting balls is more than the number of the premium balls, the balls in the collection pipes 20 are delivered to a premium ball storage tank 14 by the grinding/lifting machine 12 from feeding pipes 13a and 13b through a leading passage 26 and a linking passage 16. Furthermore, in the operation condition when the number of the premium balls is more than the number of the collecting balls, the balls stored in the storage tanks 17 are fed to joints 27 at the ends of the collection pipes 20 from stored ball flowing-in entrances 23, delivered to the grinding/lifting machine 12, and fed to the premium ball distribution pipes 7 instantly, making no ball-shortage condition in the pachinko island.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Applicability] The present invention is characterized in that a large number of pachinko machines are arranged in a row, and a distribution route for distributing prize balls to the pachinko machines is arranged above the machine. In the interior of a pachinko island, a collection path for collecting discharged balls discharged from the pachinko machine is arranged at a lower part, and a lifting device for transporting pachinko balls collected by the collection path to the distribution path is arranged. This invention relates to a pachinko ball storage tank.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, in a game hall, there are multiple rows of pachinko islands with many pachinko machines arranged in rows facing each other, and the total number of pachinko balls used in the entire game hall including these multiple pachinko islands An average store requires 3,000 to 4,000 pieces per pachinko machine. However, in normal business operations, not all pachinko balls are used on pachinko islands, and the number of pachinko balls stored on pachinko islands is about half of the total number of balls, and other pachinko balls are , a large storage tank is installed at an appropriate location in the game hall, for example, in the underground ring of the management machine room located in a corner of the game hall, and the storage tank is stored in the storage tank, and pachinko machines can be used with the storage tank when needed. A supply gutter connecting the islands was used to supply each pachinko island with the required amount.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The above-mentioned conventional storage tank requires a space to install a large storage tank within the amusement park, and the shape of the storage tank is not constant for each amusement park. It was uneconomical because it had to be specially manufactured to fit the game hall.

In addition, when there is a shortage of pachinko balls on a pachinko island, they are replenished from a storage tank through a supply gutter to a storage tank installed on the island, but a signal from a pachinko ball shortage detector on the pachinko island Because the structure is such that the pachinko balls are replenished after they arrive, it takes time for the predetermined amount of pachinko balls to be replenished from the storage tank to the pachinko island. If a pachinko machine is installed, there may be a problem that prize balls cannot be supplied to the pachinko machine in time.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned disadvantages, and its purpose is to eliminate the need to install a custom-made large tank in the game hall, and to be able to install it commonly in all game halls. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pachinko ball storage tank capable of immediately replenishing a pachinko machine even when there is a shortage of pachinko balls on a pachinko island.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the pachinko ball storage tank of the present invention includes a distribution path arranged at the upper part of the pachinko island and a collection path arranged at the lower part of the pachinko island. The device is configured to be placed in a space formed by the player, and is configured to store a large amount of pachinko balls, receive overflow balls from a distribution path, and discharge the stored pachinko balls to a recovery path. It is desirable that the size of the pachinko ball storage tank is set to be large enough to store the number of pachinko balls obtained by dividing the total number of pachinko balls in the game hall by the number of pachinko islands installed in the game hall.

[Function] A considerable amount of pachinko balls are stored in the pachinko ball storage tank, and pachinko balls overflowing from the distribution path flow into the pachinko ball storage tank, and prize balls are distributed to players. When a large amount of pachinko balls are dispensed and there are fewer pachinko balls in the recovery path, the pachinko balls stored in the pachinko ball storage tank flow out into the recovery path.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view showing the main parts of the pachinko island 1.

In the figure, a pachinko island 1 is composed of a lower island unit 2, a lower island unit 3, and a central lifting device unit 4. The lower island unit 2 is constructed by being framed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape by island pillars 6, and has a counter stand 5 fixed to its lower end extending forward. The island pillars 6 are erected at intervals approximately equal to the width of the pachinko machine 30. Further, the counter stand 5 has a pachinko machine 30 (see Fig. 5) and an out ball receiving box 10 placed on the rear part thereof, and the front part of the counter stand 5 pops out to collect the prize balls that have been won. It is possible to place the ball box containing balls thereon for the convenience of the players. In addition, in the rear part of the counter stand 5, there are bolt holes 2 for fixing the lower island unit 2 and the lower island unit 3 with bolts (not shown).
9 is drilled. In addition, a prize ball distribution gutter 7 is provided at the upper part of the lower island unit 2 to allow prize balls discharged from a prize ball storage tank 14 (described later) to naturally flow down, and is inclined downwardly toward the island end. Divider pipes 8 are attached to the distribution gutter 7 at predetermined intervals. A counter 9 is provided at the end of the branch pipe 8, and the prize balls that have passed through the counter 9 are supplied to a prize ball tank (not shown) provided at the top of the pachinko machine 30. In addition, the counter 9
is fixed to a horizontal beam 11 that is laterally fixed to the island pillar 6.

