JPS62299283A - 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 [Field of Industrial Application] This invention allows a prize ball to be ejected by moving a stopper (flow prevention member) into or retreating from the flow path. This invention relates to an effective technology that can be used in a pachinko game machine equipped with a stopper-type prize ball ejecting device.

[Prior art] In the field of pachinko machines, in order to prevent players from losing interest due to the monotony of the game, game boards with different game configurations and designs can be created in a relatively short period of time, that is, before each component reaches the end of its service life. An exchange takes place.

In that case, if the configuration of the game board, that is, the arrangement of winning devices and obstacle members, and the type and number of winning devices differ, the winning ball generation rate of the entire gaming machine will also differ.

Therefore, it is necessary to achieve a balance between the profits of the players and the gaming parlor by making the ball payout rate of each gaming machine substantially constant regardless of the configuration of the gaming board. Conventionally, this problem has been dealt with by changing the number of prize balls paid out per winning ball, depending on the type of game board.

By the way, if the game board replacement cycle is short.

It is advantageous in terms of cost to replace only the game board and use the old back mechanism board including the prize ball ejecting device as is.

[The problem that the invention aims to solve] However, the conventional mechanical prize ball ejecting device.

For example, in a pachinko game machine equipped with a prize ball discharging device using a case between lines, etc., in order to change the number of prize balls ejected per round, the position of the claw provided in the case between lines must be changed. Not only is this work very tedious, but sometimes people misjudge the number of winning balls in the hole and forget to change the position of the claw; However, there is a risk that the nail may be placed in the wrong position, and in that case, there is a problem in that it would give an unfair advantage to either the player or the amusement arcade, and disadvantage the other party. .

[Objective of the invention] The object of the invention is to enable the number of prize balls ejected from the prize ball ejecting device to be easily and accurately changed, thereby preventing either the player or the gaming parlor from suffering a disadvantage. Our goal is to provide a pachinko game machine that you will never experience before.

Another object of the present invention is to display the number of prize balls discharged for each gaming machine so that not only game parlor staff but also players can easily confirm the number of prize balls.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a stopper-type prize in which prize balls are ejected by moving a stopper (flow-preventing member) into or retreating from the flow path. In a pachinko game machine equipped with a ball ejecting device, a prize ball number setting means for setting the number of prize balls to be ejected at one time from the prize ball ejecting device in a control means for controlling the prize ball ejecting device. are electrically connected.

[Function] By following the above-described means, the number of prize balls can be changed by simply setting the prize ball number setting device, and
You can make settings while checking the setting status.

[Example] Fig. 1 shows an example of the configuration of the back mechanism of a pachinko game machine according to the present invention 6 A storage tank 2 for reserve balls is disposed at the upper part of the back mechanism board 1, and a reserve ball storage tank 2 is provided at one end of the storage tank 2. is connected to a guide trough 11 that automatically aligns and guides the spare balls inside. The guide gutter 11 has two passages that are gently sloped, and a swinging dog ball guide 3 and a suppression type ball guide 4 are provided in the middle, so that the reserve ball can be moved to the guide 4i!
While flowing down i11, the balls are arranged in two rows.6 Then, a stopper type prize ball ejecting device 20 (see FIG. 4) is disposed at the downstream end of the guide gutter 11. Balls that have won a prize into the prize opening provided in the game board on the front of the pachinko game machine 100 (see FIG. 2) are collected on the back side, collected in one place by the collecting shelf 10, and are collected one by one 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 ball 01 is full, the prize balls pass through the distribution gutter 15 and are discharged into the tray 102 in the receiver at the lower front of the game machine. The receiver is plate 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 each time a prize ball is ejected in accordance with the generation of winning balls, and a predetermined number of prize balls that are ejected when the storage tank 2 is empty or when a prize ball is ejected. A completion lamp 112 is lit when the target is reached, and a fraud warning indicator lamp 114 is lit or blinks if 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 corresponding to each winning ball, and a pilot lamp 11 that is lit while the firing motor of the batted ball launcher 103 is being driven.
Various display devices such as 7 are provided. The prize ball number display 116 is composed of, for example, a transparent plate on which three types of prize balls are written, and three lamps respectively arranged behind the transparent plate, and displays the number of prize balls set by a setting device (described later). Display is performed by selectively lighting lamps corresponding to the numbers.

