JPS62299282A - Pinball game machine - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention 3. Detailed Description of the Invention [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention can be effectively applied to the structure of a prize ball wandering device and a winning ball processing device in a pachinko game machine and a control device thereof. related to technology.

[Prior Art] The prize ball discharging device in conventional pachinko gaming machines generally uses a swingable line case, which separates winning balls one by one and removes the separated prize balls. It was made to swing by physically transmitting the movement of a lever rotated by the weight of the ball.

However, in recent years, many pachinko machines have a large variable prize winning device called Lucky Seven, which allows the player to win a large number of prize balls.

In a pachinko game machine having such a large variable winning device, there are many opportunities for simultaneous or consecutive winning balls to occur. However, in the conventional ball sheath case type prize ball ejecting device, which is operated by transmitting the physical force generated by the winning ball, there is a limit to how high the speed can be increased due to friction among the various mechanical parts.

Therefore, a guide gutter with one end facing the bottom opening of the storage tank located at the top of the back of the game board is arranged so that it slopes gently downward toward the other end, and at the end of this guide gutter, It consists of a gutter that constitutes a flow path, a flow prevention member that can enter into this flow path, and a drive source for this flow prevention member. A prize ball ejecting device (hereinafter referred to as a stopper type prize ball ejecting device) configured to eject balls has been proposed.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] When using the electrically controllable stopper type prize ball ejecting device as described above, the prize ball ejecting device does not release the winning balls like the conventional prize ball ejecting device using a line case. There is no need to transmit physical force to the prize ball ejecting device from the separation and processing device side; it is sufficient to detect winning balls and operate the prize ball ejecting device based on the detection signal. .

However, if you simply detect a winning ball and operate the prize ball ejection device based on the detection signal, the cause and effect relationship is invisible to the human eye, so even though a winning ball has occurred, There is no way to confirm the situation where the prize balls have not been ejected, and troubles are likely to occur between the players and the gaming parlor.

In addition, in a gaming machine using the stopper-type prize ball ejecting device described above, if the winning balls are generated faster than the prize ball ejecting speed, a sensor installed in the winning ball outlet gutter instead of the winning ball processing device is installed. One possible method is to continuously detect winning balls one after another, count the detection signals, and store them electrically. However, if such a system is adopted, there is a risk that if winning balls continuously fall down, they will be mistakenly detected as one winning ball. “Therefore, even when using a stopper-type prize ball ejecting device, a winning ball processing device is installed that separates and detects winning balls one by one, and the prize ball ejecting device One possible method is to activate the

Moreover, in that case, the winning ball processing device is equipped with a winning ball stopper that is operated by a drive source such as a solenoid, and after confirming that the prize ball discharging device has finished discharging, the stopper in the winning ball processing device is removed and the prize is placed. If the system is configured to let one ball flow down and then accept the next winning ball, it is possible to avoid troubles such as when a winning ball is generated but no prize ball is ejected.

However, if the stopper and its drive source are provided in the winning ball processing device, there will be an inconvenience that if a failure occurs in the drive source that requires replacement, it will be impossible to continue the game. .

[Objective of the Invention] The object of the present invention is to be able to process as quickly as possible a large number of winning balls generated in a short period of time, to accurately detect winning balls even if they occur continuously, and to detect winning balls in a continuous manner. This prevents troubles such as the prize ball not being ejected even though the ball has occurred, and also automatically detects and alerts when the drive source fails.
To provide winning ball processing and prize ball discharge processing technology for a Pachinko game machine, which allows the game to be continued by discharging prize balls without any delay.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a stopper-type prize ball discharging device in which a flow prevention member is operated by a drive source such as a solenoid to discharge prize balls. A pachinko game machine equipped with a ball receiving part capable of receiving winning balls, and a blocking part located above the ball receiving part for blocking or allowing the next winning ball to flow in depending on the posture of the ball receiving part. A ball processor having a weight member attached to the opposite side of the ball receiver and swingably disposed below the gathering side, and a ball processor that prevents the winning balls flowing into the ball receiver from flowing down. A winning ball processing device is comprised of a stopper and its drive source for allowing the ball to be processed, and a detector that detects the swinging of the ball processing device and detects that a winning ball has entered the ball receiver. facing the outlet of the bowl, detecting winning balls while separating them one by one in the prize ball processing device, and operating the prize ball ejecting device based on the detection signal to discharge a predetermined number of prize balls; Based on the prize ball ejection completion signal, the drive source in the entered prize ball processing device is operated to remove the stopper and cause the winning ball in the one ball receiver to flow down, making it ready for receiving the next winning ball, If the drive source of the stopper in the winning ball processing device fails, the winning ball processing device continuously processes and detects the winning balls, electrically stores the detected number of winning balls, and stores the winning ball. A control means is provided to operate the prize ball ejecting device based on.

[Function] According to the above-described means, there is no need to transmit physical force between the winning ball processing device and the prize ball discharging device, and the winning balls are separated one by one by the single ball processing device. It is possible to detect winning balls and store the number, and control the prize ball ejecting device based on the winning memory.

[Example] FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a back mechanism of a pachinko gaming machine according to the present invention.

A reserve ball storage tank 2 is disposed above the back mechanism panel 1, and one end of this storage tank 2 is connected to a guide gutter 11 that automatically aligns and guides the reserve balls inside. The guide gutter 11 has two passages and is gently sloped, and a swinging ball guide 3 and a suppressing ball guide 4 are provided in the middle, so that the spare balls can be passed through the guide gutter 11.
They are arranged in two lines while flowing down.

A stopper-type prize ball ejecting device 20 (see FIG. 4) is disposed at the downstream end of the guide gutter 11. The winning balls that hit the winning hole provided in the game board on the front side of the pachinko game machine 100 (see FIG. 2) are collected on the back side, collected in one place by the collecting side 10, and then individually broken into pieces by the winning ball processing device 40. Each ball is separated and detected by the winning ball detector 91, and as a result, a discharge command signal is generated.