As mentioned above, the out ball receiving box 10 is fixed to the rear part of the counter stand 5, and this out ball receiving box 10 receives all out balls and safe balls discharged from the pachinko machine 30. The received discharge bulbs are guided by a discharge pipe (not shown) to a collection gutter 20, which will be described later. Note that the out ball receiving box 10 is provided with a counter (not shown) for counting all the ejected balls.

The lifting device unit 4 has a polishing lifting machine 12 installed therein. This polishing lifter 12 has supply troughs 13a and 13b at its lower part for guiding discharge balls to be polished.
is arranged, and a prize ball storage tank 14 for storing polished prize balls is arranged above it. The supply gutter 13
A connecting bridge 16 is connected to one of the supply gutter 13b of a and 13b.
This configuration will be described in detail later. The prize ball distribution gutter 7 is connected to the lower part of the prize ball storage tank 14, and after the polished prize balls are stored in the -H prize ball storage tank 14, they naturally flow down into the prize ball distribution gutter 7. It looks like this.

Note that when the prize balls are clogged in the prize ball distribution gutter 7 and a predetermined amount of prize balls are stored in the prize ball storage tank 14, an overflow pipe connected to a portion slightly above the center of the prize ball storage tank 14 is connected. Surplus prize balls are discharged from the ball vibrator 15. The downstream end of the overflowing ball vibrator 15 is located so as to communicate with the pachinko ball storage tank 17.

The pachinko ball storage tank 17 comprises the lifting device unit 4
It is provided in the lower component unit 3 adjacent to. As shown in FIG. 3, the lower part unit 3 is located below the lower part unit 2 and is configured so that the lower part unit 2 can be placed therein. A collection gutter 20 for collecting balls on one side is provided. By the way, the lower part unit 3 adjacent to the lifting device unit 4 is provided with a pachinko ball storage tank 1 over its entire width, as shown in FIG. The bottom surface of the pachinko ball storage tank 17 constitutes a guiding slope 18 that slopes downward toward the lifting device unit 4, so that the pachinko balls stored in the pachinko ball storage tank 17 always flow down toward the lifting device unit 4 side. work to make you Furthermore, a pair of partition walls 19a and 19b are erected in the center of the pachinko ball storage tank 17, and these two partition walls 19
A passage sandwiched between a and 19b is configured as a collection gutter 20. This collection gutter 20 is formed so as to be continuous from an adjacent island unit (the island unit drawn on the lower side in FIG. 2). Further, the upper part of the collection gutter 20 is covered with a guide cover plate 21 (see FIG. 3) made of a transparent synthetic resin plate, and the heights of the partition walls 19a and 19b are as shown in FIG. Since the guiding cover plate 21 has a slightly downwardly sloped surface toward the upstream side, the guide cover plate 21 also has a downwardly sloped surface toward the upstream side. And the induction cover plate 2
Since the outlet of the overflow ball vibrator 15 is arranged at the upper end of the overflow ball pipe 15, the overflow balls falling from the overflow ball pipe 15 are transferred upstream on the guide cover plate 21 due to the downward force of the overflow balls and become pachinko balls. It will fall into the storage tank 17. Therefore, the pachinko balls that flow into and are stored in the pachinko ball storage tank 17 are stored in order from the back side of the tank 17. Further, at the bottom of the collection gutter 20, a guide rail 2 is provided at a predetermined distance from the guide slope 18.
2 has been installed. The guide rails 22 are made of hard synthetic resin and are formed in the shape of a cage whose intervals are slightly smaller than the diameter of a pachinko ball. Therefore, the pachinko balls flowing down on the guide rail 22 can be caused to flow down smoothly, and the noise generated when the balls are flowing down can be reduced.

A storage bulb inlet 23 is provided at the lower end of the partition walls 19a, 19b.
are opened at appropriate intervals and communicate with each other in the pachinko ball storage tank 17, which is partitioned by partition walls 19a and 19b. That is, the pachinko balls stored in the left and right pachinko ball storage tanks 17 divided by the partition walls 19a and 19b enter the guide slope 18 below the guide rail 22 from the storage ball inlet 23, and enter the guide path described below. 26. In addition, the partition wall 19a
, 19b, a storage ball communication path 24 that communicates the left and right pachinko ball storage tanks 17 is laid down, so as to equalize the amount of stored pachinko balls on the left and right sides.