105 is an out hole for collecting balls hit into the game board that do not enter the prize opening into the back of the game board; 93 is a hole for detecting when there are no spare balls in the storage tank 2; This is a ball shortage detector for

Further, below the prize ball deriving gutter w20, a ball extracting gutter 16 is provided in parallel with the prize ball deriving gutter 13, and the ball ejecting gutter 16
A ball extraction device 60 having a switching gate is disposed at the entrance of the prize ball lead-out gutter 13 and at which branch point. The gate of the ball extraction device 60 can be operated by inserting a tool such as a bottle or a wire through an operation hole 106 formed on the front surface of a holding frame 104 of the gaming machine. When the switching gate is switched to the ball removal gutter 16 side, the ball removal switch 84 is turned on.

In pachinko machines that use conventional line cases.

Since the gate for removing balls was arranged upstream of the prize ball ejecting device, balls remained in the middle even after removing the balls, but in this embodiment, the ball ejecting device 60 Since it is on the downstream side of the
Pachinko parlor data can be aggregated accurately.

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.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned prize ball ejecting device 2 is installed on the 'lAv & structure 1.
A control device 200 for electrically controlling the entire pachinko game machine, such as stopping ball firing and driving various display devices based on detection signals from the zero and overflow detector 92, and various variable winning devices and variable display types on the front of the game board. A game content control device 210 is provided that controls game operations of auxiliary game devices and the like based on signals from a built-in detector.

In the field of pachinko machines, in order to prevent player demographics from becoming monotonous due to monotonous game content, players are often replaced with new game boards with different game content and 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 device 200, together with the spare ball storage tank 2 and various guide channels 10 to 17, are fixed to the back mechanism panel 1 that is 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.

A prize ball number setting device 81,82 consisting of a dip switch or the like is attached to the outer surface of the control unit 200 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 discharge switch) for discharging the winning balls on the collecting shelf 10 without operating the prize ball discharging device [20] in the event of a stoppage or failure. ) 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 the footboard rises when there are no spare balls in the storage tank 2. The ball shortage detector 93 detects this and forms a ball replenishment request signal.

A dividing wall 11a is provided in the middle of the guide trough 11, and the zero-ball number 3 that separates and aligns the balls flowing down is connected to the guide trough 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 this flow control member 7 is divided into two parts.

Each bent piece 7c is rotated as indicated by the broken line A in the figure.

7d enters into the elongated hole 11c and lid formed in the upper wall of the guide gutter 11 corresponding to the two guide paths, thereby preventing the balls from flowing down in the guide gutter 11, and the prize ball ejecting device 2
The supply to 0 can be interrupted manually.

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 guide gutter 11 and a pin 8 provided on the side wall of the guide gutter 11, and the spring 9 can maintain the flow control member 7 in a stable state. A prize ball ejecting device 20 that integrally has a downstream path 30 is disposed at the downstream end of the ball. In this case, the gutter 5 at the downstream end of the guide gutter 11 has a locking piece li on the side surface.
e, and guide pieces 30a projecting forward are provided at the top and bottom of the starting end of the downward flow path 3o on the prize ball ejecting device side,
The guide piece 30a and the locking piece lie allow the guide 4
This is so that the i111 and the downstream path 30 can be connected.

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

The prize ball ejecting device 20 has a downstream path 30 and a downstream path 3.
A flow prevention member 22 that enters into the ball and controls the flow of the ball and a solenoid 21 that is a driving means thereof are integrally connected.

