JPH09182863A - Spherical body carrying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the carrying device of a spherical body whose occupying space is small considering carriage ability capable of carrying the spherical body while horizontally moving it or plotting a curve and eliminating the clogging of the spherical body at a horizontal part and a curved part. SOLUTION: This device is provided with a helical coil 1 and a drive source 2 for rotationally driving the helical coil 1, one end of the helical coil 1 is turned to the entrance of the spherical body 10 and the spherical body flows inside the helical coil 1 from the entrance 3. The inner diameter of the helical coil 1 is in a size capable of making the spherical body 10 inside the helical coil move by the rotation of the helical coil 1 and the drive source 2 is connected to the other end part of the helical coil 1 or in the middle of a longitudinal direction and rotationally drives the helical coil 1. The exit 7 of the spherical body carried by the helical coil 1 is provided near the other end of the helical coil 1 or in the middle near the other end and a clearance S between the pitches of the part corresponding to the exit 7 of the helical coil 1 is made larger than the outer diameter of the spherical body 10. The spherical body to be the object of carriage can be a pachinko ball.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sphere carrier device having a spiral coil and a drive source for rotationally driving the spiral coil, and for transporting a sphere by the spiral coil which is rotationally driven. The present invention can be applied as a pachinko ball conveying device in a game hall or as a golf ball conveying device in a golf driving range.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a pachinko game arcade, there is a pachinko island in which a plurality of pachinko game machines are lined up, and the pachinko balls used in the game at each pachinko game machine are collected in units of pachinko islands, and It is pumped to a supply tank installed at the top of each pachinko island, and is supplied from this supply tank to the prize ball tank of each gaming machine. Further, in order to eliminate the imbalance in the number of pachinko balls held between pachinko islands, pachinko balls are exchanged between pachinko islands. Therefore, many pachinko ball conveying devices are installed in the pachinko game hall.

Further, at a golf driving range, a golf ball transfer device is installed in order to distribute the collected golf balls to each ball lending machine or to supply them to the automatic ball setting device at each bat.

The conventional sphere carrier found in the above-mentioned pachinko ball carrier, golf ball carrier, etc., for example, uses a bucket conveyor or the like to lift the sphere to a supply tank installed at a somewhat high position, Since then, the potential energy is used to convey the sphere to the target position by the weight of the sphere through an inclined gutter or the like.

[0005]

According to the conventional sphere carrier, the sphere is lifted to the supply tank installed at a somewhat high position by using the bucket conveyor as described above,
Since it is transported from the supply tank to the target position by the weight of the sphere, it is not suitable for moving the sphere horizontally or drawing a curve.If you dare to move it horizontally or draw a curve, it is not suitable. The sphere may stop in the middle of the transportation path and the transportation path may be blocked. In addition, since the sphere lifting means using a bucket conveyor or the like intermittently conveys the spheres in a batch, there is a problem that the form becomes bulky and the occupied space becomes large when it is attempted to have a predetermined conveyance ability. The conveying direction was limited to the linear one, and the conveying direction could not be arbitrarily bent.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior art, and makes it possible to horizontally move a sphere or convey a sphere while drawing a curve, and at the same time, the sphere at a horizontal portion or a curved portion. It is an object of the present invention to provide a spherical carrier which can eliminate the clogging and which can reduce the occupied space for its carrying capacity.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention according to claim 1 is a spherical carrier which comprises a spiral coil and a drive source for rotationally driving the spiral coil. One end of the spiral coil is the entrance of the sphere, and the sphere flows into the spiral coil from this entrance. The inner diameter of the spiral coil is such that the sphere inside the spiral coil can move as the spiral coil rotates. The size of the driving source is such that the driving source is connected to the other end of the spiral coil or in the middle of the length direction to drive the spiral coil to rotate, and the outlet of the sphere conveyed by the spiral coil is the other end of the spiral coil. It is characterized in that the gap between the pitches of the portion of the spiral coil corresponding to the above-mentioned outlet is larger than the outer diameter of the sphere.