Then, the prize ball ejecting device 20 is operated only once and a predetermined number (for example, 13) of prize balls are ejected. The winning balls separated and detected by the winning ball processing device 40 are sent to the lead-out gutter 12
and is discharged to a collection gutter (not shown) at the rear of the gaming machine. When the prize ball discharging device 20 finishes discharging the prize balls,
Upon receiving the ejection end signal, the winning ball processing device 40 separates and detects the next winning ball.

On the other hand, the prize balls ejected by the prize ball ejecting device 20 pass through the prize ball outlet gutter 13 and flow out from the supply port 14 into the supply tray 101 (see FIG. 2) on the front side of the gaming machine. supply tray 1
When the 01 is full, the prize balls are discharged through the diversion gutter 15 to the receiving tray 102 at the lower front of the gaming machine. saucer 102
When it becomes full, it is detected by an overflow detector 92 provided in the middle of the diversion gutter 15, and, for example, the drive of the batted ball launching device 103 is stopped.

An overflow indicator 113 is provided on the front of the gaming machine in order to notify the player when an overflow state of the tray is detected by the overflow detector 92.

On the front of the gaming machine 100, the above-mentioned overflow indicator 1 is provided.
In addition to 13, there is also a prize ball lamp 111 that is lit every time a prize ball is ejected in response to the generation of winning balls, and when the storage tank 2 is empty, the number of ejected prize balls reaches a predetermined number. A completion lamp 112 is turned on when the target is reached, and a fraud warning indicator lamp 114 is turned on or flashed when there is fraud such as intentionally activating the prize ball ejecting device 20 by inserting a piano wire or the like. A malfunction indicator lamp 115 that lights up or flashes when a ball is clogged in a prize ball ejecting device or the ejecting solenoid, ejecting sensor, etc. malfunctions;
- A prize ball number display 116 that displays the number of prize balls to be paid out in response to each winning ball, and a pilot lamp 1 that is lit while the firing motor of the batted ball launcher 103 is being driven.
Various display devices such as 17 are provided. The prize ball number display 116 is composed of a transparent plate on which, for example, three types of prize ball numbers are written, and three lamps respectively arranged behind the transparent plate. Display is performed by selectively lighting lamps corresponding to the numbers.

1 and 05 are out holes for collecting balls hit into the game board that do not enter the prize opening into the back of the game board, and 93 is an out hole for collecting balls that are hit into the game board but do not enter the winning hole. This is a ball shortage detector for detecting.

Further, below the prize ball discharging device 20, a ball extraction gutter 16 is provided in parallel with the prize ball deriving gutter 13.

A ball extracting device 60 having a switching gate is disposed at the entrance of the ball extracting gutter 16, that is, at any branch point of the prize ball deriving gutter 13. This ball extraction device 60 is a holding frame 10 of a gaming machine.
The gate can be operated by inserting a tool such as a bottle or wire through an operation hole 106 formed on the front surface of the gate. When the switching gate is switched to the ball removal gutter 16 side, the ball removal switch 84 is turned on.

In conventional pachinko machines using a line case, the gate for removing balls was placed upstream of the prize ball ejecting device, so even if one ball was removed, a ball remained in the middle. In this embodiment, since the ball extracting device 60 is located downstream of the prize ball ejecting device, all balls can be extracted, and the data of the pachinko parlor can be accurately aggregated.

The lower end of the ball extraction gutter 16 merges with an out ball guide gutter 17 that guides out balls collected from the out hole 105, and is a collection gutter (not shown) arranged below the island equipment of the pachinko parlor.
The collected balls are designed to flow out towards the target.

Further, on the back mechanism panel 1, there is a control device for electrically controlling the entire pachinko game machine, such as stopping ball launch based on detection signals from the prize ball ejecting device 20 and overflow detector 92, and driving various display devices. 200 and a game content control device 210 that controls game operations based on signals from detectors built into various variable prize winning devices on the front of the game board, variable display type auxiliary game devices, and the like.

In the field of pachinko machines, in order to prevent players from leaving due to monotonous game content, players are often replaced with a new game board with a different game content or design, but in this case, the game board is excluded. The pachinko machine itself and the back mechanism panel are almost the same.

However, it is very uneconomical to replace such unchanging parts together with the game board before their lifespan has reached the end.

In the above embodiment, the configuration is such that only the game board and its game content control device 210 need be replaced when replacing the game board. In other words, the game content control device 210 is fixed to the back of the removable game board, and the prize ball ejecting device 2
0, the winning ball processing device 40, and their control equipment [200, together with the spare ball storage tank 2 and various guide channels 10 to 17, are fixed to the back mechanism panel 1 integrated with the gaming machine main body. Therefore, even when replacing the game board, most of the main body and back mechanism board can be left as they are and can be used continuously, which is very economical.

On the outer surface of the control device 200, prize ball number setting devices 81 and 82 consisting of dip switches and the like are attached in order to set the number of balls ejected in one ejection operation of the prize ball ejecting device 20. Additionally, at the top of the back mechanism panel 1, there is a manual switch (hereinafter referred to as a memory ejection switch) for ejecting the winning balls on the collecting shelf 1° without operating the prize ball ejecting device 20 when the ball is stopped or malfunctions. ) 83 are provided. That is, this memory ejection switch 83 provides a pseudo ejection end signal in place of the ejection sensor 25 in the prize ball ejecting device 20, which will be described later.

FIG. 3 shows the structure of the reserve ball storage tank 2, the guide gutter 11, and the prize ball discharge device 20, and their connection state.

The storage tank 2 is mounted so as to be placed in a storage recess formed in the upper part of the back mechanism panel 1.

Although not shown, one end of the bottom wall of the storage tank 2 (left end in the diagram)
An opening is formed in the guide gutter 11, and the guide gutter 11 is attached so as to face this opening. A footboard is rotatably disposed on the bottom wall of the guide gutter 11, and when there are no pre-flag balls in the storage tank 2, the ball shortage detector 93 detects the rise of the footboard and issues a ball replenishment request signal. Form.