The flow path 30 includes a gently inclined alignment gutter 31, a flow adjustment value 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 adjustment value 33. Adjustment unit 3 that changes the direction of the ball flowing down by about 90 degrees
2, an induction gutter 34 extending diagonally downward at an angle of about 45 degrees from the lower end of the flow adjustment value 33, and a discharge @35 extending approximately vertically downward from the terminal end of the induction gutter 34. ing.

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. It is installed. A pair of solenoids 21 are also provided corresponding to the flow prevention members 22. The tip end of the flow prevention member 22 enters through a slit provided in the inner wall of the flow path 3o 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 one ball from flowing down, thereby ejecting a predetermined number of balls.

Further, the side wall of the guide gutter 34 is bulged to the outside, and the storage section 3
7 is formed, and an ejected bulb detector 25 consisting of a transmission type optical sensor is inserted into this housing portion 37.

Incidentally, 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 with the control device 200 is connected all together from the front. A connector 26 is provided to enable this. 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 the ejection bulb may be connected to the guide gutter 11.
While flowing down the drain, it is charged with static electricity due to friction with the gutter, and this static electricity tends to damage the sensor. That inconvenience.

In the above embodiment, this problem is avoided by causing electrical discharge using the conductive sheet 38 attached to the bottom surface of the alignment gutter 31. Further, by selecting the material of the conductive sheet 38, the frictional force between the balls and the gutter can be reduced, and the flow of the balls can be made smoother.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, slits 31a and 33a are provided on the upper wall of the rectifying gutter 31 and the outer wall of the flow regulating plate 33, which constitute the downstream path of the prize ball discharging device 20, 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 the ball to become clogged in the prize ball ejecting device 20 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.

In the prize ball discharging device 20, when 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)
The most advanced ball B□ is stopped by contacting the outer circumferential surface of the flow prevention member 22. At this time, there are two balls B in the induction gutter 34, and three balls B in the flow adjustment value 33.
The dimensions of the induction trough 34 and the flow adjustment value 33 are determined so that , B, , B, are accommodated. Moreover, the uppermost ball B in the flow regulating gutter 33 is the same as the ball B6°B in the alignment gutter 31.
7... and comes into contact with the tapered adjustment section 32. By being pressed toward the adjustment part 32, the ball B receives a repulsive force from the adjustment part 32,
The repulsive force is applied to the ball B and the ball below it B4. B3・
...and acts to push them downward. As a result, when the flow prevention member 22 is retreated from inside the guide @34 as shown by the broken line C in FIG.
Due to the repulsive force from 2 and the weight of the ball, the flow regulating section 33
And the balls B□ to Bs in the guide 4I34 immediately begin to flow down.

When the balls 81 to B flow down, the balls B6 and B7 in the alignment gutter 31
. . . starts flowing down 6. Then, at the outlet of the alignment gutter 31, it first collides with the adjustment part 32 to reduce the flowing speed, and the flowing direction changes from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction by approximately 90 degrees.
°converted and enters the flow regulating section 33.

Since acceleration is performed there due to its own weight, the adjustment section 32
A distance between the balls and the following balls that are decelerated by the ball is ensured. Therefore, when the solenoid 21 is demagnetized when the ball B is detected, for example, 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, the flow path 30 has the center 0 of the ball B located at the uppermost part of the flow regulation [32] with the ball being prevented from flowing down by the flow prevention member 22. But the centers of the balls B, B,... aligned in the alignment gutter 31 are 0°, 0□...
・So that it is located below the extension line of the center line connecting
The dimensions of the induction gutter 34 and the flow regulation section 33 have been determined.

Therefore, the pressure transmitted from waiting balls B, B,... to B produces a component force that pushes down ball B.

As a result, when the flow prevention member 22 retreats, the uppermost ball B of the flow regulation @33 is sandwiched between the following ball B and the outer wall 33a of the flow regulation part 33, and the balls 88 to 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, as described above, by shifting the detection optical axis F from the center of the sphere, accurate counting becomes possible.

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
The impact force that acts on the stopper member 22 can be stopped by the stopper part 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), so it is easy to absorb the impact force that acts when the flow prevention member 22 is stopped. It can be made strong enough to withstand.

