JPH03123574A - Detection of position in pinball machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the simplification of construction and saving of space and simplify the input/output system of a control unit by detecting a main discrimi nating part and sub-discriminating part provided in a reference position and the proximity thereof among a prurality of discriminating parts provided on a movable member in a predetermined time to specify the reference position. CONSTITUTION:In the rotation of a movable member Q, a detecting switch detects a notch A' of a sub-discriminating part P' provided near a main discrimi nating part Po in the progress direction thereof to preceed the main discriminat ing part Po and be turned on, and detects successively a notch A of the main discriminating part Po located near the sub-discriminating part P' in a predeter mined time t to be turned on. Thus, a control unit receives continuously the detecting outputs in a predetermine timer and jutges the previously detected notch to be the sub-discriminating part p<1> and the successive notch to be the main discriminating part Po as the origin. The notch in the point A is set to the origin to stop the movable member Q. Thus, in whatever position the mov able member Q is stopped in making power supply, the movable member Q can be returned to the origin to permit the initial setting.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention relates to a position detection method in a pachinko machine for detecting the position of a movable member provided in a winning device or the like of a pachinko machine.

<Prior Art> As is well known, pachinko machines are equipped with a downward direction changing device, various winning devices, etc., and these downward direction changing devices, winning devices, etc. have movable members, and this movable member By being movable, the direction of flow can be changed, and the form of winning in the winning device can be changed, thereby increasing the interest of pachinko games.

For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 187879/1987, a rotational position detection device is provided on a flow direction changing device, that is, a so-called windmill, and changes are made to the pachinko game based on the rotation of the windmill. Also, JP-A No. 63-257588
In the winning devices described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-111894, a movable member provided in the winning device is used to change the winning form of balls to increase the interest of pachinko games.

Therefore, in the case of a movable member such as a wind turbine or a winning device, if the reference position (origin) of the movable member or its relative position to the reference position is not known, or if the stop position of the movable member is not known, the movable member cannot be moved. Unable to control movement of parts.

Therefore, there are various methods for determining the reference position of the movable member and detecting the stop position, but basically the following two methods are employed.

That is, as a first method, a detector for detecting the reference position and a detector for detecting the stop position are provided separately, and the reference position and the stop position are respectively detected based on the detection output of the rain detector. There is. Further, as a second method, there is a method in which only a detector for detecting the reference position is provided, and the stop position is relatively calculated based on the elapsed time from the time when the detector passes the reference position.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> However, according to the first method of providing a plurality of detectors described above, the detection accuracy of the front position is increased, but since it is necessary to install a plurality of detectors, space is taken up. Power consumption is high, the mechanism becomes complicated, and the number of input systems also increases on the control equipment side.

On the other hand, according to the method of detecting the reference position and calculating the stop position according to the passage of time, the number of detectors is small, so the mechanism is simple, but a problem with accuracy remains. In other words, even if the predetermined time has elapsed, if the movable member temporarily stops due to some reason such as an external force being applied to the movable member, or if it does not move at the predetermined movement speed, the set The movable member does not necessarily move exactly as shown. Therefore, the movable member may not stop at a predetermined position.

Note that even if a pulse motor is used as the drive source, even if a predetermined number of pulses are supplied, it does not necessarily rotate by a predetermined angle.

<Means for Solving the Problems> The present invention is a position detection method for a pachinko machine proposed in view of the above, in which an identification part is formed on a movable member disposed in the pachinko machine, and the identification part is detectable. In a position detection method in a pachinko machine in which a detection means is provided and the detection output of the detection means is used as identification information, a plurality of identification portions are provided on a movable member, and a traveling direction of a main identification portion serving as an origin position among the identification portions is provided. a sub-identifier is formed near the sub-identifier, and when the detection means transmits the detection output again within a predetermined time after transmitting the detection output, the previous detection output is determined to be the detection output of the preceding sub-identification unit; , the subsequent detection output is determined to be the detection output by the main identification section serving as the origin position, and the position of the main identification section is recognized as the origin.

<Function> The main identification part can be identified by detecting, within a predetermined time, a sub-identification part that is close to the main identification part serving as a reference position among the plurality of identification parts provided on the movable member.