A dividing wall 11a is provided in the middle of the guide gutter 11 to separate and align the balls flowing down into two strips. Ball guide 3 is guide gutter 1
The ball is suspended from a support part 11b formed on the upper part of the guide trough 11 by a pin 3a, and the balls falling vertically overlapping each other on the guide gutter 11 are broken and aligned. The ball guide 4 is the guide gutter 11
It is rotatably supported by pins 4b on supporting pieces 4a fixed to both sides of the guide gutter 11, and prevents the balls flowing down the guide gutter 11 from overlapping.

Further, in the middle of the guide gutter 11, preferably just before the prize ball ejecting device 20, there is provided a flow control member 7 which is rotatable about the pin 4b as a fulcrum. The bent piece at the tip of the flow control member 7 is divided into two parts, and when rotated as indicated by the broken line A in the figure, each bent piece 7c.

7d enters into the long holes 11c and lid formed in the earthen wall of the guide gutter 11 corresponding to the two guide paths, thereby preventing the balls from flowing down in the guide gutter 11.

The supply to the prize ball ejecting device 20 can be manually interrupted.

This makes it possible to easily perform maintenance and inspection of the prize ball ejecting device 20 and replacement work in the event of a failure.

Further, an operating piece 7b is provided on one side of the flow control member 7 so as to protrude laterally, so that the flow control member 7 can be easily rotated manually. Furthermore, this operation piece 7b
A spring 9 is stretched between the pin 8 and the pin 8 provided on the side wall of the guide trough 11, and the spring 9 can stably maintain the state of the flow control member 7.

A prize ball discharging device 20 having a downstream path 30 integrally is disposed at the downstream end of the guide gutter 11. In this case, a locking piece lie is provided on the side of the machine at the downstream end of the guide gutter 11, and guide pieces 30a projecting forward are provided at the top and bottom of the starting end of the downstream path 3o on the prize ball ejecting device side. 30a and the locking piece lie, the guide trough 11
and the downstream path 30 can be connected to each other.

4 to 6 show details of the prize ball ejecting device 20.

The prize ball ejecting device 20 includes a flow path 30 and a flow prevention member 22 that enters the flow path 30 and controls the flow of balls.
and a solenoid 21 serving as its driving means are integrally connected.

The downstream path 30 includes a gently inclined alignment gutter 31, a flow regulation 1 m 33 extending substantially vertically downward from the downstream end of the alignment gutter 31, and a connecting portion between the alignment gutter 31 and the flow regulation value 33. an adjustment section 32 that changes the direction of the ball flowing down by about 90 degrees; an induction gutter 34 extending diagonally downward at an angle of about 45 degrees from the lower end of the flow adjustment value 33; A discharge gutter 35 extends vertically downward.

Near the boundary between the guide gutter 34 and the discharge gutter 35, there is a flow path 3.
A pair of support pieces 36 protrude from the outer side wall of 0, and the support shaft 24 is horizontally suspended between the support pieces 36.

Further, the flow path 30 is formed with two strips corresponding to the guide gutter 11, and a pair of fan-shaped flow prevention members 22 are rotatable about the support shaft 24 in correspondence with the two flow channels 30. A pair of solenoids 21 are also provided corresponding to the six flow prevention members 22 installed. The tip end of the flow-down prevention member 22 enters through a slit provided in the inner wall of the flow-down path 30 and projects into the guide gutter 34 . The rear end of the flow prevention member 22 is connected to the plunger 2 of the solenoid 21 via a link member 23.
1a, and as the plunger 21a expands and contracts, the flow prevention member 22 is reciprocated around the support shaft 24, and the tip enters or retreats into the guide gutter 34. It looks like this. This allows or prevents the spheres from flowing down to effect a predetermined number of discharges.

Further, the side wall of the guide gutter 34 is bulged to the outside.

A storage section 37 is formed, and an ejected bulb detector 25 consisting of a transmission type optical sensor is inserted into this storage section 37.

In addition, above the solenoid 21, the lead wires drawn out from the solenoid 21 and the ejected bulb detector 25 are concentrated in one place, and the wiring for connecting to the control device 200 is connected from the front. A connector 26 is provided for connection. Then, the engagement portion 13a formed at the starting end of the prize ball outlet gutter 13 is engaged with the lower end of the downstream path 30 to establish a connection.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG.
8 is attached, and one end of this conductive sheet 38 is grounded to a frame or the like. Thereby, the static electricity charged on the falling ball can be released, and damage to the discharged ball detector 25 due to static electricity can be prevented.

In other words, it is possible to use a mechanical device such as a microswitch as a detector, but since the microswitch has a slow return operation, there is a risk that it will turn on and become permanently turned on if the ball continues to fall. In addition to this, chattering is also likely to occur. In addition, contact failure is likely to occur after long-term use, so the microswitch is not suitable as a detector that continuously detects balls like a prize ball ejector. An optical sensor is used as the device 25.

However, since the optical sensor is formed of an IC, it is susceptible to static electricity, and moreover, while the discharge bulb is flowing down the guide gutter 11, it is charged with static electricity due to friction with the gutter, and the sensor is easily damaged by this static electricity. There is this inconvenience. The above-described embodiment avoids this inconvenience by generating electrical discharge using the conductive sheet 38 attached to the bottom surface of the alignment gutter 31. Also,
By selecting the material for the conductive sheet 38, the frictional force between the ball and the gutter can be reduced to make the flow of each ball smoother.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, slits 31a and 33a are provided in the upper wall of the rectifying gutter 31 and the outer wall of the flow regulator 33, which constitute the flow path of the prize ball ejecting device 2o, respectively. This allows you to insert a tool such as a pin through the slit 31a or 33a in the event that a foreign object or the like enters the flow path and causes a ball to become clogged in the prize ball ejecting device 2o or prevents the ball from flowing smoothly. Maintenance is easy, as foreign matter can be removed by The slits 31a and 33a are fitted with a lid member 39 having a stepped portion 39a of approximately the same size as the slits, and fixed to screws or the like to close the slits.

Next, the operation of the flow path (30) configured as described above and the flow control device 20 will be explained in detail using FIG. 6.

When the prize ball discharge bag [20] is in a state where the flow prevention member 22 enters the guide path 34 as shown by the solid line in FIG. 6, the pachinko balls B aligned in the flow path (30) are
The most advanced ball B is stopped by coming into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the flow prevention member 22. At this time, two balls B1. B.