At the downstream end of the guide slope 18, there is a guide shelf 2 having a downward slope toward the upstream side for each divided area.
5a to 25c are formed. Left and right guide shelves 25a and 25
c guides the pachinko balls stored in the left and right pachinko ball storage tanks 17 to the storage ball inlet 23 and guides them to the guide slope 18 below the guide rail 22; (left side in the illustration) guide shelf 2
It is for guiding to the guide passage 26 formed in 5a. Further, the position immediately before the central guide shelf 25b is the guide shelf 25b.
A confluence point 27 where the storage sphere guided by a and 25c and the discharge sphere guided by the guide rail 22 merge.
is formed. As shown in FIG. 7, the storage balls P2 guided by the guide shelves 25a and 25c and the discharge balls P1 flowing down on the guide rail 22 are the discharge balls P,
always falls from the upper part and suppresses the flow of the tip of the storage bulb P2, so when the discharge bulb pt is continuously supplied, the discharge bulb P1 has priority over the storage bulb P2 in the guide passage 26. It is designed to be guided by Therefore,
As shown in FIG. 6, the guide passage 26 connects directly to the supply gutter 13a in the pachinko ball storage tank 17 on the right side, and indirectly through the connecting bridge 16 in the pachinko ball storage tank 17 on the left side. 13b, the discharge balls P guided from the guide rail 22 are supplied to the polishing transporter 12 with priority.

In addition, in the pachinko ball storage tank 17,
As shown in the figure, bolt holes 28 are drilled, and by matching bolt holes 29 of the counter stand 5 and fixing with bolts, the lower part unit 3 having the pachinko ball storage tank 17 and the upper part unit 2 can be fixed to each other. Note that by fixing the upper part unit 2, the pachinko ball storage tank 17 excluding the collection gutter 20
The upper part of the counter stand 5 will be covered.

To explain the function of the pachinko ball storage tank 17 configured as described above, first, before opening a game hall, the total number of pachinko balls held by the game hall is stored in the pachinko ball storage tank 17. Pachinko balls are stored in equal numbers (usually around 100,000 balls). In this stored state, the pachinko machine 30 installed on the pachinko island 1 operates, and its operating status is the same as that of the entire pachinko island 1. The number of pachinko balls discharged to players (including balls) (hereinafter referred to as the number of prize balls), and the number of pachinko balls collected in the collection gutter 20 as discharged balls (hereinafter referred to as the number of collected balls). When they are equal, the pachinko balls in the pachinko island 1 circulate through the prize ball distribution gutter 7, the pachinko machine 30, the collection gutter 20, and the polishing/lifting device 12,
The number of pachinko balls stored in the pachinko ball storage tank 17 does not increase or decrease.

In addition, in an operating situation where the number of recovered balls is greater than the number of prize balls, pachinko balls gradually accumulate in the collection gutter 20.
Since the polishing lifter 12 is always in operation, the pachinko balls in the collection gutter 20 are sent to the prize ball storage tank 14 from the supply gutter 13a, 13b by the polisher lifter 12 via the guide path 26 and the connecting bridge 16. It will be done. In addition, at this time, the collection gutter 20
The ejected balls that have flowed down on the guide rail 22 are lifted by the polishing lifter 12 in priority to the storage balls. In the prize ball storage tank 14, the number of pachinko balls sent in by the polishing transport machine 12 is greater than the number of pachinko balls consumed in the prize ball distribution gutter 7, so the pachinko balls are gradually stored and finally Pachinko balls overflow and flow down from the ball vibrator 15. The pachinko balls overflowing from the overflowing ball vibrator 15 are guided onto a guide cover plate 21 installed on the upper part of a collection gutter 20 and are sequentially stored from far away in the pachinko ball storage tank 17.

Furthermore, in an operating situation where the number of prize balls is greater than the number of balls collected, the number of pachinko balls collected in the collection gutter 20 gradually decreases, and eventually the number of pachinko balls flowing down the collection gutter 20 becomes extremely small. At this time, the pachinko balls stored in the pachinko ball storage tank 17 are transferred to the storage ball inlet 23.
The ball is supplied to the confluence point 27 at the end of the collection gutter 20 and sent to the polishing lifter 12, where it is immediately lifted and supplied to the prize ball distribution gutter 7, so it can be temporarily stored inside the pachinko island 1. It is possible to avoid a situation where there is a shortage of pachinko balls. Also,
If the situation where the number of prize balls is greater than the number of collected balls continues for a long time, it seems that the pachinko balls stored in the pachinko ball storage tank 17 will also run out, but Since the amount of money to be played is quite large, it is possible to continue replenishing the shortage for a considerable amount of time, and in fact, while the shortage is being replenished, prize exchange machines (not shown) installed at both ends of Pachinko Island 1 Since the pachinko balls are returned to the pachinko island 1 via the collection gutter 20, a situation where the pachinko island 1 is short of balls does not occur. Furthermore, even if a prize exchange machine is installed in a prize exchange area of a game parlor, the exchanged pachinko balls are not stored.
If you return it to each pachinko ball storage tank 1 immediately, it will take some time to return it.
Since Pachinko balls have been replenished since 7, Pachinko Island 1
A situation where there is a shortage of balls in the game will not occur immediately. Furthermore, even with the above configuration, there is no need to provide a large storage tank in the prize exchange area as in the prior art.