Moreover, since the ball B 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 is 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 a biting manner, when the flow prevention member 22 is retreated, it moves away while rotating the ball B1 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 a line connecting the rotation center of the flow prevention member 22 and the center O□ of the lowermost ball B in the guide gutter 34 is horizontal. Therefore, as soon as the end of the flow-down prevention member 22 comes off the outer periphery of the ball B1, the ball B□ becomes able to flow down, and after the ball B1 slides down a little as the flow-down prevention member 22 rotates, the blocking force is removed. There is no such thing as starting to flow down.

Further, in the above embodiment, the angle α between the flow regulating gutter 33 and the guiding gutter 34 may be in the range of 0 to 90 @, but 45
If it is set around .degree., the speed of the falling ball accelerated in the flow regulating gutter 33 will not be significantly reduced, and the load on the falling ball 22 when stopped can be reduced.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when the ball is prevented from flowing down by the flow prevention member 22, the contact point between the flow prevention member 22 and the lowest ball B1 in the guide gutter 34 is separated 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-rQ
becomes larger than O8α (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 back 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 10G has left and right collecting shelves 10A.
, a vertical wall 10a that creates a step in 10B, 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 collecting shelf 10A forward. , and a tapered portion 10c formed to be gently downwardly inclined forward at the terminal end of the collecting shelf 10A below the guiding piece 10b.

Corresponding to the flow path conversion section 10C, 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 1°.
5-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 line 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 . On the side of this line processing device 43 facing the above-mentioned award ball guide plate 42, a concave ball receiving portion 43a is formed, and on the opposite side, a weight 45 is attached, and in the normal state, m45. The installation is such that the side will lower due to its weight. The lower side of the portion 43a of the ball receiver on the opposite side contacts 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 the winning ball guide plate 42 to the ball receiving section 43a, the weight of the ball moves it to the line processor 43.
The weight of the weight 45 is determined so that it rotates clockwise. The line processor 43 rotated by the weight of the inflowing spheres is stopped when its lower side abuts against the holding frame 41.

The line processor 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 line 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.

Further, a solenoid 46 is disposed on the side of the line processing device 43, and the ball holder of the line processing device 43, which is rotated by the inflow of winning balls into the portion 43a, faces the lower side. the plunger 46a of the solenoid 46
A stopper 47 fixed to the tip faces. When the solenoid 46 is in a demagnetized state, the stopper 47 at the tip of the plunger is pulled down by the spring 48, and the ball holder is held in the part 43a and hits the winning ball that is about to flow down toward the winning ball lead-out gutter 12 below. (Fig. 8 (B)
)reference). Then, when the solenoid 46 is energized, the plunger 46a contracts, the stopper 47 is raised, and the winning ball held in the one-bed support portion 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 floor receiver section 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. You can get enough. 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 with that movement, the stopper of the line case is removed, tilted and ejected, and this tilting of the line case is physically transmitted to the ball disposal device, allowing the next winning ball to flow down. Therefore, the response speed is slower than that of the winning ball processing device of the above embodiment, and it is not suitable for processing a large number of winning balls that are generated in a short period of time.

Furthermore, in the winning ball processing device 40 of the above embodiment, after confirming that the prize ball discharging device 2o has finished discharging, the solenoid 46 is activated to discharge the previous winning ball and proceed to detect the next winning ball. Since the system 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. In other words, if the prize ball is not ejected, the winning ball remains at the stopper, and by looking there, it can be immediately determined 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 in this case, the sensor may be destroyed by the static electricity charged on the winning ball. Although there is a risk of being sung, damage to the resensor can be prevented by indirectly detecting it.

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.

The left set 1110B has an inclination angle β of 14 to 16°.
The speed of winning balls flowing down the left and right collection shelves 10A and IOB is made different by giving an angle of 10A, and the height h of the vertical wall 10a is set to 12m++ or more. by this,
Even if a plurality of winning balls are generated and the winning balls flow down from the left and right at the same time, clogging of the balls in the flow path conversion part 10C can be prevented.