However, there are also three balls B, B4. B
The dimensions of the induction gutter 34 and the flow conditioner 33 are determined so that the flow conditioner 33 is accommodated. Furthermore, the uppermost ball B within the flow adjustment value 33 is pushed by the balls B6, B7, etc. within the alignment gutter 31 and comes into contact with the tapered adjustment portion 32. . By being pressed toward the adjustment section 32, the ball B receives a repulsive force from the adjustment section 32, and the repulsion force is applied to the ball B5 and the balls below it B4. It was conveyed to B...
It acts to push them downward. the result,
When the flow prevention member 22 is retreated from the inside of the guide gutter 34 as shown by the broken line C in FIG. ~B begins to flow down quickly.

When the balls B1 to B flow down, the balls BG in the alignment gutter 31.

Following this, B7... starts flowing down. and,
At the exit of the alignment trough 31, the flow first collides with the adjustment section 32 to reduce the flow rate, and the flow direction is changed from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction by approximately 90 degrees, and then enters the flow adjustment section 33.

Since acceleration is performed there due to its own weight, the adjustment section 32
The distance between the balls will be ensured between the following balls that are decelerated by
Therefore, for example, when the solenoid 21 is demagnetized at the time when the ball B7 is detected.

Even if there is a delay in the operation of the flow prevention member 22, the flow can be prevented before the ball B7 passes. By increasing the distance between the balls in this way, the flow prevention member can be easily controlled. However, the number of prize balls ejected when B7 is detected and the solenoid 21 is turned off is six.

Further, in the flow down path 30, the centers 05 of the balls B located at the uppermost part of the flow regulation section 32 are aligned in the alignment gutter 31 in a state where the balls are prevented from flowing down by the flow prevention member 22. Centers 0, . of balls B,,B7... 0.・・・・・・
The dimensions of the guide gutter 34 and the flow regulating section 33 are determined so that they are located below the extension line of the center line connecting the two.

Therefore, the pressure transmitted from the waiting balls BG, B, . . . to B produces a component force that pushes down the ball B5. As a result, when the flow prevention member 22 retreats, the uppermost ball Bs of the flow regulating section 33 is sandwiched between the following ball B and the outer wall 33a of the flow regulating section 33, and the ball B There is no obstruction in trying to follow the flow of B4.

The ejected ball detector 25 provided in the middle of the guide gutter 34 is arranged so that its detection optical axis F is located at a position slightly deviated from the center of the ball flowing down in the gutter. If the detection optical axis F is positioned so that it passes through the center of the sphere, if multiple spheres come down in succession, the pulse interval of the detection signal will become narrow and accurate counting may not be possible. . However, in this embodiment, accurate counting is possible by shifting the detection optical axis F from the center of the sphere as described above.

Further, the flow prevention member 22 is arranged so that the rotating surface of the fan-shaped flow prevention member 22 coincides with the flow locus of the center of the falling ball.
is attached and moved from above the guide gutter 34 downward into the gutter to stop the balls flowing down.

Therefore, when the ball stops flowing down, the flow prevention member 22
Since the impact force acting on the flow prevention member 22 can be received by the stopper portion that limits the rotation range of the flow prevention member 22 (for example, the slit end of the guide gutter 34 into which the flow prevention member 22 enters), the impact force acting on the flow prevention member 22 can be easily withstood. It can have strength.

Moreover, since the ball B1 at the lowest end comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the fan-shaped flow prevention member 22 and is stopped, the lowermost ball B1 bites between the outer peripheral surface of the flow prevention member 22 and the wall surface of the guide gutter 34. Even if it is stopped in such a manner, when the flow prevention member 22 is retreated, it moves away while rotating the ball B on its outer peripheral surface. Therefore, the flow prevention member 22 can be retreated with a relatively small force, and the flow prevention member 22 can be moved backward with a relatively small force.
This prevents the ball from being stuck between the wall surface of the guide gutter 34 and the wall surface of the guide gutter 34.

Furthermore, it is arranged so that the line connecting the rotation center of the flow prevention member 22 and the center 01 of the lowest ball B1 in the guide gutter 34 is horizontal. Therefore, as soon as the end of the flow prevention member 22 comes off the outer periphery of the ball B, the ball B becomes able to flow down, and after the ball B slides down a little as the flow prevention member 22 rotates, the blocking force is released. and will not start flowing down.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the angle α between the flow regulation section 33 and the induction gutter 34 may be in the range of 0 to 90 degrees;
If it is set around ``'', the speed of the falling ball accelerated in the flow regulating section 33 will not be significantly reduced, and the load on the falling ball 22 when stopped can be reduced.

Further, in the above embodiment, when the ball is prevented from flowing down by the flow prevention member 22, the ball is separated from the contact point between the flow prevention member 22 and the lowest ball B8 in the guide gutter 34 by the diameter of the ball. The vertical line G passing through the point and the wall surface 35 of the discharge gutter 35
The distance d from a is smaller than the radius r of the sphere, and r-rc
becomes larger than osα (r − r co sα<
The position of the terminal end 34a of the guide trough 34 is determined so that d<r).

As a result, when the flow prevention member 22 enters the guide gutter 34 and prevents the balls from flowing down, the last ball to be discharged is pushed by the end surface 22a of the flow prevention member 22 and is discharged. When it reaches the terminal end 34a of the guide gutter 34, it flows down into the discharge gutter 35 and can escape from the flow prevention member 22. Therefore, the final discharge bulb remains in the guide pipe 3.
5 and does not obstruct the entry of the flow prevention member 22, making it possible to quickly stop the discharge.

FIG. 7 shows details of an embodiment of the winning ball processing device 40.

A collecting shelf 10 provided on the back surface of the W&mechanism panel 1 is inclined downward toward the center, and a flow path conversion section 10C is provided at the center. This flow path converting section 10C includes the left and right collecting shelves 10
A. A vertical wall 10a that creates a step in the IOB, and a guide piece 10b that is fixed to the vertical wall 10a and has an arcuate front end to direct the winning balls flowing down from the right set tM10A forward. , and a tapered portion 10c formed so as to be gently sloped downward toward the front at the terminal end of the collecting shelf 10A below the guide piece 10b.

