JPH03212283A - Ball dispensing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To dispense a desired number of balls by providing a ball flow control mechanism for selectively performing the continuous flow-down, discrete flow-down and flow-down checking of balls which flow down through a passage, and a counting sensor for counting the number of balls passing through the ball flow control mechanism. CONSTITUTION:Balls flows downstream through a trough-like a duct-like ball replenishing passage 1 in an existing ball replenishing mechanism in a PACHINKO (Japanese pinball game) hall or the like, in a normal or discrete condition. A ball dispensing passage 2 is disposed in the housing 3 of a dispensing machine, and its lower end 2b is connected to a dispensing port 4. Further, a ball flow control mechanism 5 and a counting sensor 6 are disposed in that order in the intermediate section of the passage 2. The section of the passage 2 above the control mechanism 5 has an inner surface or a ball abutting surface which is formed with spiral beads or the like so as to provide a flow-down retarding section. Balls are dispensed in combination of continuous flow-down and discrete flow-down and are counted, and since the balls are directly fed to the dispensing port 4, the balls can be rapidly and precisely counted and dispensed even with any number such as a large or small number, a number having a fraction or the like.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a ball rental machine such as pachinko balls.

[Conventional technology]

Conventional ball lending machines include a so-called sandwich-type ball lending machine that is installed in a sandwich-like manner between installed pachinko machines, and a stationary type that is placed at an appropriate location such as a store or a hall.

All of these ball lending machines have a gutter-shaped ball counting gutter that can hold a certain number of pachinko balls (for example, a number equivalent to 100 yen), and when lending balls, the counting gutter is directed toward the lending exit. The ball is opened and rotated to discharge a certain number of pachinko balls to the lessee, ie, the player.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, with conventional ball lending machines, a certain number of balls are stored in advance in a counting gutter, and the counting gutter is activated when the balls are lent out. We are unable to lend out the corresponding balls.

In addition, there are rental machines that have several types of consideration set in advance for the number of rental balls, but such rental machines are equipped with multiple ball counting channels, and the number of balls corresponding to the consideration amount of multiple types is set in advance. Since the ball is rented out, there are problems in that the structure is complicated and the rental machine is also large.In addition, it is impossible to rent out balls for the odd amount of money as mentioned above.

In view of the above-mentioned current situation regarding ball rental machines, the present invention
The balls are counted by a counting mechanism that does not use any counting gutter to accommodate a certain number of pachinko balls, and therefore,
The object of the present invention is to develop a ball lending machine that can lend out any desired number of balls.

[Means to solve the problem]

The configuration of the present invention, which has been made to solve the above problems, is to directly connect the loading passageway connected to the ball supplying passage in the ball supplying mechanism and to the ball rental outlet, and to install a distribution passage in the middle of the ball rental passageway. A counting sensor is provided for electrically, magnetically, or optically counting the balls that flow, and the ball is selectively blocked, intermittently circulated, or continuously circulated upstream of the counting sensor in the passageway. A ball distribution control mechanism is provided, and the ball distribution control mechanism is controlled by a lending number signal based on a signal read and formed by the lending machine and a counting signal from the counting sensor. be.

[For production]

The loading/outputting passage is directly connected to the ball supply mechanism, and the continuous falling of one ball, the intermittent falling of one ball, and the falling prevention operation are selectively performed for the balls flowing down the passage in the middle of the passage. Since a ball distribution control mechanism and a counting sensor for counting the number of balls passing through the distribution control mechanism are provided, one or more balls can be freely supplied to the lending port.

〔Example〕

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

4. Fig. 1 is a side sectional view of an example of the lending machine of the present invention formed in a sandwich type between tables, Fig. 2 is a front view thereof, and Fig. 3 is a front view of another example of the lending machine of the invention formed in a stationary type. , FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of another example of the lending machine of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a sectional view of an example of the edge cutting counting section in the lending machine of the invention, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view of another example.