In the above-described embodiment, the pachinko ball storage tank 17 is provided in the lower island unit 3, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the prize ball distribution gutter 7 To briefly explain with reference to FIG. 8, pachinko balls may be provided near the pachinko island below the prize ball distribution gutter and where the pachinko machine 30 is installed facing backwards.

A storage tank 17A is arranged. The pachinko ball storage tank 17A includes a guide plate (not shown; equivalent to the guide cover plate 21) covered on the upper surface of the prize ball distribution gutter 7.
The overflow ball guided by this is designed to fall. Further, the end of the supply vibrator 31 connected to the downstream end of the pachinko ball storage tank 17A is connected to the connecting bridge 16 located immediately in front of the polishing lifting machine 12 or to the supply gutter 13a, 13b.
connected to. Then, the connecting bridge 16 or the supply gutter 1
3a, 13b when the number of balls discharged from the collection gutter 20 decreases, the balls are sent to the pachinko ball storage tank 17 via the supply vibrator 31.
The stored balls from A are supplied to the polishing transporter 12. The function of the pachinko ball storage tank 17A constructed in this way is exactly the same as that described above.

In any of the above-described embodiments, the overflow balls flowing into the pachinko ball storage tank 17.17A are those overflowing from the prize ball storage tank 14, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the overflow balls flowing into the pachinko ball storage tank 17. The overflowing ball may be allowed to overflow from the end of the pachinko ball storage tank 1F, 17A.In short, it is sufficient to allow the overflowing ball to flow from the distribution path. Similarly, pachinko ball storage tank 17
．． The pachinko balls flowing out from 17A may be collected anywhere along the recovery path.

Furthermore, the pachinko ball storage tank 17.17A may be provided anywhere within the space formed by the collection path and the distribution path. Furthermore, pachinko ball storage tank 17.17
The shape of A is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, and may be any shape or size as long as it has a structure that can store a certain amount of pachinko balls.

[Effects of the Invention] Since the present invention has the above-described configuration, there is no need to install a custom-made large tank in the game hall, but rather a large number of large storage tanks are installed in the factory during the process of manufacturing pachinko islands. It is very economical because it can be manufactured in a number of ways and can be commonly installed in all game halls. Furthermore, even when there is a shortage of pachinko balls on the pachinko island, the pachinko machine can be immediately replenished, making it possible to prevent the occurrence of a shortage of balls on the pachinko island.

Furthermore, since a large amount of pachinko balls are stored on the pachinko island, the number of supply troughs installed in the game hall can be reduced. Moreover, the noise generated when passing through the replenishment gutter can thereby be reduced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 8 show embodiments of the present invention, and
The figure is a schematic diagram showing the entire pachinko island, Figure 2 is a perspective view seen from above of the pachinko ball storage tank, Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the lower island units, and Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the lower island units. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of approximately the center of the pachinko ball storage tank, FIG. 5 is a plan view of the pachinko ball storage tank, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the pachinko ball storage tank and the polishing lifting machine. (a) is a schematic plan view thereof, (b) is a schematic front view,
The figure is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the pachinko balls flowing down the collection gutter and the pachinko balls stored in the pachinko ball storage tank. Figure 8 is the entire pachinko island showing an example of placing the pachinko ball storage tanks in different positions. FIG. 1. Pachinko island F. Prize ball distribution gutter 12. Polishing transport machine 15. Overflowing ball vibrator 1 F. Pachinko ball storage tank 20. Collection gutter 23. Storage ball inlet 30
...Pachinko machine - Patent applicant Takeya Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A large number of pachinko machines are arranged in a row, and a distribution path for distributing prize balls to the pachinko machines is arranged above the machines,
A pachinko island in which a collection path for collecting balls ejected from the pachinko machine is arranged at the bottom thereof, and a lifting device for transporting the pachinko balls collected in the collection path to the distribution path, In a space constituted by the distribution path and the collection path,
Pachinko ball storage inside a pachinko island, comprising a pachinko ball storage tank that stores a large amount of pachinko balls, receives overflowing balls from the distribution path, and drains the stored pachinko balls to the collection path. tank.