Corresponding to the flow path conversion section 10G, an inlet 41a through which one ball can pass is formed in a holding frame 41 integrated with a panel attached to cover the collecting shelf 10.
L-shaped winning ball guide plate 42 along one side and lower side of 1a
is provided, and the direction of the winning balls that flow in is changed by 90 degrees.

A ball processing device 43 is swingably attached to a support shaft 44 so as to be located on the side of the winning ball guide plate 42 . A ball receiver 43a having a concave shape is formed on the side of the ball processor 43 that faces the award ball guide plate 42, and a weight 45 is attached to the opposite side. The installation is such that the side will lower due to its weight. Then, the lower side of the ball receiving portion 43a on the opposite side comes into contact with the lower surface of the award ball guide plate 42, preventing further rotation and maintaining balance. In this state, Figure 8 (A
) When a winning ball falls from above the winning ball guide plate 42 to the ball receiver 43a, the weight of the ball moves the ball to the ball processor 43.
The weight of the weight 45 is determined so that it rotates clockwise. The ball processing device 43 rotated by the weight of the inflowing balls is stopped when its lower side abuts against the holding frame 41.

The ball processing device 43 has the above-mentioned award ball guide plate 4 in this stopped state.
A blocking piece 43b is provided in a protruding manner at a position facing 2. As a result, when two or more winning balls occur in succession, the second and subsequent winning balls are blocked by the blocking piece 4 as shown in FIG. 8(B).
3b prevents the ball from flowing down and makes it wait on the winning ball guide plate 42. Further, although the mounting position is not limited, for example, a detection piece 43c is provided on the upper part of the ball processing device 43, and a pair of emitter and light receiver are provided on the holding frame 41 corresponding to this detection piece 43c. A safe sensor 91, such as an optical sensor, is attached.

Furthermore, a solenoid 46 is disposed on the side of the ball handler 43, and is located at a position opposite to the lower side of the ball receiver of the ball handler 43 rotated by the inflow of winning balls into the ball receiver 43a. , the plunger 46a of the solenoid 46
A stopper 47 fixed to the tip faces. In the demagnetized state of this solenoid 46, the stopper 47 at the tip of the plunger comes into contact with the winning ball that is pulled down by the spring 48 and is held in the one-ball receiving part 43a and is about to flow down toward the winning ball outlet gutter 12 below. (Fig. 8 (B)
)) Then, when the solenoid 46 is energized, the plunger 46a contracts, the stopper 47 is raised, and the winning ball held in the ball receiving part 43a flows down toward the outlet gutter 12. Note that the stopper 47 has an operating piece 47a.
A stopper 47 is protruded from the stopper 47 so that the pachinko parlor staff can manually move the stopper 47 and eject the winning balls in the event of a ball jam or a solenoid failure.

The solenoid 46 is activated, for example, upon receiving an ejection end signal from the prize ball ejecting device 20. When the solenoid 46 is energized and the winning balls are caused to flow down, the ball processor 43 is rotated counterclockwise by the weight of the weight 45, and the blocking piece 43b is raised. Therefore, the next winning balls that have been generated continuously and have been kept waiting on the winning ball guide plate 42 flow into the ball receiving portion 43a, and the ball processing device 43 is rotated clockwise again. In this manner, by repeating the above operations, a large number of winning balls generated in a short period of time are quickly separated, detected, and processed.

As described above, if a stopper type device is used as the prize ball ejecting device 20, which controls the ejection of prize balls by moving a flow prevention member into or retreating from the flow path using a solenoid, the prize ball ejecting device 20 may simply be a prize ball ejecting gutter. It is also possible to perform high-speed discharge control by installing a safe sensor in the middle of the ball to detect winning balls and storing it electrically.

On the other hand, in the winning ball processing device 40 of the above embodiment, the winning balls are separated and detected one by one by the ball processing device 43, so the detection interval between the previous winning ball and the next winning ball is set as necessary. Therefore, successive winning balls can be detected more accurately. In addition, in conventional gaming machines that use a line case type prize ball ejection device, prize balls are separated one by one to control the ejection of prize balls. Move the lever with the winning ball and use that movement to remove the stopper of the line case, tilt it and eject it, and then physically transmit the tilting of the line case to the ball processing device to allow the first winning ball to flow down. Since it is designed to be allowed, the response speed is slower than that of the winning ball processing device of the above embodiment, and it is not suitable for processing winning balls that occur in large quantities in a short period of time.

In addition, in the winning ball processing device 40 of the above embodiment, after confirming that the prize ball discharging device 20 has finished discharging, the solenoid 4G is activated to discharge the previous winning ball and proceed to detect the first winning ball. Since it can be controlled, it is possible to prevent troubles between players and gaming parlors, such as prize balls not being paid out even though winning balls have been generated.6 In other words, if prize balls are not ejected, winning balls will not be paid out. remains at the stopper, so if you look there you can immediately tell whether the player's claim is correct or not. Moreover, there is a one-to-one relationship between the ejection of winning balls and prize balls, and while the ejection of winning balls is stopped, the processing of winning balls is also interrupted, and the winning balls that have not been ejected are kept on standby, so there is no power outage countermeasure. becomes unnecessary. In other words, if winning balls are detected in advance and stored electrically in a memory or counter, countermeasures against power outages such as battery backup are required to prevent the stored number from being erased in the event of a power outage. If the winning ball processing device of the above embodiment is used, this need is eliminated.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, since the winning balls are detected indirectly by detecting the rotation of the ball processing device 43, damage to the safe sensor 91 due to static electricity charged on the pachinko balls is prevented. .

In other words, in the case of the above embodiment, it is possible to directly detect the winning ball by placing the sensor 91 facing the passage path of the winning ball, but if this is done, the sensor may be damaged by the static electricity charged on the winning ball. However, indirect detection can prevent damage to the resensor.