<Embodiment> Below, the present invention will be explained with reference to the embodiment shown in the drawings.
The figures to FIG. 7 are for explaining the present invention in detail, and FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the movable member at time TO;
Fig. 2 is a side view of the same as above, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the movable member at time T, Fig. 4 is a flowchart for detecting the reference position, Fig. 5 is a time chart of the same as above, and Fig. 6 is a stop of rotation. The time chart for position detection and FIG. 7 show the same flowchart as above.The detection switch as a detection means may be an optical sensor (photo sensor, etc.) consisting of a pair of light emitting element and light receiving element, or a micro switch. It may be a mechanical switch using a magnetic sensor, etc., or it may be a magnetic detector such as a proximity switch.

First, the method for detecting the reference position (origin) Pa, that is, the initial setting will be explained. For example, assume that the positional relationship between the detection switch as the detection means S and the movable member Q is as shown in FIG. 1 when the power is turned on. In this state, when the power is turned on, the motor that is the drive source for the movable member Q is turned on and the movable member Q starts rotating in the direction of the arrow (clockwise).The detection switch that is the detection means S is first set at point B. The identification section P1 detects the notch, and the detection switch is turned on to send out a detection output. Based on the detection output of this detection switch, an electrical control device (not shown), such as a microcomputer, starts a timer to start measuring time, and determines whether there is a next detection output within a predetermined time. That is, if the detection switch is not turned on by the notch provided in the next identification part PX within a predetermined time, the previously detected notch is determined to be a mere identification part P1. Then, when the movable member Q further rotates and detects the next notch which is the identification part P2, in this case as well, since there is no next detection output within the predetermined time, it is determined that it is just the identification part P2. When the movable member Q further rotates, the detection switch detects the notch at point A', which is the sub-identification part P', which is provided in the vicinity of the traveling direction of the main identification part Pa so as to precede the main identification part PO, and turns on. ,
Subsequently, within a predetermined period of time, the notch at point A, which is the main identification part PG located near the sub-identification part P', is detected and turned on. Therefore, the control device receives detection outputs consecutively within a predetermined period of time, and determines the first detected notch to be the sub-identification part P', and determines the leading notch to be the main identification part Po, which is the origin. be. and.

The movable member Q is stopped using the notch at this point A as the origin.

By doing the above, no matter what position the movable member Q is stopped at when the power is turned on, the movable member Q can be returned to the origin and initialized.

Next, a method for stopping the movable member Q located at the origin as described above at a predetermined position will be explained with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

When the motor of movable member Q, which is stopped at the origin, is turned on, movable member Q starts rotating, the detection switch is turned on at the notch at point B, and the counter is incremented (+1) based on the detection output of the detection switch. Let the counter value be rlJ. At this position, since the counter value is less than f3J, the motor is turned off for a predetermined time t2, and the movable member Q is stopped.

Then, after a predetermined time t2 has elapsed, the motor is turned on to rotate the movable member Q, and when the detector is turned on at the 0-point notch, the counter is incremented based on this detection output and the counter value is set to r2J. . Since the counter value is still less than r3J at this position, the motor is turned off for a predetermined time t2 and the movable member Q is stopped. Then, when the motor is turned on again to rotate the movable member Q, the detection switch is turned on at point A' and the counter is incremented based on this detection output, making the counter value r3J.

When the counter value reaches r3J, the counter is reset. At this time, the motor remains on and the movable member Q continues to rotate. Then, based on the detection output of the detection switch at the next notch, that is, the origin A, it opens and stops for a predetermined time t2.

In this way, the movable member Q can be stopped at a predetermined position for a predetermined time. That is, according to the illustrated embodiment, the movable member Q stops at three locations including the origin.

Next, as a second embodiment, a case where the movable member Q rotates in both directions will be described.

For example, in the case of a movable member Q that stops at three locations including the origin, as shown in FIG.
a and identification part P1. In this embodiment, the movable member Q rotates in both directions, so the point a' near both sides of the notch, which becomes the main identification part Po at point a.
A notch is provided at point a'' and sub-identification portion P' and P'', respectively.