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 CPU controls the prize ball ejecting device 20, etc.
(microcomputer) 200'.

The CPU 200' includes the prize ball number setting devices 81 and 82, the memory discharge switch 83, and the ball removal switch 8 in the above embodiment.
4. Safe sensor 91. An overflow detector 92 and a ball shortage detector 93 are input.

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

Further, an ejected ball detection signal 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 is input to the CPU2oo'. ing.

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. Among these, ROM201 has
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 are stored.

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 discharging device 20, a solenoid (hereinafter referred to as safe solenoids) 46 in the winning ball processing device 40, and , a prize ball lamp 111, a completion lamp 112, an overflow lamp 113, and a fraud warning display lamp 114. Indicators such as the malfunction indicator lamp 115, award ball count indicator 116, and pilot lamp 117 (all shown in Figure 2), the speaker 120, and the ball launcher! 103 etc. are connected. The CPU 200' drives the prize ball discharging device 20, various display lamps, batted ball firing device 103, etc. according to the program in the ROM 201 and based on signals from the setting device, various detectors, and switches.

The main processing of the CPU 200' is overflow processing,
These are tank processing, 2-ball removal processing, winning 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, by lighting or blinking the overflow lamp 113 for a predetermined period of time (10 to 20 seconds), and when the overflow state is still not released. The purpose of this is to stop the firing operation by the ball firing device 103. Thereby, it is possible to avoid filling the prize ball ejecting gutter 13 with prize balls up to the vicinity of the prize ball discharging device 20 and adversely affecting the ejecting 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 gutter 11 is filled with spare balls, thereby preventing the prize ball discharging device 20 from emptying.

The switching gate of the 1-floor plate device 60 is the floor plate gutter 16 for the ball removal process.
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, a detailed processing procedure is shown in FIG. 11, and the following explanation will be based on this.

When processing starts due to power-on or interrupt occurrence,
First, before detecting winning balls, after initializing the safe memory and various registers for storing the number of winning balls (routine R1), the number of balls ejected at one time for each falling path in the prize ball ejecting device 20 is performed. (hereinafter referred to as the emission base number) is determined (routine R2).

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 eject balls 1 and 2, for example, as shown in the following table, according to the combination of on and off states of these switches 81 and 82, and displays the total number of prize balls on the display on the front of the gaming machine. 116.

Here, as an example, the total number of prize balls is 11.

A case where the number is set to either 13 or 15 is shown.

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.

FIGS. 12(A) and 12(B) show an example of a more specific processing procedure of the above-mentioned discharge radix setting processing routine R2. In the example of FIG. 12 (A), first, the prize ball number setting devices 1 and 2
After reading the status of (routine R201), it is determined in routine R202 whether or not setting devices 1 and 2 are both turned on. Here, if YES, that is, both are on, jump to routine R211 and set "7" in the discharge base register 1 on the discharge solenoid 1 side, and set "7" in the discharge base register 2 on the discharge solenoid 2 side in the primary routine R212. 6". Then, in routine R213, the lamp corresponding to the number of prize balls "13" on the prize ball number display 116 is lit, and then the process proceeds to the next routine (routine R3 in FIG. 11).

Further, if it is determined in the above routine R202 that both setting devices 1 and 2 are not on, the routine R
Proceeding to 230, it is determined whether or not both prize ball number setting devices 1 and 2 are in the off state.

If the result is YES, that is, both setters 1 and 2 are off, routine R221 jumps to discharge register 1.
r6” and set “5” to the emission base register 2.
(routine R222). After that, in routine R223, the lamp corresponding to the number of prize balls "11" on the prize ball number display 116 is lit, and then the next routine (R3)
Proceed to.

Furthermore, in the above routine R2O3, the setting device 1
If it is determined that both of
routine R205).

Thereafter, in routine R206, the lamp corresponding to the number of prize balls "15" on the prize ball number display 116 is lit, and then the process proceeds to the next routine (R3).