In the above embodiment, since the winning ball processing device is configured as shown in FIG. 7, the right collecting shelf 10A is given an angle of 6 to 8 degrees as the inclination angle α, and the left collecting shelf 10B is given an angle of 6 to 8 degrees. The inclination angle β is set at 14 to 16″ to make the speeds of winning balls flowing down the left and right collection shelves 10A and IOB different, and the height h of the vertical wall 10a is set to 12 mm or more. Therefore, even if a plurality of winning balls are generated and the winning balls flow down from the left and right at the same time, the flow path conversion unit 10
This prevents balls from clogging at C.

Next, an embodiment of a control device 200 that controls the prize ball ejecting device 20 to eject a predetermined number of prize balls, controls the batted ball firing device 103, etc. will be described using FIG. 9.

In this embodiment, the control of the prize ball ejecting device 20, etc. is controlled by CP'
This is done using a U (microcomputer) 200'.

The prize ball number setter 81, 82, memory discharge switch 83, ball removal switch 84, safe sensor 91, overflow detector 92, and ball shortage detector 93 in the above embodiment are input to the CPU 200'.

By providing the prize ball number setting devices 81 and 82, it is possible to control models (pachinko machines) with different numbers of prize balls.

In addition, the CPU 200' receives ejected ball detection signals from a pair of ejected ball detectors (hereinafter referred to as ejected sensors) 25 provided in the middle of the downstream path 30 of the prize ball ejecting device 20.
It is now entered.

Further, a stop command signal is inputted to the CPU 200' from a central control device of a pachinko parlor (not shown).

The CPU 200' has an internal read-only memory ROM.
201 and RA, which is a memory that can be read and written at any time.
It has M202. this house.

The ROM 201 stores a program to be executed by the CPU 200' to control the prize ball ejecting device, etc., and fixed data such as the drive time and wait time (ejection interval) of the safe solenoid 46 per time.

On the other hand, the RAM 202 is a memory area for storing the cumulative number of balls ejected from each downstream path 30, the number of ejected balls for each downstream path, etc., based on the ejected ball detection signal from the ejecting sensor 25, and the software. It provides a register area that constitutes a timer and a work area for the CPU 200'.

Furthermore, a pair of solenoids (hereinafter referred to as discharge solenoids) 21 in the prize ball ejecting device 20, a solenoid (hereinafter referred to as safe solenoids) 46 in the winning ball processing device 40, and a pair of solenoids (hereinafter referred to as safe solenoids) 46 in the prize ball processing device 40, , prize ball lamp 111, completion lamp 112. Display devices such as an overflow lamp 113, a fraud warning indicator lamp 114, a malfunction indicator lamp 115, a prize ball count indicator 116, and a pilot lamp 117 (see FIG. 2), a speaker 120, a batted ball launcher 103, etc. are connected. ing. According to the program in the ROM 201, the CPU 200' operates the prize ball ejecting device 20, various display lamps, etc. based on the signals from the setting device, various detectors, and switches.
It is designed to drive the ball launcher 103 and the like.

The main processing of cpU200' is overflow processing,
These are tank processing, 9 ball removal processing, prize ball detection processing, and prize ball discharge processing. However, the processing steps are not limited to the above order, and may be executed from any one of the steps. The pachinko game machine is controlled by repeatedly executing the above processing using timer interrupts or the like.

Here, the overflow processing is performed by detecting a detection signal from the overflow detector 92, for example.

The overflow lamp 113 is turned on for a predetermined time (10 to 20
(Second) Lighting or blinking, and if the overflow state is still not released, the firing operation by the batted ball firing device 103 is stopped. As a result, the prize ball inside the prize ball derivation ui13 is ejected! A position 20
It is possible to avoid filling the prize balls up to a point close to that of the prize balls, which would adversely affect the ejection operation.

In the tank processing, when it is detected that the storage tank 2 is empty and the ball shortage detector 93 is turned off, for example, a ball replenishment request is sent to the central control room and the completion lamp 112 is turned on, and at the same time or at the same time. After that, the prize ball ejecting device 20
When a ball-free state is detected based on the signal from the discharge sensor 25 inside the ball launcher 103, the ball launcher 103 is stopped. When the ball replenishment request signal is sent to the central control room, a replenishment device (not shown) above the tank is operated in response to a command from the central control room, and the storage tank 2 is refilled.

In this embodiment, even if the presence of balls in the tank is detected by the signal from the ball shortage detector 93, the ejection of prize balls is not restarted immediately, but a delay time td of, for example, 2 seconds has elapsed as shown in FIG. It is designed to wait for the process to restart before restarting. The reason for including the delay time is to take into consideration the time difference between when the tank is refilled and when the guide 41i11 is filled with spare balls, thereby preventing the prize ball ejecting device 20 from emptying.

In the ball removal process, the switching gate of the ball nucleus device 60 is connected to the ball removal channel 16.
When it is detected based on the signal from the ball removal switch 84 that the entrance to the prize ball outlet gutter 13 is switched to open and the entrance to the prize ball outlet gutter 13 is closed.

Activating the solenoid 21 in the prize ball ejecting device 20,
The storage tank 2 is emptied by continuously discharging the reserve balls through the two flow paths 30.

Since the safe ball detection process and the prize ball ejecting device are interrelated and complicated, timing charts are shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, and the following description will be based on these.

When processing starts due to power-on or interrupt occurrence,
C: Before detecting winning balls, the PU 200' first initializes the safe memory that stores the number of winning balls and various registers, and then discharges balls once for each falling path in the prize ball ejecting device 20. The number (hereinafter referred to as the number of discharge bases) is determined.

In the gaming machine of the above embodiment, prize ball number setting devices 81 and 82 each consisting of a dip switch are provided for setting the number of balls to be ejected. Therefore, the CPU 200' determines the number of ejected balls 1 and 2 according to the combination of on and off states of these switches 81 and 82, for example, as shown in the following table, and also displays the total number of prize balls on the display on the front of the gaming machine. 116.

Here, as an example, a case is shown in which the total number of prize balls is set to 11, 13, or 15.