The gap between the pitches other than the portion corresponding to the outlet of the spiral coil may be smaller than the outer diameter of the sphere as in the invention of claim 2, or as in the invention of claim 3. In addition, the entire diameter including the portion corresponding to the outlet of the spiral coil may be larger than the outer diameter of the sphere. The sphere to be transported may be a pachinko ball as in the invention of claim 4.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of a spherical carrier according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
In addition, the illustrated embodiment is an example of a pachinko ball transfer device installed in a pachinko game hall.

In FIG. 1, a horizontally installed pipe 6 having a circular cross section extends in a straight line, and one end (the right end in FIG. 1) of the pipe 6 is formed into a guide hole 11 having a circular cross section that rises in an arc. The other end (the left end in FIG. 1) of the pipe 6 communicates with a guide hole 9 having a circular cross section and rising in an arc shape. The spiral coil 1 is inserted in the internal space from the pipe 6 to the guide hole 9. The spiral coil 1 is formed at a relatively large pitch so that an appropriate gap is formed between the pitches, for example, a pitch such that one pachinko ball 10 exists between the pitches. As shown in FIG. 2, the guide hole 9 is formed by adhering two spiral coil holding plates 8 and 8 each having a groove 8a having a semicircular cross section in an abdominal shape, and the grooves 8 of both the plates 8 and 8 are bonded together.
It is formed by facing a and 8a. The guide hole 11 is also formed by bonding two plates in the same manner, but only one plate 5 is shown in FIG.

The guide holes 9 and 11 rising in an arc shape may be formed by bending a pipe. However, when the pipe is bent, the pipe is deformed at the bent portion.
There is a problem that the cross-sectional shape is distorted. In that respect, the guide holes 9 and 1 are formed by laminating the plates as in the above embodiment.
If 1 is formed, a groove having a semicircular cross section may be previously cut or formed in the plate.
It is possible to form a guide hole having a good cross-sectional shape with no distortion in the cross-sectional shape. Further, the spiral coil 1 can be smoothly rotated in the guide hole by using a material such as a resin having good smoothness or lubricity for the plate.

One end (the right end in FIG. 1) of the spiral coil 1 is located at one end of a pipe 6, and one end of the spiral coil 1 serves as an entrance 3 for a pachinko ball 10 as a sphere. The insertion port 4 of the pachinko ball 10 is located at the upper end of the guide hole 11, and the pachinko ball 10 inserted from the insertion port 4 falls in the guide hole 11 by its own weight and rolls down to the entrance 3 of the spiral coil 1. It is designed to flow into the spiral coil 1 from. Note that one end of the spiral coil 1 may reach the inside of the guide hole 11 and one end of the spiral coil 1 in the guide hole 11 may serve as the inlet 3. The other end of the spiral coil 1 extends outside the guide hole 9 formed by the plates 8, 8 and is wound around and connected to the outer periphery of the output shaft 2a of the motor 2 as a drive source. The motor 2 is vertically fixed to a fixed plate 13 which is horizontally fixed to an upper end of a support plate 12.

The inner diameter of the spiral coil 1 is equal to that of the spiral coil 1.
By rotating, the pachinko ball 1 in the spiral coil 1
Zeros form a row and are sized to move along the spiral of the spiral coil 1. Therefore, the inner diameter of the spiral coil 1 may be smaller than the outer diameter of the pachinko ball 10 or may be larger than the outer diameter of the pachinko ball 10. An inclination guide 30 is fixed to the upper ends of the plates 8 and 8, and the spiral coil 1 penetrates the inclination guide 30 with a spatial margin. The other end of the spiral coil 1, more specifically, between the tilt guide 30 and the output shaft 2a of the motor 2 is an outlet 7 of the pachinko ball 10, which corresponds to the vicinity of the outlet 7 of the spiral coil 1. The gap S between the pitches of the portions to be formed is larger than the outer diameter of the pachinko ball 10. The gap between the pitches of the spiral coil 1 other than the portion corresponding to the outlet 7 is smaller than the outer diameter of the pachinko ball 10. A pachinko ball accommodating portion 14 is formed below the tip of the inclined guide 30.

