JPH04241888A - Ball uplift-feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To execute the cleaning and the change of pinballs in a lump by an island unit by attaching and detaching the ball uplift-feeding device in accordance with necessity, in a pinball machine installation island in which pinball machines for using a circulating ball of a card type pinball machine, etc., are provided. CONSTITUTION:A decorative plate 1b of a pinball machine installation island 1 is opened, and a leading-in pipe 11 of a ball uplift-feeding device 2, and a leading-out pipe 13 are connected to a terminal of a ball collecting conduit pipe 3 of the island side, and an initial end of a ball supply conduit pipe 4 of the island side, respectively. As for this connection, it will suffice that they are detained by a simple means such as a thumbscrew and a buckle, etc., to the extent that the leading-out pipe 13 and the leading-in pipe 11 are not shifted. Subsequently, in such a state, a controller 16 and the pinball machine installation island 1 are connected electrically, and first of all, a solenoid of a ball gathering conduit pipe 35 is excited. As a result, a slide valve 38 slides and a passage to a ball discharge conduit pipe 36 is opened, and all pinballs of the ball gathering conduit pipe 35 are discharged to the ball collecting conduit pipe from the ball discharge conduit pipe 36. In such a way, the cleaning and the change of pinballs are executed in a lump by an island unit.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a ball lifting device for lifting pachinko balls collected from a plurality of pachinko machines.

0002

[Prior Art] A conventional ball lifting device exists, for example, as a fixed part of a pachinko machine installation island, and is installed at the end of a ball collection gutter that collects pachinko balls discharged from a plurality of pachinko machines, and at the end of a ball collection gutter that collects pachinko balls discharged from a plurality of pachinko machines. It is connected to the starting end of the ball supply gutter that supplies pachinko balls, and lifts the pachinko balls that have entered from the ball recovery gutter to the ball supply gutter.

0003

[Problem to be solved by the invention] The above ball lifting device has the following features:
Since it is firmly fixed to the floor of the game hall as a fixed part of the pachinko machine installation island, if the ball lifting device breaks down, all pachinko machines on the pachinko machine installation island will be used until the ball lifting device is repaired. This is not possible, and as a result, the damage caused by failure is great.

Furthermore, instead of releasing prize balls to the player, a so-called card-type pachinko machine is currently being researched and developed, in which the number of balls held by the player is recorded on a magnetic card, etc., and the pachinko balls are circulated within the machine to play the game. However, since these card-type pachinko machines use circulating balls (pachinko balls), one of the major issues was streamlining the cleaning method of the circulating balls and the periodic replacement of the circulating balls. .

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] Therefore, the present invention provides a solution for the terminal end of a ball collecting gutter that collects pachinko balls discharged from a plurality of pachinko machines, and the starting end of a ball supply gutter that supplies pachinko balls to a plurality of pachinko machines. A ball lifting device is provided, which is connected to the terminal end of the ball collecting gutter and the starting end of the ball supply gutter, and lifts pachinko balls entered from the ball collecting gutter to the ball feeding gutter, wherein the ball collecting gutter and the ball supply gutter are connected to each other. The present invention provides a ball lifting device which is detachably connected to a gutter and is movable in a disconnected state.

[0006]

[Operation] If the ball lifting device breaks down, disconnect it from the ball supply gutter and ball collection gutter, and disconnect it from the pachinko machine installation island. Then, replace it with another normal ball lifting device and restart the operation of the pachinko machine island.

[0007] In addition, if a ball lifting device is required for a certain period of time on an island where pachinko machines are installed, such as cleaning circulating balls in a card-type pachinko machine, one device is installed on multiple pachinko machine islands. Allocate ball lifting equipment.

[0008]

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below by exemplifying a pachinko machine installation island 1 in which a large number of card-type pachinko machines P, P, . . . are installed side by side.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the ball lifting device 2, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the pachinko machine installation island 1. On the pachinko machine installation island 1, a ball collection gutter 3 for collecting pachinko balls discharged from the card-type pachinko machine P is provided in the lower half, and a ball supply gutter for supplying pachinko balls to the card-type pachinko machine P. 4 is provided in the upper half. The end of the ball collection gutter 3 and the ball supply gutter 4
The starting ends of the pachinko machine installation island 1 are each fixed to one side plate 1a, and are communicated with the outside through a through hole (not shown) in the side plate 1a. Further, the outer surface of the side plate 1a is covered by a decorative plate 1b which can be opened and closed like a door, and therefore the terminal end of the ball collection gutter 3 and the starting end of the ball supply gutter 4 are also covered by the decorative plate 1b.