Table 1 In Table 1 above, the discharge solenoid 1 side refers to the solenoid installed on the side of the two flow paths that is closer to the board; is determined so that it is always larger than the discharge solenoid 2 side. This relationship is set because when there are two flow paths, the flow of balls flowing from the storage tank 2 through the guide gutter 11 toward the prize ball ejecting device 20 is on the side closer to the board. This is because it has been experimentally revealed that the downstream path is smoother, and that the farther side tends to always run out of balls.

Therefore, by always increasing the number of discharge bases on the discharge solenoid 1 side as shown in Table 1, it is possible to balance the supply of balls to the two flow paths.

Note that when the set n prize balls are ejected by the prize ball ejecting device 20 shown in FIG. 3, the ejection sensor 25
There is one ball on the downstream side of the installation position that is blocked by a flow prevention member 22.

The next ejection command is awaited while the ejection sensor 25 is detecting the previous ball. Therefore, in actual control, it is necessary to change the control signal to the solenoid 21 that activates the flow prevention member 22 when the discharge sensor detects the n-1th ball, which is "1" less than the set number n. be.

During normal operation, as shown in the timing chart of Fig. 11, the winning memory in the safe memory becomes "1" in response to the rise of the output of the safe sensor, the safe lamp is lit, and the discharge solenoids 1 and 2 are activated. When it is turned on 6, the ejection of prize balls starts, and the outputs of ejection sensors 1 and 2 change for each ejected ball, reaching a predetermined number (base number - in Table 1).
When 1) is reached, a solenoid demagnetization command is issued,
The corresponding exhaust solenoid is turned off and the safe lamp is turned off. At the same time, the safe solenoid is turned on for approximately Loom seconds, the winning ball is ejected, and the next winning ball can be accepted. On the other hand, the ejection wait timer is turned on at the same time as the safe solenoid is turned on, and the start of ejection of the next prize ball is waited until this timer times out (600 ms).

Since the safe solenoid timer is set to 100 ms, the stopper 47 driven by the safe solenoid 46 is raised during Looms, and the winning balls that have been blocked by the stopper 47 are reliably ejected. Next, it is possible to quickly shift to a state in which the winning balls that have flowed into the winning ball processing device 40 are placed on standby.

Further, since the ejection weight timer is set to 600 m5, it is possible to proceed to the next ejection after the state of the ball in the guide f1111 is stabilized after ejection is completed, and the accuracy of ejection is guaranteed.

In this embodiment, if the safe solenoid 46 in the winning ball processing device 40 malfunctions and the separation and detection of winning balls no longer progresses, this will be automatically detected and an malfunction display will be displayed. It is supposed to be done. In other words, the 12th
If the safe solenoid 46 breaks down during prize ball ejection as shown by the symbol in the figure, if it is normal, the stopper 47 will be removed upon receiving the prize ball ejection completion signal and the winning ball will be ejected. Where the output signal should fall to a low level, as indicated by the broken line in the figure, it remains at a high level.

Therefore, in this embodiment, if the CPU 200' determines that the output of the safe sensor 91 remains at a high level even after an appropriate time T has passed since the end of the discharge (when the discharge solenoid 21 and the safe lamp 111 are turned off), , the malfunction indicator lamp 115 is turned on. Therefore, the staff at the game parlor can see this malfunction indicator lamp and know that a malfunction has occurred. Then, the staff member lifts the operation piece 47a provided on the stopper 47 and hooks it onto a locking portion (not shown) provided on the holding frame 41. Thereafter, the prize processing device 4o operates with the stopper 47 removed.

In other words, regardless of whether or not there is an ejection end signal from the prize ball ejecting device 20, when a winning ball enters, the line processor 43
rotates, the safe sensor 91 detects this, and the winning balls flow directly into the winning ball outlet gutter 12 and are sent to the line processor 43.
The ball rotates to the opposite side under the weight of the weight 45 and accepts the first winning ball. By repeating this, the prize ball ejecting device 2o
One winning ball is detected regardless of the ejecting operation. Furthermore, the CPU 200' counts the detection signals of the safe sensor 91 and stores the number of winning balls in an internal storage area (safe memory).

Note that if the stopper 47 is forcibly removed by the staff member, the output signal of the safe sensor 91 will change to low level when the winning ball is ejected and the line processor 43 returns to its original state, so the CPU 200' will be in a malfunctioning state. I know that it has been canceled. Then, the malfunction indicator lamp 111 is turned off. After that, the CPU 200'' sends an ejection command signal to the prize ball ejecting device 2o according to the winning memory in the safe memory, and instead of driving the safe solenoid 46 upon receiving the ejection end signal, the CPU 200'' deletes one winning memory in the internal safe memory. Subtract.

In this way, in this embodiment, simply by removing the stopper 47, the number of winning balls is stored electrically from now on.

Since the ejection of prize balls is controlled based on this, the game can be continued even if the safe solenoid 46 breaks down.

In the embodiment described above, when there is an abnormality in the prize ball ejecting device 20, the malfunction indicator lamp 115 is made to blink, but instead of the lamp, a speaker or a buzzer is used to notify the malfunction with audio. You can do it like this.

Furthermore, the pachinko game machine of the above embodiment has a special design added to the drive circuit of the ejection solenoid 21 in the prize ball ejection device 20. That is, as shown in FIG. 13, the various indicator lamps L, discharge solenoid 21, and safe solenoid 46 are connected between the power supply voltage terminal VA and the ground point.

Switch transistor T connected in series with them
r,, T r2. Although it is designed to be driven by turning on and off T r3, etc., in the above embodiment, a zener voltage having a zener voltage such as 24 V, which is higher than the peak value of the power supply voltage, is connected in parallel with the discharge solenoid 21. A diode Dz is connected thereto.

Therefore, when a voltage obtained by full-wave rectification of 24V AC is applied to the power supply voltage terminal VA, the transistor Tr
Normally, when the solenoid is turned off, it takes t1 hours for the solenoid to be completely demagnetized as shown in Figure 14 (A), but when the Zener diode Dz is connected in parallel with the solenoid coil, , which acts as a forced energy release means to shorten the demagnetization time of the solenoid. In other words, the area S□ of the shaded part in Fig. 14 (A) and (B)
The time t2 during which and 82 become equal is the demagnetization time when the Zener diode Dz is inserted. As a result, when the Zener voltage is 24V, the demagnetization time is reduced to about half that of the case where no Zener diode is inserted, and the response speed of the flow prevention member 22 in the prize ball ejecting device 20 is increased accordingly.