The motor 2 rotationally drives the spiral coil 1. The direction of rotation of the spiral coil 1 at this time is a direction in which the pachinko ball 10 flowing into the spiral coil 1 from the entrance 3 of the pachinko ball 10 can be moved toward the exit 7. Therefore, the pachinko balls 10 are loaded from the loading port 4 while the spiral coil 1 is being rotationally driven. The pachinko balls 10 flow into the spiral coil 1 from the entrance 3 through the guide holes 11 and are conveyed in the pipe 6 from right to left in FIG. 1 as the spiral coil 1 is rotationally driven.
The pachinko balls 10 in the guide holes 9 are pushed up by the conveying force generated in the substantially horizontal conveying section including the pipe 6, and the pachinko balls 10 are spilled outward from the gap between the pitches of the spiral coil 1 at the outlet 7. . The spilled pachinko balls 10 roll down along the inclination of the inclination guide 30 and are stored in the pachinko ball storage portion 14. The housed pachinko balls 10 are appropriately transported to a desired position.

According to the embodiment described above, since the pachinko ball 10 as a sphere is conveyed by rotating the spiral coil 1 by the motor 2 as a drive source, the pachinko ball 10 is rotated by a spiral. Since the coil 1 is conveyed according to the spiral of the coil 1, the coil 1 can be conveyed in the horizontal direction. Further, the spiral coil 1 can be installed in a curved state and can be rotationally driven in a curved state. It is also possible to transport while drawing. Since the pachinko balls 10 are transported according to the spiral that is rotationally driven, as long as the spiral coil 1 is rotationally driven,
Individual pachinko balls 10 in a row in the spiral coil 1
Since the conveyance force is generated at the same time and the pachinko balls are conveyed in order, it is possible to eliminate the clogging of the pachinko balls 10 in the horizontal portion and the curved portion, and to reduce the occupied space for the conveyance ability. The device can be obtained.

The portion of the pipe 6 in the above embodiment may be embedded in, for example, the floor of a pachinko game arcade to connect the pachinko islands to each other. According to the above-mentioned embodiment, since the occupied space can be reduced as already described, there is an advantage that it does not take up a space even if it is embedded in the floor of the pachinko game hall and the installation work is simple.

The pipe 6 in the above-described embodiment is for suppressing the vibration due to the rotation of the spiral coil 1. Therefore, another means instead of the pipe 6 may be used as long as it suppresses the vibration due to the rotation of the spiral coil 1. For example, it may be a hole formed in a plate-shaped member, or may be formed by laminating two plates like the guide holes 9 and 11. Further, the hole into which the spiral coil 1 is inserted does not necessarily have to be a hole having a circular cross section, and may be, for example, a quadrangle or a polygon. Further, instead of the pipe 6, as shown in FIG. 3, an appropriate number (three in the illustrated example) of rollers 15 may be brought into contact with the outer peripheral side of the spiral coil 1. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the rotation axis of each roller 15 is parallel to the central axis of the spiral coil 1, and the spiral coil 1 is supported while rotating with the rotation of the spiral coil 1. There is an advantage that the load at the time of rotation driving can be reduced.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the main body of the motor 2 stands upright from the fixed plate 13, and the overall height of the device is correspondingly increased. Depending on the conditions of the installation location, it may be desired to make the overall height of the device as low as possible. In that case, the embodiment as shown in FIG. 4 may be adopted. That is, the fixed plate 16 is horizontally fixed to the upper end of the support plate 12 standing parallel to the plate 8, and the main body of the motor 2 is vertically fixed to the lower surface of one end of the fixed plate 16. The rotary shaft 20 is attached downward to the lower surface of the other end of the fixed plate 16 directly above the other end of the spiral coil 1, and the other end of the spiral coil 1 is wound around the outer periphery of the rotary shaft 20 and fixed. Has been done. Fixed plate 16
A pulley 17 is attached to the output shaft of the motor 2 protruding to the upper surface side of the above, and similarly, a pulley 19 is also attached to the other end side of the rotating shaft 20 protruding to the upper surface side of the fixed plate 16. A belt 18 is hung between the pulleys 17 and 19, and the rotational driving force of the motor 2 is transmitted to the rotary shaft 20 to rotationally drive the spiral coil 1. The belt 18 may be a toothed belt. The other structure, functions and effects are the same as those in the above-mentioned embodiment, and therefore the explanation thereof is omitted.