[0011] The ball supply gutter 4 is provided with a diversion gutter 5 for distributing pachinko balls to each card-type pachinko machine P. Although not shown, each branch gutter 5 is provided with a valve device that switches the flow path of the ball supply gutter 4 and guides pachinko balls only to the individual branch gutter 5. This valve device includes one in which a valve plate is protruded from below using a solenoid to switch the flow path, and one in which the valve plate is rotated by a motor to switch the flow path.

The ball lifting device 2 includes a coil (not shown) inside a lifting cylinder 7 on a trolley 6, and rotates the coil with a motor 8 at the top to collect pachinko balls and cleaning pellets. This is a ball polishing type that pumps up while stirring. A screw conveyor (not shown) driven by a motor 10 is housed in a horizontal rectangular tube 9 at the lower end of the lifting tube 7, and a flexible introduction pipe 11 communicates with the rectangular tube 9. On the other hand, at the upper end of the transport tube 7, a pellet collection tube 12 is provided that collects only the pellets by dropping them through the gaps between the cages, and a flexible lead-out pipe 13 is provided at the tip of the pellet collection tube 12 to lead out pachinko balls. are installed in succession. The pellets collected by the pellet collection tube 12 return to the rectangular tube 9 through the return pipe 14, and are again pumped and circulated together with the pachinko balls. Further, the ball lifting device 2 is movable by a push handle 15 provided on the trolley 6.

[0013] Each of the motors 8 and 10 of the ball lifting device 2 includes:
The operation and stopping of each pump are controlled by a control device 16 provided in the middle of each lifting tube 7. The control device 16 is further electrically connected to each branch gutter 5 of the pachinko machine installation island 1 through appropriate connectors. That is, it is connected to, for example, a solenoid of the valve device of the diversion gutter 5 to control its operation, and is also connected to a ball counter (not shown) provided in the diversion gutter 5 to receive data on the number of balls supplied. It is. The control device 16 may be connected to a hall computer of a pachinko game parlor, or may be installed on the pachinko machine installation island 1 instead of the ball transport device 2.

Next, the card-type pachinko machine P will be explained. Fig. 3 is a front view of the card-type pachinko machine P, Fig. 4 is a back view of the card-type pachinko machine P, and Fig. 5 is a ball collecting gutter 3 described later.
5 is a partially transparent perspective view showing a connecting portion between the ball discharge gutter 5 and the ball discharge gutter 36. FIG. The card-type pachinko machine P records the number of balls held by the player on a magnetic card instead of ejecting pachinko balls to the player as described above. The card-type pachinko machine P
has a rectangular outer frame 17 and a front frame 18 hinged to one side of the outer frame 17 so as to be openable and closable.

The outer frame 17 has the upper and lower sides and the right side when viewed from the front made of wooden boards, and the left side when viewed from the front is made up of a thin box-shaped card reader 19. The card reader 19 is set so that its front surface is flush with the front frame 18, and has a magnetic card insertion/ejection port 20, a balance display section 21, a ball rental amount, and a card return (settlement) section on the front surface.
Selection buttons 22, 22, . . . , etc. are provided for inputting the information. Further, hinges 23, 23 for supporting the front frame 18 are fixed to the upper and lower parts of the front surface of the card reader 19. In addition, by incorporating the card reader 19 on the left side of the outer frame 17 in this way, there is no wasted installation space for the card reader 19, and the pachinko machine can be installed more easily than when the card reader is placed between the stands. This has the advantage of shortening the total length of the island.

A window hole 24 is formed in the front frame 18, and a glass door frame 25 is attached to the window hole 24 so as to be openable and closable. Further, a large liquid crystal display 26 is attached below the glass door frame 25 to display information on the number of balls held, information on the number of balls held, information on how to play the prize winning device, etc.

On the other hand, on the back side of the front frame 18, there is a game board 27,
A mechanism board 28 that overlaps the game board 27 is provided. The game board 27 has a game part 27a surrounded by a guide rail 29 in a circle, and this game part 27a
A large number of winning ball receivers 30 that accept pachinko balls,
A windmill 31 etc. is installed to change the falling path of pachinko balls,
Furthermore, an out ball opening 32 is provided through which pachinko balls that do not win a prize enter.

The mechanism plate 28 is hinged to a peripheral frame 33 surrounding the game board 27 so that it can be opened and closed with respect to the game board 27. This mechanism plate 28 includes a ball collecting gutter 35 that collects winning balls and out balls and guides the pachinko balls to the ball inlet 34a of the automatic batted ball supply device 34, and a ball collecting gutter 35 that communicates with the ball collecting gutter 35 to transport the pachinko balls outside the machine. A ball discharge gutter 36 and the like are provided for discharging the balls. The ball collecting gutter 35 is connected to the branching gutter 5 of the pachinko machine installation island 1 through a pipe 37, so that the pachinko balls that have entered the separating gutter 5 from the ball supply gutter 4 are transferred to the ball collecting gutter 35.
flows into.