In FIG. 8, when the initial rotation direction is set to the first rotation direction (clockwise) and the detection switch serving as the detection means S is located between the notch at point a and the notch at point a', , the origin is detected according to the flowchart shown in FIG. That is, when the motor is turned on by turning on the power, the movable member Q starts rotating in the first rotation direction, and the detection switch is turned on at the main identification part po provided at point a. Then, the timer operates and starts counting, and within a predetermined period of time, the detection switch is turned on by the sub-identifier P'' provided at the next point a'', and the motor continues to be in the on state, and the rotating member Q continues to rotate. When the detection switch is turned on by the identification part P1 provided at the point C, the timer starts and starts measuring time, but within a predetermined time, the detection switch is turned on by the identification part P2 provided at the next point C. Since there is no one, go to the next step and wait for the detection switch to turn on. When the detection switch is turned on at the identification portion P2 at point C, the timer starts measuring time in the same manner as described above. However, in this case as well, since the detection switch is not turned on by the next identification unit within the predetermined time, the motor continues to be turned on and the movable member Q continues to rotate. Then, the detection switch is turned on at the sub-identification part P' at point a', and the detection switch is turned on again at the main identification part Pa at point a within a predetermined time, so this is determined to be the origin and the motor is stopped. let

Further, in order to stop the movable member Q at each stop position, control is performed according to, for example, a flowchart as shown in FIG. 11 and a time chart as shown in FIG. 12.

That is, when the movable member Q, which has stopped rotating at the main identification part Po provided at point a, which is the origin, as described above, is rotated in the first rotation direction and stopped at each identification part, the following results. Become. When the motor is turned on and the movable member Q starts to rotate, the detection switch is turned on in the sub-identifier P'', so the counter is incremented to make the counter value rlJ, the motor continues to be on, and the movable member Q When the detection switch is turned on at the identification part P1 of the flash, the counter is incremented and the counter value becomes r2J.
Then, the motor is turned off for a predetermined time t3 to stop the movable member Q. After a predetermined time t3 has elapsed, the motor is turned on to restart the rotation of the movable member Q, and waits for the detection switch to be turned on at the next point C, identification portion P2. When the detection switch is turned on at the identification part P2 at point C, the counter is incremented to make the counter value r3J, and the motor is stopped for a predetermined time t3. Then, when the detection switch is turned on at the sub-identification section P' at the next point a', the counter is incremented to make the counter value r4J, and the counter is reset to return to the main identification section PO at the point a, which is the origin. .

By doing as described above, the movable member Q can be stopped at a predetermined position for a predetermined time t3.

Note that when the movable member Q is rotated in the second rotation direction (counterclockwise), the difference is which of the sub-identification parts P' or P'' appears first, so a time chart is shown in FIG. 13 for explanation. omitted.

Next, a winning device 1 for a pachinko machine to which the above-described position detection method is applied will be described.

The game board 2 shown in FIG. 14 has a winning device 1 arranged approximately in the center of a gaming section 4 surrounded by a guide rail 3.
A first starting port 5a and a second starting port 5b are provided below, and an out r:J6 is provided below the winning device 1.

The winning device 1 has an opening 8 in a board 7 attached to the surface of the game board 2, an armor part 10 having a big prize opening 9 protruding from the board surface above the opening 8, and A movable wing piece 11 functioning as a movable ball bearing member is rotatably attached to the side edge of the opening 8 located below the left and right end portions by a support shaft 12,
Near the lower edge of the opening 8, a special winning opening 14 and a front general winning opening 15, which are separated by a partition plate 13, are protrudingly provided, and a case 16 is provided on the back side of the board 7, so that the armor part 10 can be used both times. Moving blade piece 11. # 14 separate prize openings and 1 for front general prizes
A concave chamber 17 including a portion surrounded by 5 is formed, and the concave chamber 17
An internal movable body 18 is provided inside the body so as to be movable up and down. A continuation switch 19 is placed in front of the special prize opening 14 mentioned above.