In Figures 1 to 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a ball supply passage in the form of a gutter or duct in an existing ball supply mechanism installed in pachinko halls, etc., in which balls are constantly or intermittently distributed from upstream to downstream of the passage. It is being

Reference numeral 2 denotes a loading passage whose upper end 2a is directly connected to this supply passage, and this passage 2 is appropriately disposed inside the outer box 3 of the lending machine, and whose lower end 2b is connected to the lending opening 4. There is. In this rental passage 2, a ball flow control mechanism 5 and a counting sensor 6 are sequentially inserted in the middle thereof, and the control mechanism 5
The part located higher is the contact surface of the ball, that is, the passage 2
The inner surface of the flow reducing part is formed by a spiral protrusion.

In the illustrated embodiment, the entire lending passageway 2 except for the ball flow control mechanism 5 and the counting sensor 6 is formed in this manner.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a coin insertion section, and in the examples of FIGS. 1 and 2, it is the coin insertion section 7b, and in the example of FIG. 3, it is the bill and coin insertion section 7.
a, 7b. 8 is a setting section for the number of rental balls;
9 is a drive control section of the ball flow control mechanism 5.

Thus, the lending machine of the present invention is similar to the conventional lending machine in that by inserting money from the input portion 7, a predetermined number of balls corresponding to the input price are supplied to the lending opening 4. ,
Since the structure for supplying a predetermined number of balls to be lent is different from that of the conventional machine, this point will be explained mainly with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

First, in FIG. 4, the coin inserted into the input unit 7 is identified and read by the coin discrimination unit 8a in the lending ball number setting unit 8, and a signal indicating the input amount is sent. is formed in the input signal forming section 8b. Incidentally, counterfeit money or money that cannot be identified or read is stored in the input section 7 or the
It is assumed that the coins are returned to another coin return section (here, the change receiving section 7c is also used), not shown.

The input amount signal of the signal forming section 8b is immediately supplied to the number calculation section 8c when the type of input coin is single, and there, it is calculated and converted into the number of balls using the calculation formula for the unit price of 7 balls.

However, in this embodiment, the player can arbitrarily select and set the loan amount from among the input amounts, so this point will be explained next.

8d is an amount specification button for determining the desired number of rental balls, and here an auto button 81d and buttons 82d are provided for two or more types of amounts.

8e is an operation signal forming part that forms a signal corresponding to the push operation of each button 81d and 82d, and 8f is an amount-specific button 8.
2d is an amount signal forming section corresponding to the amount, and 8g is an amount calculating section that compares and calculates the signals of the input signal forming section 8b and the amount signal forming section 8f, and the signal of the amount signal forming section 8f is supplied to the number calculating section 8c. At the same time, the signal remaining after subtracting the designated amount signal from the input amount signal is supplied to the hanging iron portion 8h. Incidentally, when the O=7--to button 81d is pressed, the input amount signal is directly supplied to the number calculating section 8c.

The number signal C□ formed in the number calculation section 8c is supplied to the drive command section 9a in the drive control section 9 of the ball flow control mechanism 5.

For example, the drive command unit 9a selects the ball 1 from the number signal C□.
The number signal C2 remaining after subtracting the signal for 0 balls is used to form a continuous opening command for the ball flow mechanism 5, and the number signal C3 for 10 balls after being subtracted is used to form an intermittent opening command. Rental number signal f counted by sensor 6
When c1 matches the number signal C□, a flow prevention signal S is generated and supplied to a solenoid 5d, which will be described later.

Incidentally, since the number of particles flowing down the passage 2 is all detected by the counting sensor 6 and counted by the counting calculation section 9b, the number of pieces flowing down the passage 2 is controlled by the drive command section 9a and the flow control section mechanism 5. The relationship between the counting sensor 6 and the counting calculation section 9b will be explained.

Prior to this explanation, a structural example of the ball flow control mechanism 5 will be explained with reference to FIG.