According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the fixed plate 1
Although the pulleys 17 and 19 project to the upper surface side of 6, the amount of projection is smaller than that when the motor 2 projects to the upper surface side of the fixed plate 16, so the height of the device can be reduced accordingly. .

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the outlet 7 of the pachinko ball 10 is provided near the other end of the spiral coil 1. However, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. It may be provided midway near the other end in the length direction.
Also in this case, the gap between the pitches of the portion of the spiral coil 1 corresponding to the vicinity of the outlet 7 is larger than the outer diameter of the pachinko ball 10. This embodiment is a pachinko ball 10
It does not need to be so high, but it is suitable when there is room in the space for installing the transportation device, especially in the space in the height direction.

Next, the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 will be described. This embodiment is suitable for the case where it is necessary to increase the lifting height of the pachinko balls 10 and, on the other hand, there is no room in the installation space in the height direction of the carrier device. In FIG. 6, a plate 21 is integrally fixed to the upper side surface of a support plate 12 that stands up in parallel with the plate 8. The plate 21 has a function equivalent to that of the plate 8, and a pair of two plates are bonded to each other to form a guide hole into which the other end of the spiral coil 1 is inserted. The other end of the spiral coil 1 is inserted into this guide hole. A part of the vicinity of the upper end of the plate 21 is cut off to form a pachinko ball outlet 7 communicating with the guide hole. The gap between the pitches of the portion of the spiral coil 1 corresponding to the outlet 7 is larger than the diameter of the pachinko ball 10, and the pachinko ball 10 conveyed by the spiral coil 1 spills from the gap between the pitches, It is designed to be discharged from the outlet 7.

The outer circumference of the spiral coil 1 is covered with a sleeve 24 at an intermediate position near the other end of the spiral coil 1 and is integrally fixed to the spiral coil 1 by welding or other appropriate means. The sleeve 24 is the plate 8
Located between the plate and the plate 21, and this sleeve 2
A center hole of a pulley 23 is fitted around the outer periphery of the sleeve 4, and the sleeve 24 and the pulley 23 are integrally fixed by appropriate means. Both upper and lower ends of the pulley 23 are rotatably supported by bearings 25 fixed to the upper surface of the plate 8 and the lower surface of the plate 21. Any bearing may be selected and used as the bearings 25, 25. For example, a ball bearing, a metal bearing, or the like may be used. An angle plate 22 is fixed to the vertical surface of the support plate 12,
The main body of the motor 2 is fixed to the lower surface side of the horizontal piece in the vertical direction. A pulley 17 is fixedly attached to the output shaft of the motor 2 that protrudes to the upper surface side of the horizontal piece of the angle plate 22, and the belt 1 is interposed between the pulley 17 and the pulley 23.
It is multiplied by 8. Other configurations are the same as those of the embodiment already described.

Therefore, the rotational driving force of the motor 2 is the pulley 1
The spiral coil 1 is transmitted in the middle of the length direction of the spiral coil 1 through the belt 7, the belt 18, the pulley 23, and the sleeve 24, and the spiral coil 1 is rotationally driven. By rotating the spiral coil 1, the pachinko balls 10 flowing into the spiral coil 1 from the entrance are conveyed horizontally along the spiral of the spiral coil 1 and are lifted upward, as in the above-described embodiment. It is discharged from the outlet 7.