A solenoid 20 for driving the movable wing piece 11 is attached to the back side of the case 16, and a crank member 24 fixed to the rear end of each support shaft 12 is installed in the hole 23 of the actuating plate 22 fixed to the plunger 21 of the solenoid 20. The bottle 25 is loosely fitted. Therefore, when the solenoid 20 is demagnetized, both rotating blades 11 are erected as shown by chain lines in FIG.
The first state is disadvantageous to the player who does not allow the ball flowing down into the concave chamber 17, and when the solenoid 20 is energized by electricity from the control device, both rotary blades 11 move as shown by solid lines in FIG. As shown, the movable wing pieces 11 stop the balls that have rotated and flowed down inside the gaming section 4 from being received and flowed into the concave chamber 17, converting them into a second state that is advantageous to the player.

Further, in the illustrated embodiment, a partition wall 28 having an escape space 27 for the internal movable body 18 is provided in the rear part of the concave chamber 17 at the center in the width direction, and the rear part of the partition wall 28 is connected to the left and right rear general winning ports 29. shall be. An extension piece 31 is provided below the escape space 27 by extending the inclined bottom surface 30 of the concave chamber 17, so that balls that have not flown into the left and right rear general prize openings 29 can be transferred forward.

Furthermore, a drive mechanism for moving the internal movable body 18 up and down is provided on the back side of the case 16. This drive mechanism consists of the internal movable body 18
The support rod 32 extending from the rear end is inserted into the elongated hole 33 on the back of the case 16, and the guide rod 34 extending vertically of the internal movable body 18 is passed through the ceiling surface and the inclined bottom surface 30 of the recessed chamber 17. , the upper end of a connecting rod 35 is rotatably fixed to the rear end of a support rod 32 protruding from the back surface of the case 16, and an eccentric shaft 38 of a rotary disk 37 is fixed to the output shaft of a motor 36 with a speed reducer. The lower end of the connecting rod 35 is rotatably fixed to the rotary plate 37.
9... are provided, and a photosensor 40 is provided as a detection means. The rotary plate 37 is always stopped in a state where the photo sensor 4o detects the notch 39a at the reference stop position. Therefore, the internal movable body 18 maintains the first state where it stops at a position slightly higher than the ends of both rotating blades 11 in the second state, as shown by the solid line in FIG. In this first state, the distance between the internal movable body 18 and the end of the movable wing piece 11 is narrower than the diameter of the ball, so if the ball flowing down inside the gaming section 4 falls onto the movable wing piece 11 , This ball can be directly used in the special prize opening 14 or the front general prize opening 15.
It does not enter the internal movable body 18, but once flows down onto the ball mounting portion 41 extending to the left and right of the internal movable body 18, and then falls onto the inclined piece 28' provided on the upper edge of the partition wall 28, and flows to the rear of the partition wall 28. Although it often flows into the rear general prize opening 29 provided, it falls onto the inclined bottom surface 30 from the escape space 27 provided between the left and right partition walls 28 and enters the front special prize opening 14 or the front general prize opening 15.
It may fall into either of the following. In other words, in the standard state where this internal movable body 18 is located in the middle stage, this internal movable body 18 functions as a so-called obstacle, and prevents the ball flowing down on the movable wing piece 11 from directly entering the special prize opening 14. It is supposed to be done.

Furthermore, referring to the flowchart in FIG. 20, the above prize winning device 1 will be briefly explained along the game.
When the ball launched by the player flows into the first starting port 5a or the second starting port 5b, the movable wing 11 opens once or twice, and the ball flows into the concave chamber 17 while the movable wing 11 is open. A special game is started on the condition that the ball further flows into the special winning hole 14. In the special game, the control device activates the solenoid 20 of the winning device 1 a predetermined number of times (for example, 18
one cycle is defined as opening and closing the movable wing piece 11 a predetermined number of times, or when a predetermined number (for example, 10 balls) enter the special prize opening 14 or the general prize opening 15.29. , it is possible to update to the next cycle on the condition that the ball enters the special winning hole 14 during this cycle.

Note that the cycle can be updated up to a predetermined number of times (for example, 8 cycles).