8. The ball flow control mechanism 5 includes a gear member 5a which forms a passage 2c with a pipe material having a diameter through which the balls B pass in tandem, and has teeth 51a around the side surface of the passage 2c for blocking the passage 2c; The main components are a pin ring body 5b which is coaxially integrated with the gear member 5a and has pins 51b formed in a radial shape, and a solenoid 5d provided as a drive source for swinging a lever member 5c that engages with the pin 51b. It is formed as a member. In addition, in FIG. 5, 21c is a slit for the tooth 51a of the gear member 5a formed in the passage 2C to protrude into the passage 2c, 5e is the coaxial axis of the gear member 6b and the bottle ring body 6c, and 5
f is the mounting shaft of the lever member 5c, 5g is the presser spring of the lever 6d, 51c is an inverted locking piece formed at the tip of the lever member 5c, 51g is the receiving pin for the spring 5g, and 5h is the above-mentioned This is a mounting plate for each member.

In the above ball flow control mechanism 5, each tooth 5 of the gear member 5a
1a is formed with a size and pitch that can accommodate one ball. Further, the pins 51b are also formed in the same number as the teeth 51a at appropriate pitches.

On the other hand, the counting sensor 6 is connected to the gear member 5 in the passage 2C.
It is provided below the passage 2C so as to cross the passage 2C. The counting sensor 6 may be of any type, such as a touch sensor, optical switch, proximity switch, etc., as long as it can output an electric signal or the like each time the ball B passes. Moreover, this ball counting sensor 6 and the tooth 51 protruding into the passage 2c in the gear member 5a
In this embodiment, a space for two spheres is formed between the ball and the ball a. The ball flow control mechanism 5 and counting sensor 6 form a ball flow control and counting section.

Then, a continuous open command based on the (number signal C1-10) ball count signal C2 from the drive command unit 9a is sent to the solenoid 5.
When the solenoid is supplied to a, the solenoid retreats (does not move), disengages the locking piece 51c of the lever member 5c from the pin 51b of the bottle ring body 5b, and leaves the gear member 5a in a free rotation state.

When the gear member 5a becomes free to rotate, its teeth 51a
The ball B, which has been prevented from flowing downward, continues to naturally fall through the passage 2. The continuously falling balls B are individually detected by the counting sensor 6 and counted by the counting calculation section 9b.

When the number of balls B detected by the counting sensor 6 (signal fc1) matches the above-mentioned number 02 of (number signal C, -10), an intermittent opening command is issued from the drive command section 9a to the solenoid 5d.
The solenoid 5d repeats the forward and backward movements, thereby sending the balls B one by one.

Here, the intermittent opening command is issued for the remaining number of pieces obtained by subtracting the number signal fcm actually detected by the counting sensor 6 from the number signal C. This is the tooth 51a of the gear member 5a.
In this embodiment, there is a positional error of two balls between the position where the balls are prevented from falling and the position of the counting sensor 6, and the continuous falling speed of one ball B is not necessarily constant. Even if the free rotation of the gear member 5a is once blocked by the (C□-10) signal C2, the number signal fc1 indicating the number of balls that actually flowed down the counting sensor 6 will be (number signal C1-10). This is because the number C2 does not match the number C2.

Therefore, the flow of balls due to continuous free fall is temporarily stopped before the scheduled number of balls, and the remaining balls are counted one by one and allowed to flow down intermittently.

11- As a result, a predetermined number of balls can be lent out at any time by a combination of balls flowing down by continuous release and balls flowing down one by one by intermittent release.

The structure of the ball flow control mechanism 5 in the above example is as follows.
A structure as shown in the figure will suffice.

In FIG. 6, 5c and 5c' are lever members having shutter parts 51c and 51c' formed to move forward and backward into the passage 2c in a transverse direction with respect to the passage 2C, and the rear end thereof is a solenoid 5d and 5d. It is connected to ' and its advance and retreat operations are performed. In addition, the lever member 5c,
5c' may be formed with a hole that communicates with the passage 6a during either its advancement or retraction.