The connection between the ball collection gutter 35 and the ball discharge gutter 36 is separated by a slide valve 38 as shown in FIG. During normal operation of the card-type pachinko machine P, the slide valve 38 is located directly below the ball inlet 34a of the automatic ball supply device 34 and closes the ball discharge gutter 36, so that all the pachinko balls in the ball collection gutter 35 are hit. It is made to flow into the ball inlet 34a of the automatic supply device 34. On the other hand, the slide valve 38 has a solenoid 39 connected to a pin 38a projecting to the outside of the ball collection gutter 35, and slides when driven by the solenoid 39 to communicate the ball collection gutter 35 and the ball discharge gutter 36. , all the pachinko balls in the ball collection gutter 35 are discharged from the ball discharge gutter 36 to the outside of the machine. Note that the solenoid 39 is controlled by the control device 16 of the ball lifting device 2.

Next, cleaning of the pachinko balls circulating inside the card-type pachinko machine P will be explained.

First, during normal business hours when the card-type pachinko machine P is in operation, the decorative plate 1b of the pachinko machine installation island 1 is
is closed and locked, and the ball lifting device 2 is not connected to the pachinko machine installation island 1. At this time, the ball collection gutter 35
The solenoid 39 is in a demagnetized state, and the slide valve 38 blocks the ball discharge gutter 36. Therefore, the pachinko balls sent and hit from the automatic ball supply device 34 are
The balls pass through the winning ball receptacle 30 and the out ball opening 32 of 7a and gather in the ball collection gutter 35, enter the automatic batted ball supply device 34 from the ball entrance 34a, and are ejected to the game section 27a again, thus creating a card-type ball system. It circulates within the pachinko machine P. In addition,
Here, we have explained the state in which the ball lifting device 2 is not connected to the pachinko machine installation island 1, but even if the ball lifting device 2 is connected to the pachinko machine installation island 1, the pachinko balls cannot be played. circulates within the card-type pachinko machine P along the same route.

[0022] If it is necessary to clean the pachinko balls, clean the pachinko machine installation island 1 as shown in Figure 2 after business hours.
Open the decorative plate 1b and connect the inlet pipe 11 of the ball lifting device 2 to the terminal end of the ball recovery gutter 3 on the island side, and connect the outlet pipe 13 to the starting end of the ball supply gutter 4 on the island side. This connection may be secured by a simple means such as a thumbscrew or buckle to the extent that the outlet pipe 13 and the inlet pipe 11 do not shift.

Next, in this state, the control device 16 and the pachinko machine installation island 1 are electrically connected, and first the solenoid 39 of the ball collection gutter 35 is energized. Then, the slide valve 38 slides to open the flow path to the ball discharge gutter 36, and all the pachinko balls in the ball collecting gutter 35 are discharged from the ball ejecting gutter 36 to the ball collecting gutter 3. In this state, there are only a few pachinko balls remaining in the automatic ball supply device 34, but if necessary, if necessary, the ball mallet 40 can be operated for a certain period of time to hit the pachinko balls, and the balls will flow into the ball collection gutter 35. It can be discharged from the discharge gutter 36. In this way, when all the pachinko balls are ejected from the card-type pachinko machine P, the solenoid 39 is demagnetized, and the slide valve 3
8 moves back and the ball discharge gutter 36 closes.

Next, both motors 8 and 10 of the ball lifting device 2 are operated simultaneously. Then, the pachinko balls in the ball collection gutter 3 pass through the introduction pipe 11 and enter the rectangular tube 9, rise inside the transport tube 7 while being polished by pellets, and go up through the upper lead-out pipe 13.
is discharged from. In addition, if you want to replace the circulating balls instead of cleaning them, fill the ball lifting device 2 with new pachinko balls in advance, pool the collected pachinko balls in another container, and then transfer the new pachinko balls to the lead-out pipe. You should send it out from 13.

