JPH0530786Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a supply amount detection device for spherical articles that detects the supply amount of spherical articles such as pachinko balls that are rolled and supplied in a supply passage.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, as shown in Fig. 1, the amount of pachinko balls supplied in the supply passage is detected by using a space h provided in product B that corresponds to the number of balls to be carried out. Ta. (As a prior art document, Utility Model Application No. 50-86998
Publication No. 50-157993, Publication No. 157993, Publication No. 157993-
Publication No. 166083 can be mentioned. ) (Problem to be solved by the invention) In such conventional technology, there was a problem in that a large space within the product had to be taken up in order to reliably detect the supply amount of pachinko balls.

An object of the present invention is to provide a supply amount detection device for spherical articles that can reliably detect the supply amount of spherical articles such as pachinko balls without taking up a large space within the product.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a supply passageway for storing identical spherical articles in a row so that they can roll or fall freely, and a supply passage provided at a specific location of the supply passageway for supplying A supply amount detection device for spherical articles comprising a sensor for detecting the amount of spherical articles supplied into a passageway, comprising a discontinuous portion provided at a specific location within the supply passageway to prevent the alignment of the spherical articles; , an expanded space formed at a position facing the discontinuous portion; and when the supply passage is filled with the spherical articles in the expanded space, the spherical articles are brought out of alignment due to the pressing force between the spherical articles. It consists of a sensor equipped with an actuator that can adjust the sensitive pressure according to the magnitude of the component force to be displaced, and detects the amount of spherical articles in the supply passage based on the sensor activation signal when the set sensitive pressure of the actuator is exceeded. It is characterized by

(Function) According to the present invention, when the same spherical articles are stored in the supply passage in a state where they can roll or fall freely, and when the supply passage is filled with the spherical articles, the spherical articles in the discontinuous part are The actuator's sensitive force is adjusted according to the magnitude of the component force acting in the direction perpendicular to the normal line of the pressing force that occurs between Detects the supply amount of spherical articles in the supply passage.

(Example) FIG. 1 shows an overall view in which a detection device S is provided in the supply passage 1 in order to detect the amount of pachinko balls 2 that have been supplied in a predetermined amount in the supply passage 1.

In addition, Fig. 2 shows the pachinko ball 2 which is the detection device S.
This shows a first embodiment in which a protrusion 3 is provided in the supply passage 1, and the protrusion 3, which is a discontinuous part that prevents pachinko balls 2 from being aligned, is provided at a specific location in the supply passage 1. At a position facing the protrusion 3, an expansion space 4 is formed which has enough room for one of the aligned pachinko balls to displace.

A sensor, for example, a micro switch 5 is provided in the opening above the space 4 and is operated via an actuator 6.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the supply passage 1 is filled with a predetermined amount of pachinko balls 2, the center of the pachinko balls 2b on the protrusion 3 moves in the normal direction between the front and rear balls 2a, 2c (the direction of the ball). Since the projection 3 is located above the pressing force G in the alignment direction) by the height of the protrusion 3, an upward component force F perpendicular to the normal line G is generated.

The pressing force G between the balls increases in proportion to the amount of pachinko balls deposited above from the detection device S.

Therefore, the magnitude of the component force F generated at discontinuous positions due to the pressing force G due to the number of pachinko balls 2 stacked is
I understand.

Therefore, with respect to the magnitude F of this component force, the actuator 6 is operated when this component force F is exceeded.
If the sensitive force is set to F1, the number of balls supplied into the supply passage 1 up to the amount H can be known when the sensor 5 is activated.

The set pressure of the actuator 6 can be easily changed by adjusting the amount of deflection using a compression spring or the like.

Figure 3 shows the second case where the discontinuous part is the stepped part 7.
An example is shown.

FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment in which the discontinuous portion is a recessed portion 8 into which the ball 2 is inserted.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, as described above, when the balls 2b in the discontinuous portion are displaced from the aligned state by the component force F generated by the pressing forces G1 and G2 by the front and rear balls 2a and 2c, the actuating force If F1 is applied to the actuator 6, it is possible to detect the supply amount of pachinko balls based on the signal from the micro switch 5.

(Effects of the invention) As explained above, according to the invention, by providing a discontinuous part in the detection section to prevent alignment,
Balls in discontinuous positions are displaced from the aligned state by the pressing force of the front and rear balls, and the amount of balls supplied in the supply passage can be detected based on the magnitude of the force. This enables space-saving because it can detect

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an overall view of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a main part showing a first embodiment in which the discontinuous part of the detection device is a protrusion, and Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the discontinuous part. FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a main part showing a second embodiment in which the discontinuous part is a recessed part. In the figure, 1... Supply passage, 2... Pachinko ball, 3... Projection, 4... Expansion space, 5... Sensor, 6... Actuator, 7... Step part,
8... Recessed portion, S... Detection device, F... Component force.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] (1) A supply passage in which identical spherical articles are arranged and stored in a state where they can roll or fall freely, and a supply passage provided at a specific location of the supply passage to supply spherical articles into the supply passage. A supply amount detection device for spherical articles comprising a sensor for detecting the supply amount, a discontinuous portion provided at a specific location in the supply passage to prevent the spherical articles from being aligned, and a discontinuous portion formed at a position opposite to the discontinuous portion. When the supply passage is filled with the spherical articles in the expanded space and the spherical articles are filled in the expanded space, the size of the component force that is generated by the pressing force between the spherical articles and displaces the spherical articles from the aligned state is adjusted. and a sensor equipped with an actuator that can adjust the sensitive force, and detects the amount of the spherical articles in the supply passage based on a sensor activation signal when the set sensitive force of the actuator is exceeded. Detection device. (2) The device for detecting the supply amount of a spherical article according to claim 1, wherein the discontinuous portion is a protrusion. (3) The device for detecting the supply amount of a spherical article according to claim 1, wherein the discontinuous portion is a stepped portion. (4) The device for detecting the supply amount of a spherical article according to claim 1 of the utility model registration claim, wherein the discontinuous portion is a recessed portion.