As the solenoids 5d and 5d' move forward and backward, the shutter parts 51c and 51c' protrude into the passage 2c and retreat from the passage 2c, thereby opening the flow of the ball B.

Since the passage 2c is blocked, a large number of balls B are allowed to flow down continuously, and a fractional number of balls are allowed to flow down intermittently one by one.
In addition, the sphere B can be edged by 12 times continuously under intermittent flow. Moreover, all the balls B that are caused to flow down in this manner are counted by the counting sensor 6.

That is, when the balls are continuously flowing down, the solenoids 5d and 5d'
Both shutter parts 51 of the lever members 5c and 5c'
c.

510' is retreated from the passage 2c to allow the ball B to flow down continuously, and during intermittent flow, the shutter portions 51c and 51c' of both lever parts 5c and 5c' are alternately advanced and retreated into the passage 2c, thereby causing the ball B to flow downward. The falling balls are caused to flow down one by one intermittently, and each falling ball is counted by the sensor 6.

The above-described lending machine of the present invention can be applied to a sandwich-type ball lending machine in which a single coin or a plurality of coins are inserted, and a stationary type ball lending machine.

Although the above embodiment is an example in which the lending passage 2 is directly connected to the passage 1 of the ball replenishing mechanism, in the present invention, a container such as a ball storage tank or a hopper may be interposed between the passage 1 and the lending passage 2. , the same effect as the example can be obtained.

In addition, since the mechanism of the lending machine of the present invention is extremely simple, this mechanism can be inserted inside the main body of a pachinko machine or slot machine, which saves space and eliminates the need for a separate lending machine. is obtained.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The present invention is as described above, and the lending edge is directly dispensed from the duct of the ball replenishment mechanism or a suitable ball storage hopper using a combination of continuous flow and intermittent flow, and the amount is counted and supplied directly to the lending port. Therefore, it is possible to quickly and accurately count and lend out any small or large number of lending edges, or even if a fraction is involved.

Even if the ball falls directly from the duct of the ball supply mechanism, the falling or flowing speed of the ball is sufficiently slowed down in the rental machine passage of the present invention, so that no operational error occurs in the edge cutting mechanism. There is no possibility that there will be any counting errors in the counting sensor.

Therefore, in the present invention, the edge cutting mechanism and the counting mechanism do not have to have a particularly strong structure or have high counting accuracy.
There are no practical problems with edge cutting or counting operations.

As described above, the present invention is useful because the lending area can be directly supplied from the ball supply mechanism, hopper, etc. to the lending opening or the lending area receiving tray, and the structure of the lending machine can be significantly simplified.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of an example of the rental machine of the present invention formed in a sandwich type between tables, FIG. 2 is a front view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a front view of another example of the rental machine of the invention formed in a stationary type. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of another example of the lending machine of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an example of the edge-cut counting section in the lending machine of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of another example. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Ball supply passage, 2... Rental passage, 3... Outer box of rental machine, 4... Rental opening, 5... Flow control mechanism, 6
... Counting sensor, 7... Inlet, 8... Ball number setting section, 9... Drive control section

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A ball lending passageway connected to a ball supplying passageway in a ball supplying mechanism is directly connected to a lending ball outlet, and in the middle of the ball lending passageway, circulating balls are electrically, magnetically, or optically A counting sensor for counting is provided, and a ball flow control mechanism is provided upstream of the counting sensor in the passageway to selectively prevent, intermittent, or continuous flow of the circulating balls; A ball lending machine characterized in that the control mechanism is controlled by a lending number signal based on a signal read and formed on the lending machine and a counting signal from the counting sensor. 2. The ball distribution control mechanism continuously circulates the number of balls less than the loaned number, intermittently circulates the remaining number of balls one by one, and stops the distribution of balls when the cumulative value of both distributions matches the loaned number. The ball lending machine according to claim 1, wherein the ball lending machine is operated to. 3. Claim 1 or 2, wherein the ball distribution control mechanism and its control section are provided within the gaming machine main body, and the ball lending machine is installed inside the gaming machine main body.
ball rental machine.