When the movable blade 11 opens and closes, for example, five times, the motor 36 is activated to rotate the rotary plate 37 in response to a command from the control device. When the rotary disk 37 rotates, the internal movable body 18 rises due to the crank action between the shaft of the rotary disk 37 and the connecting rod 35, and when it rises to the top dead center, the photo sensor 40 moves into the notch 39.
b is detected and a signal is sent to the control device, so the motor 36 stops operating. When the internal movable body 18 rises in this way, as shown by the chain line in FIG.
The distance between the end of the ball and the internal movable body 18 is much wider than the diameter of the sphere. Therefore, when a ball flowing down inside the gaming section 4 falls onto the movable wing piece 11, this ball often falls directly from the inclined lower end of the movable wing piece 11 into the special winning opening 14 or the front general winning opening 15. . However, some balls are guided backwards,
Some of them flow into the rear general prize opening 29 or fall onto the inclined bottom surface 30.

Then, when the ball enters the special winning hole 14, the continuation switch 1
9 turns on and sends a signal to the control device, which causes the motor 36 to reverse and rotate the rotary disk 37 in the reverse direction. Turntable 3
7 is reversed (for example, counterclockwise in Figure 19)
, the internal movable body 18 is lowered by the crank action of the axis of the rotary plate 37 and the connecting rod 35, and the photosensor 40 detects the notch 39'' which is the sub-identification part, and the next one which is the main identification part within a predetermined time. The notch 39a is detected, this notch 39a is recognized as the origin, and the motor 36 is stopped.

Therefore, the internal movable body 18 stops at the middle stage, which is the reference state. In addition, according to the method of the present invention, the origin can also be detected by rotating the rotary disk 37 in the forward direction, and the internal movable body 18 can be accurately stopped at the middle stage.

On the other hand, when the movable wing piece 11 opens and closes 10 times without a ball flowing into the special prize opening 14, the control device operates the motor 36 to rotate the rotary plate 37 again. Then, the internal movable body 18 is lowered by the crank action of the shaft of the rotating disc 37 and the connecting rod 35, and the photo sensor 40 detects the notch 39c at the bottom dead center and sends a signal to the control device, so the motor 36 is activated. , and the internal movable body 18 stops at the lower stage. In this state, the ball mounting neck portion 4 of the internal movable body 18
1 and the inclined bottom surface 30 is narrower than the diameter of the ball, the balls are caught on the rear edge of the ball mounting portion 41 and accumulated.

Then, when the overflowing balls flow into the special prize opening 14 or when the movable wing piece 11 opens and closes 15 times, the motor 36 is rotated again to rotate the rotary plate 37 and the internal movable body 18 is raised. Then, the photo sensor 40 is a notch 3 which is a sub-identification part.
9' is detected, and then the notch 39a which is the main identification part is detected, so this is recognized as the origin, the motor 36 is stopped, and the internal movable body 18 is stopped at the middle stage. At this time, the ball held by the internal movable body 18 is released, rolls on the inclined bottom surface 30, and flows into the special winning opening 14 or the front general winning opening 15. If no prize is won in the special prize opening 14 during the opening of the movable wing piece 11 18 times, the special game ends when the opening and closing of the movable wing piece 11 is completed 18 times or when 10 balls flow into the concave chamber 17.

In addition, in this special game, if no prize is won in the special winning hole 14, the internal movable body 18 is configured to stop sequentially from the upper stage, lower stage, and middle stage according to the number of times the movable wing piece 11 is opened and closed. If there are no two winning balls in the concave chamber 17 between the end of the game and the end of the 10th opening/closing, the special game is set to end without waiting for the end of the 18th opening/closing or the end of the 10th count. A barrier may be provided in the game.

As described above, according to the present invention, the rotary disk 37 can be stopped at a predetermined position regardless of the rotation direction of the rotary disk 37.

Next, to explain the above-mentioned game from the side of the control means, in FIG. A clock circuit 44 supplies a predetermined pulse, a reset circuit 44 resets the CPU 42, a power supply reset circuit 45 initializes the CPU 42, etc. when the power is turned on, and a clock circuit 46 supplies a desired pulse to the reset circuit 44. circuit, 47 is the above CP
A memory (hereinafter referred to as FROM) in which programs and data for operating U42 are stored, 48 is an input/output control device, and 49 is! ! The winning ball detection circuit 5o is a starting winning ball switch circuit, 51 is a 10 count detection circuit,
52 is a solenoid drive circuit, 53 is a stop position detection circuit,
54 is a motor drive circuit.