In addition, in FIG. 13, the diode D connected in series with the Zener diode D2 in the reverse direction is for holding the transistor Tr2 from the back electromotive force of the solenoid, and the switch transistor T of the safe solenoid 46 is
A similar protection diode D is also provided at r.

However, since the safe solenoid 46 does not require much faster response than the discharge solenoid 21, the Zener diode Dz is not required.

[Effects] As explained above, the present invention provides a pachinko game machine equipped with a stopper-type prize ball ejecting device in which a falling prevention member is actuated by a drive source such as a solenoid to eject prize balls. A ball receiving part capable of receiving a ball; a blocking part located above this ball receiving part to prevent or allow the next winning ball to flow in depending on its posture; and a blocking part on the opposite side of the ball receiving part. a line processing device having a weight member attached thereto and swingably disposed below the collecting tank; a stopper for preventing or allowing the winning balls flowing into the ball receiving portion from flowing down; The winning ball processing device, which consists of a drive source and a detector that detects the swinging of the line processing device and detects that winning balls have flowed into the ball receiver, is placed facing the outlet of the winning ball collecting tank. , the winning balls are detected while being separated one by one in the entered prize ball processing device, the prize ball discharging device is operated based on the detection signal to discharge a predetermined number of prize balls, and the prize ball discharging end signal is activated. Based on this, the drive source in the entered prize ball processing device is operated to remove the stopper and cause the winning ball in the one ball receiving section to flow down, making it ready to receive the next winning ball, and the stopper in the entered winning ball processing device is activated. If the drive source fails, the winning balls are continuously processed and detected by the winning ball processing device, the detected number of winning balls is stored electrically, and the prize ball ejecting device is activated based on the winning memory. Since a control means for operating is provided, there is no need to transmit physical force between the winning ball processing device and the prize ball ejecting device, and the winning balls are separated one by one by the line processing device.
Furthermore, by detecting the separated winning balls, memorizing their number, and controlling the prize ball ejecting device based on the winning memory, a large number of winning balls can be generated in a short period of time. In addition to being able to process the winning balls as quickly as possible, it also accurately detects winning balls even if winning balls occur in succession, and prevents problems such as winning balls not being ejected even though winning balls have occurred. prevent the occurrence of
Moreover, even if the drive source fails, this is automatically detected and notified, and the prize balls can be ejected without delay, allowing the game to continue.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a rear view showing an example of the overall configuration of the back mechanism panel of a pachinko game machine according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the pachinko game machine according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a preliminary @ ball Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the structure of the prize ball ejecting device, and Fig. 5 is a cross section of the flow path of the prize ball ejecting device. A perspective view showing the state, FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the action of the prize ball discharging device, FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the prize ball processing device, and FIGS. 8 (A) and (B) are , is an operation explanatory diagram showing the operation of the winning ball processing device. Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of a control system for a pachinko game machine, Fig. 10 is a timing chart showing timing in tank processing for replenishing the storage tank, and Fig. 11 is prize ball ejection by the CPU. Fig. 12 is a timing chart showing the timing in the process; Fig. 12 is a timing chart of prize ball ejection processing when the safe solenoid is defective; Fig. 13 is a circuit explanatory diagram showing an example of drive circuits for various lamps and solenoids; Fig. 14 ( A) and (B) are explanatory diagrams showing the difference in characteristics when the solenoid is cut off by the solenoid drive circuit in the conventional solenoid drive circuit and the embodiment of the present invention. 1...Back mechanism panel, 2...Storage tank, 10...
...Collection shelf, 11...Guide gutter, 12...Winning ball lead-out gutter, 13...Prize ball lead-out gutter, 20...Prize ball discharge device, 22...Drain prevention Part, 25...
Discharge sensor, 30... Downstream path, 40... Winning ball processing device, 43... Ball processing device, 45... Weight, 46... Safe solenoid, 47... Stopper, 91... Winning ball detector (safe sensor),
92... Overflow detector, 60... Ball extraction device, 100... Pachinko game machine, 101...
- Supply tray, 102... saucer, 103... batted ball launcher, 200... control device. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 8 (A) (B) l Figure 13 r3 Figure 14

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A guide gutter with one end facing the bottom opening of the storage tank located at the top of the back of the game board is arranged so as to slope gently downward toward the other end, and the terminal end of this guide gutter is consists of a gutter constituting a flow path, a flow prevention member that can enter into this flow path, and a drive source for this flow prevention member, and by allowing the flow prevention member to enter or retreat into the flow path, A prize ball ejecting device configured to eject a number of balls; a prize ball collecting shelf that is attached to the back of the game board and collects the balls that have entered the winning slot provided in the gaming section; and the winning balls. A ball receiving part facing the outlet of the collection shelf and capable of receiving winning balls, and a blocking part located above the ball receiving part for blocking or allowing the next winning ball to flow in depending on the attitude of the ball receiving part. A ball handler having a weight member attached to the opposite side of the ball receiving part and swingably disposed below the collecting shelf, which prevents or allows the winning balls that have flowed into the ball receiving part from flowing down. a winning ball processing device consisting of a stopper and its driving source, a detector for detecting that a winning ball has entered the ball receiver, and a winning ball detection signal in the winning ball processing device, and the prize is determined based on the winning ball detection signal in the winning ball processing device. The ball ejecting device is operated to eject a predetermined number of prize balls, and based on the prize ball ejection completion signal, the drive source in the prize ball processing device is operated to remove the stopper and release the winning balls in the ball receiver. flow down to a state where the next winning ball can be accepted, and if the stopper drive source in the winning ball processing device becomes inoperable, the winning ball processing device continuously processes the winning balls, A pachinko game machine comprising a control means for detecting and electrically storing the number of detected winning balls and operating a prize ball ejecting device based on the winning memory.