In the procedure for setting the number of prize balls shown in FIG. 12(B), a signal indicating the number of prize balls is input to the CPU 200' from the game content control device 210 that controls the game operations by various winning devices on the game board. An example of the flow when the number of prize balls is controlled by

In other words, in this flow, the number of prize balls to be ejected in -th round may be changed by replacing the game board and the game content control device 21o, and in that case, the ROM etc. in the game content control device 210 is Since information regarding the number of prize balls is sometimes stored, by using this information, the number of prize balls setting devices 81 and 82 can be omitted.

In the flow of FIG. 12(B), first, in routine R301, the number of prize balls is read from the game content control device (denoted as a control board in the diagram), and then in routine R302, the number of prize balls is
11'', but if yes, routine R311 jumps to set the discharge base number register 1 on the discharge solenoid 1 side to "6", and the next routine R312 sets the discharge base number register 1 on the discharge solenoid 2 side. Set "5" to 2. Then, in routine R313, the prize ball number display 1
After lighting the lamp corresponding to the number of prize balls "11" above 16, the program proceeds to the first routine (routine R3 in FIG. 11).

Also, in the above routine R302, the number of balls, that is, the number of prize balls is "
If it is determined that the number of prize balls is not "11", the process proceeds to routine R303, where it is determined whether the number of prize balls is "13". If the result is YES, routine R321 jumps to first set "7" in discharge base register 1 and then set "6" in discharge base register 2 (routine R32
2).

Thereafter, in routine R323, the lamp corresponding to the number of prize balls "13" on the prize ball number display 116 is lit, and then the process proceeds to the next routine (R3).

Furthermore, if it is determined in the above routine R303 that the number of prize balls is not "13", the process proceeds to routine R304, where if YES, the routine jumps to routine R331 and first sets "8" in the discharge base number register 1. from,
Set “7” to emission base register 2 (routine R3
32). After that, in routine R333, the prize ball number display 1
After lighting the lamp corresponding to the number of prize balls "15" above 16, the program proceeds to the next routine (R3).

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
When installing, there is one ball blocked by the flow prevention member 22 on the downstream side of the position, and the next ejection command is waited for with the ejection sensor 25 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.

When the above emission base number setting process (routine R2) is completed,
Wait for 2 seconds of idle time to elapse (routine R3)
) Proceeds to the first routine and determines whether the safe sensor has been turned on for a certain period of time (R4). Here, no (no)
If it is determined that there is a rise in the output of the safe sensor, it is determined in the next routine R5, and if it is negative, the routine directly proceeds to routine R7. On the other hand, if it is determined YES in either routine R4 or routine R5, that is, there is a safe ball, the routine proceeds to routine R6, in which the storage in the safe memory in the cPU is incremented by "1", and then the routine proceeds to routine R7.

In routine R7, the number in the register containing the process number is "
1", and if YES, the process jumps to the ejected ball detection process indicated by the symbol A. However, since the processing number register is reset to "0" in the initial setting in routine R1, the first judgment in routine R7 is NO and the process proceeds to the first routine R8. Here, the processing number register It is determined whether the number inside is "2" or not, and if it is YES, the process jumps to the post-processing indicated by the code B, but the first determination is NO as in routine R7, and the process proceeds to routine R9. .

In routine R9, it is determined whether the memory in the safe memory is not "0", and if no, that is, the winning memory is "0", the process returns to routine R5. If the routine R9 is reached after the winning memory has been incremented in the routine R6, the determination is YES, and the routine proceeds to a series of processing consisting of routines R11 to R15.

That is, when there is a winning memory, first the safe lamp (prize ball lamp 111) is turned on in routine R11, and then, in routine R12, the discharge base number 1 determined in routine R2 (see Table 1) is set in the discharge register 1.

Further, in routine R13, the discharge base 2 is loaded into the discharge register 2, respectively. Then, in routine R14, discharge solenoids 1 and 2 are turned on, and in routine R15, the processing number register is set to "1", and the process returns to routine R5. Then, the above process is repeated again, but this time, since the process number register is set to "1", a YES determination is made in routine R7, and the process jumps to ejected ball detection process A.