According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the entire rising range of the spiral coil 1 can be set to the lifting height, but the motor 2 and the pulleys 17 and 23 do not project from the upper part of the device. While it is necessary to increase the lifting height of the pachinko balls 10, it is possible to obtain a pachinko ball transfer device suitable for a case where the installation space in the height direction of the device does not have a margin.

The inner diameter of the spiral coil 1 is determined by rotating the spiral coil 1 as described above.
Any size is acceptable as long as the pachinko balls inside can move. On the other hand, the spiral pitch gap of the spiral coil 1 only needs to satisfy the condition that the gap between the pitches of the portion corresponding to the outlet 7 is larger than the outer diameter of the pachinko ball 10, and other than the portion corresponding to the outlet 7. The gap between the pitches may be smaller than the outer diameter of the pachinko ball 10, or may be wider than the outer diameter of the pachinko ball 10 as long as there are pipes, guide holes, rollers, etc. that support the outer peripheral side of the spiral coil 1. It doesn't matter.
7 to 10 show various examples of the gap between the pitches of the spiral coil 1. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the gap between the pitches of the spiral coil 1 is set to be substantially the same as the outer diameter of the pachinko ball 10,
In the example shown in FIG. 8, the gap between the pitches of the spiral coil 1 is made larger than the outer diameter of the pachinko ball 10. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the gap between the pitches of the spiral coil 1 is set to the pachinko ball 10
Is smaller than the outer diameter of the pachinko ball 10 so that the pitch of the spiral coil 1 is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the pachinko ball 10. In the example shown in FIG. Is also narrowed.

The sphere carrier according to the present invention is not limited to a pachinko ball carrier as described above, but can be applied to a golf ball or any other sphere carrier, and has a desired effect. Is something that can be done.

[0027]

According to the present invention, since the sphere is conveyed by rotating the spiral coil by the drive source, the sphere is conveyed according to the spiral of the spiral coil which is rotationally driven, and therefore the sphere is also conveyed in the horizontal direction. Can also,
Since the spiral coil can be installed in a curved shape and can be rotationally driven in a curved state, it has become possible to convey the sphere along a curved conveying path. Furthermore, since the spheres are transported according to the spiral that is driven to rotate, as long as the spiral coil is driven to rotate, the transport force is simultaneously generated on the individual spheres that form a line in the spiral coil and the spheres are transported in order. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a spherical carrier which can eliminate the clogging of the spherical body in the horizontal portion and the curved portion and can reduce the occupied space in view of the conveying ability.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of a spherical carrier according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a portion of a spiral coil holding plate in the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the spiral coil holding structure applicable to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the spherical carrier according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing still another embodiment of the spherical carrier according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing still another embodiment of the spherical carrier according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing an example of a spiral coil applicable to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a front view showing another example of the spiral coil applicable to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a front view showing still another example of the spiral coil applicable to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a front view showing still another example of the spiral coil applicable to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 spiral coil 2 motor as drive source 3 entrance of sphere 7 exit of sphere 10 sphere

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A sphere transporting device having a spiral coil and a drive source for rotationally driving the spiral coil, the sphere transporting device transporting a sphere by the spirally driven spiral coil, wherein one end of the spiral coil is an entrance of the sphere. The sphere flows into the spiral coil from this inlet. The inner diameter of the spiral coil is the size that allows the sphere inside the spiral coil to move by the rotation of the spiral coil. Is connected to the other end of the spiral coil or in the middle of the length direction to drive the spiral coil, and the outlet of the sphere conveyed by the spiral coil is provided near the other end of the spiral coil or in the middle of the other end, A sphere transporting device, wherein a gap between pitches of a portion of the spiral coil corresponding to the outlet is larger than an outer diameter of the sphere. 2. The spherical carrier according to claim 1, wherein a gap between pitches other than a portion corresponding to the outlet of the spiral coil is narrower than an outer diameter of the spherical body. 3. The sphere conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the gap between the pitches of the spiral coil is larger than the outer diameter of the sphere as a whole including the portion corresponding to the outlet of the spiral coil. 4. The spherical carrier according to claim 1, wherein the spherical body is a pachinko ball.