On the other hand, before the pachinko balls are discharged from the outlet pipe 13 as described above, the valve device of the branch gutter 5 closest to the ball lifting device 2 is operated to open the flow path of the ball supply gutter 4. Switch it. Then, the pachinko balls discharged from the outlet pipe 13 first enter the card-type pachinko machine P at the head. The number of pachinko balls supplied to the card-type pachinko machine P is counted by a ball counter in the diverter 5, so when a predetermined number of balls is reached, the valve device is reversed and the ball is in turn supplied to the next diverter 5. The valve device operates to supply pachinko balls to the adjacent card-type pachinko machine P. On the card-type pachinko machine P side, after ejecting the pachinko balls as described above, the slide valve 3
8 moves back and the ball discharge gutter 36 is closed, so the pachinko balls supplied from the ball supply gutter 4 are stored in the ball collecting gutter 35. In the above-mentioned cleaning method, the ball lifting device 2 cleans the pachinko balls only once, but there may be cases where one cleaning is insufficient, such as during the rainy season. In this case, the valve device of the diversion gutter 5 and the slide valve 3 of the card-type pachinko machine P
8 may be opened continuously for about one hour, and the ball lifting device 2 may also be operated continuously. During this time, the pachinko balls are repeatedly cleaned by the ball lifting device 2. An employee may set an appropriate timer to determine how long the pachinko ball should be cleaned, but for example, if a sensor is installed in the outlet pipe 13 or the inlet pipe 11 to monitor the dirt and humidity on the surface of the pachinko ball, this sensor control device 1 based on the information of
6 is the most rational method. Also,
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the end of the ball supply gutter 4 is a dead end, and there is a possibility that pachinko balls, etc. that have failed to enter the card-type pachinko machine P may stay there. Therefore, it is actually desirable to connect the terminal end of the ball supply gutter 4 and the starting end of the ball discharge gutter 3 with a pipe, and to provide a suitable ball removal valve at the ball inlet on the ball supply gutter 4 side.

[0026] When pachinko balls are supplied equally to all card-type pachinko machines P in this way, the ball lifting device 2 stops. Then, the outlet pipe 13 and the introduction pipe 11 are removed, the ball lifting device 2 is moved, and the decorative plate 1b is closed and locked. This completes cleaning the pachinko ball. In addition, since the card-type pachinko machine P circulates the pachinko balls and uses them, there is no dirt on the pachinko balls, so there is less dirt on the pachinko balls, so the pachinko balls need to be constantly cleaned like a regular pachinko machine. There's no need. Therefore, for example, if you clean the pachinko balls with the ball lifting device 2 about once a week, 7
It is sufficient to rotate one ball lifting device 2 for each pachinko machine installation island 1, and the equipment cost can be significantly reduced. In addition, since the ball lifting device 2 is automatically operated according to the program of the control device 16, if the ball lifting device 2 is set after business hours, cleaning of the pachinko balls can be completed during the night. , cleaning of pachinko balls in a card-type pachinko machine P does not require much effort.

Although this embodiment has been described above regarding the pachinko machine installation island 1 using card-type pachinko machines P, it is of course applicable to a pachinko machine installation island using ordinary pachinko machines. In this case, unlike this embodiment, the ball lifting device 2 is connected to the pachinko machine installation island under normal business conditions, but when the pachinko machine needs to be repaired due to a malfunction or when replacing pellets, etc. All you have to do is separate it from the island where it is installed and take the necessary measures.

[0028]

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the present invention connects the ball lifting device to the ball supply gutter and the ball collecting gutter in a detachable manner, and further enables the ball lifting device to be moved in the disconnected state. As a result, for example, on an island where pachinko machines such as card-type pachinko machines that use circulating balls are installed side by side, the ball lifting device can be attached and detached as necessary to clean and replace pachinko balls on an island-by-island basis. The work is extremely simple and the equipment costs are low. In addition, for example, even on a pachinko machine island where ordinary pachinko machines are installed side by side, the ball lifting device can be replaced in a short time, so there is no possibility that the pachinko machine island will be unavailable for a long time due to a malfunction of the ball lifting device. It disappears.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ball lifting device.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the entire pachinko machine installation island.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the card-type pachinko machine.

FIG. 4 is a back view of the card-type pachinko machine.

FIG. 5 is a partially transparent perspective view showing a connecting portion between a ball collection gutter and a ball discharge gutter.

[Explanation of symbols]

P... Card type pachinko machine (pachinko machine) 2... Ball lifting device 3...Ball collection gutter 4...Ball supply gutter

Claims (1)

[Claims] [Claim 1] Provided at the terminal end of a ball collection gutter that collects pachinko balls discharged from a plurality of pachinko machines and at the start end of a ball supply gutter that supplies pachinko balls to the plurality of pachinko machines, the terminal end of the ball collection gutter A ball lifting device that is connected to the starting end of a ball supply gutter and lifts pachinko balls entered from a ball recovery gutter to the ball supply gutter, and is detachably connected to the ball recovery gutter and ball supply gutter. A ball lifting device characterized in that it is configured to be movable in an unconnected state.