In this ejected ball detection process A, first, it is determined whether or not there has been a rise in the output of the ejection sensor 1 (routine R2), and if no, the process directly proceeds to routine R25, where it is determined whether or not there has been a rise in the output of the ejection sensor 2. When the rise of the sensor output is detected in routine R21, the process proceeds to routine R22, where the content of the discharge register is subtracted by "1", and then in the next routine R23, the value of the discharge register is set to "0". Determine whether it has happened or not. Here, if the determination is yes, the discharge solenoid is turned off (R24).
Immediately after the start of discharge, a negative determination is made in routine R23, and the process proceeds to routine R25.

Routines R25 to R28 are about the exhaust system 2.

Processing related to the discharge system 1 (routines R21 to R24)
After executing the same process as above, proceed to routine R29.
In routine R29, the sum of the values of discharge registers 1 and 2 is r
It is determined whether the OJ is OJ or not, and if it is not ``0'', the process returns to routine R5 and the above steps are performed again. When it is determined that the ejection of the balls has been completed, the routine proceeds to routine R31, and first the safe solenoid is turned on. This allows the winning ball processing device to take in the next winning ball.

After turning on the safe solenoid, set the timer for the safe solenoid (for example, 1°0m5) in routine R32.
Also, in routine R33, set a timer for the wait time (for example, 600m5), and then
At step 4, the contents of the processing number register are changed to "2" and the process returns to routine R5.

Then, the routine jumps from routine R7 to post-processing B, and first, in routine R41, it is determined whether the safe timer has timed up, and if no, it is left as is.

If YES, the safe solenoid is turned off (routine R42), and then the process proceeds to routine R43.

In routine R43, it is determined whether the wait timer has timed up or not. If the answer is NO, the process returns to routine R5 and the above process is repeated again. If YES, the process returns to routine R44.
After subtracting "1" from the winning memory in the safe memory, the process number register is reset to "0" and the process returns to routine R5 (routine R45).

FIG. 13 shows the timing of various signals when the winning ball process and the prize ball ejecting process are executed according to the above procedure.

That is, in response to the rise of the output of the safe sensor, the winning memory of the safe memory becomes "1", the safe lamp is lit, and the discharge solenoids 1 and 2 are turned on. Then, the ejection of prize balls starts, and the outputs of ejection sensors 1 and 2 change for each ejected ball, and when a predetermined number (base number - 1 in Table 1) is reached, a solenoid demagnetization command is issued, and the corresponding The discharge 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 received. 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 set time of the safe solenoid timer is set to 100 m5, the stopper 47 driven by the safe solenoid 46 is raised during Loomg, and the winning ball that has been blocked by the stopper 47 is reliably ejected, and 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.

In addition, since the discharge weight timer is set to 600 seconds, it is possible to move on to the next discharge after the state of the balls in the guide trough 11 has stabilized after discharge, and the accuracy of discharge is guaranteed. Ru.

Furthermore, in the pachinko game machine of the above embodiment, a special device has been added to the drive circuit of the ejection solenoid 21 in the prize ball ejection device 20. That is, as shown in FIG. 14, the various indicator lamps L, discharge solenoid 21, and safe solenoid 46 connected between the power supply voltage terminal VA and the ground point are connected in series with the switch transistor Tr. ,, T r,, T r, etc. are turned on.
In the above embodiment, a Zener diode Dz having a Zener voltage of, for example, 24 V, which is higher than the peak value of the power supply voltage, is connected in parallel with the discharge solenoid 21. ing.

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 it takes 1 □ hour for the solenoid to be completely demagnetized as shown in Figure 15 (A), but the Zener diode Dz is connected in parallel with the solenoid coil. This acts as a forced energy release means and shortens the demagnetization time of the solenoid.