When the power is turned on, the CPU 42 performs initial settings such as clearing the RAM and checking each part, and if there is no abnormality, it controls the game as described above and also performs the fraud prevention function. When a short circuit occurs, each starting port 5..., continuation switch 19, movement solenoid 20, etc. are stopped.

Further, the CPU 42 operates the lamp drive circuit 55 to turn on or blink an indicator light made of, for example, a lamp, and operates the electronic sound circuit 56 to generate a sound effect notifying the entry of the ball. The incoming balls of 5...- are visually and audibly displayed to the player.

Furthermore, when a ball enters the special winning hole 14 provided in the winning device 1, the continuation switch 19 is turned on, and the continuation winning ball circuit 49
from! ! The second doubling signal is output to the CPU 42, and the CPU 42 moves to a special game according to a predetermined program, but at this time, it also drives the lamp drive circuit 55 and the electronic sound circuit 56 to turn on the indicator light. Lights up and flashes and generates sound effects to increase the excitement of the game.

Then, by the LED drive circuit 57, a continuation number indicator light 58 that displays the number of cycles of the special game and a 10 count indicator light 59 that displays the number of winning balls in the concave chamber 17 of the winning device 1.
to drive.

Note that 60 is a starting port switch facing each starting port 5, and 61 is a 10 count switch facing the recessed chamber 17.

Although the position detection method of the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented as appropriate without changing the configuration described in the claims. For example, although a rotating movable member has been described, the method of the present invention can also be easily applied to a linearly moving movable member. In addition, pachinko games are not limited to the games mentioned above, but also include games that give special benefits to the player when a ball enters the starting hole and is in the right state, and when a predetermined condition is met. can also be applied.

<Effects of the Invention> The present invention detects, within a predetermined time, a reference position and a main identification part and a sub-identification part provided in the vicinity of the reference position among a plurality of identification parts provided on a movable member. can be specified, which not only simplifies the structure and saves space, but also simplifies the input/output system of the control device. In addition, since the actual identification part is detected instead of identifying the identification part in chronological order, it is possible to accurately detect a predetermined position even if there is a fluctuation in the moving speed of the movable member.
Detection accuracy becomes extremely high. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to various gaming devices and gaming methods, and has extremely high practical value.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a plan view of the movable member, FIG. 2 is a side view of the same, FIG. 3 is a plan view of the movable member in the reference position, and FIG. 4 is a plan view of the movable member in the reference position. Flow chart for detection, FIG. 5 is a time chart same as above, FIG. 6 is a time chart for detecting a stop position, FIG. 7 is a flow chart same as above, FIG. 8 is a plane of a movable member rotating in both directions. Figure 9 is a flowchart for detecting the reference position as above, Figure 10 is a time chart as above,
FIG. 11 is a flowchart for detecting the stop position;
Figures 12 and 13 are the same time charts as above, and Figure 14.
The figure is a front view of the game board. Figure 15 is a front view of the winning device.
Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the same as above, Figure 17 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same as above,
Fig. 18 is an explanatory diagram of the drive mechanism of the movable blade, Fig. 19 is an explanatory diagram of the method of detecting the stop position of the internal movable body, and Fig. 20 (A)
and (B) is a flowchart of a pachinko game, and FIG. 21 is a block diagram of the control system of the pachinko machine. P: Identification unit, Q: Movable member, S: Detection means. Fig. 4 Fig. 6 Fig. 15 Fig. 12 Fig. 13 Fig. 16 Fig. 0 Fig. 14 Fig. 20 (A)

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] An identification part is formed on a movable member disposed in a pachinko machine, and a detection means capable of detecting the identification part is provided, and the detection output of the detection means is used as identification information for the position in the pachinko machine. In the detection method, a plurality of identification parts are provided on the movable member, and a sub-identification part is formed in the vicinity of the main identification part that is the origin position among the identification parts in the traveling direction, and after the detection means sends out a detection output, When the detection output is sent again within a predetermined time, the previous detection output is determined to be the detection output by the preceding sub-identification unit, and the subsequent detection output is determined to be the detection output by the main identification unit serving as the origin position, A position detection method in a pachinko machine, characterized in that the position of the main identification part is recognized as the origin.