In other words, the area S of the shaded part in Fig. 15 (A) and (B)
The time t2 during which 8 and 82 become equal is the demagnetization time when the tube diode Dz is inserted. As a result, when the Zener voltage is 24V, the degaussing time is reduced to about half compared to the case where the Zener diode is not inserted, and the flow prevention member 22 in the prize ball ejecting device 20 is reduced accordingly.
response speed becomes faster.

In addition, in FIG. 14, the diode D□ connected in series with the Zener diode DZ in the reverse direction is connected to the transistor Tr from the back electromotive force of the solenoid.

A similar protection diode D is also installed in the switch transistor Tr of the safe solenoid 46.
, is provided. However, since the safe solenoid 46 does not require much faster response than the discharge solenoid 21, the Zener diode Dz is not necessary.

In the above embodiment, the safe sensor (winning ball detector) 9
A ball processing device 43 that can swing a detection piece 43c that activates
Although the winning balls are indirectly detected by detecting the swing of the ball processing device 43, the present invention is not limited to this, and a sensor or microswitch that directly detects the winning balls may be provided. good.

[Effect] As explained above, the present invention provides a pachinko game equipped with a stopper-type prize ball discharge device that discharges prize balls by moving a stopper (flow prevention member) into the flow path and moving it backward. In the machine, a prize ball number setting means for setting the number of balls to be ejected at one time from the prize ball ejecting device is electrically connected to the control means for controlling the prize ball ejecting device. Therefore, the number of prize balls can be changed simply by operating the switch on the prize ball number setting device, and the setting can be made while checking the setting status, which allows the ball to be ejected from the prize ball ejecting device. The number of prize balls can be changed easily and accurately.

There is no disadvantage to either the player or the game parlor.

In addition, since a display means for displaying the number of prize balls set by the number of prize balls setting means is provided on the front of the gaming machine, the number of prize balls ejected for each gaming machine is displayed, and the number of prize balls ejected by each gaming machine is displayed. This has the effect that not only the staff but also the players can easily check the number of prize balls.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a rear view showing an example of the entire configuration of the back mechanism panel of a pachinko game machine according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of a pachinko game machine according to the present invention, and FIG. A perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a storage tank, a guide gutter, and a prize ball ejecting device. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the prize ball ejecting device. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional state of the flow path of the prize ball ejecting device. FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the prize ball ejecting device. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a winning ball processing device, FIGS. 8(A) and (B) are action explanatory diagrams showing the action of the winning ball processing device, and FIG. 9 is a diagram of a pachinko game machine. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a control system. FIG. 10 is a timing chart showing the timing in tank processing for replenishing the storage tank. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of winning ball detection processing and prize ball ejection processing by the CPU. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a detailed procedure of the discharge base number setting process, and FIG. 13 is a timing chart of the prize ball discharge process according to the procedure of FIG. 11. FIG. 14 is a circuit explanatory diagram showing an example of drive circuits for various lamps and solenoids, and FIGS. 15 (A) and (B) show characteristics when the solenoid is shut off by the solenoid drive circuit in the conventional and embodiments of the present invention. It is an explanatory view showing a difference. 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, 2o...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, 81.82...Prize ball number setting device, 100...
...Pachinko game machine, 101... Supply tray, 102.
...The receiver is a plate, 103...Battered ball launcher, 200.
···Control device. Figure 1 Figure 2 i2゜ Figure 8 (A) (B) l Figure 12 (A) Figure 14 Figure 15

Claims (2)

[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 predetermined number of prize balls; and a drive source of the prize ball ejecting device is controlled based on the winning balls to a winning area provided in the gaming section to eject a predetermined number of prize balls. A pachinko game board comprising a control means for ejecting prize balls, the pachinko game board being electrically connected to the control means for setting the number of prize balls to be ejected at one time from the prize ball ejecting device. A pachinko game machine characterized by being provided with means for setting the number of prize balls. (2) A pachinko game machine according to claim 1, wherein a display means for displaying the number of prize balls set by the prize ball number setting means is provided on the front of the game machine. .