JP2713262B2 - Prize ball payout device and stopper lever for pachinko machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a prize ball dispensing device for a pachinko machine which pays out a prize ball when a game ball has entered a winning port of the pachinko machine, and a stopper lever used in the device. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a game ball enters (wins) a winning opening of a pachinko machine, the winning opening is detected by a sensor (winning ball switch).
As shown in (a), the game ball (winning ball) is guided to a safe ball path P1 below the pachinko machine. In the safe ball passage P1, the passage P1 is closed by the stopper lever P2 rotating in the direction of arrow B to stop the game ball at a predetermined stop position, and the sensor (safe ball switch) P3
The game ball is detected.

When a safe ball switch P3 detects a game ball, for example, five, ten or five game balls are determined for one game ball in accordance with the type of winning opening detected by the prize ball switch. They have paid out 15 prize balls. At the same time, as shown in FIG. 8 (b), the stopper lever P2 is rotated in the direction of arrow A, and once the game ball is once received by the concave ball receiving portion P4, the stopper lever P2 is rotated in the direction of arrow B. Moving the game ball from the ball receiving portion P4 to the passage P1.
Has released below.

[0004] At this time, if a plurality of prizes are successively won, a plurality of game balls are arranged in the path P1 in contact with each other, and the game balls are released one by one by the reciprocating operation of the stopper lever P2. Will be done.

[0005]

However, the stopper lever P2 has a structure in which a stop part P5 for stopping the game ball Y1 by contacting the game ball Y1 is turned up and down (arrows A and B directions) by turning on and off a solenoid P6. Therefore, when the stopping portion P5 rotates to open and close the passage P1, there is a problem that the next game ball Y2 that continues in a contact state is flipped in the return direction.

That is, as shown in FIG. 8C, the ball receiving portion P
The bottom P4a of each of the four game balls Y1 and Y is substantially free of inadvertent force when the stopper lever P2 is rotated.
Although it is formed in a curved shape as shown in FIG. 2, if backlash occurs in the shaft portion P7 or the like during use for a long period of time, as shown in FIG. When receiving the game ball Y1, the game ball Y in the stopper lever P2 and the ball receiving portion P4
1 moves to the right side of the figure by the amount of the play. As a result, the next game ball Y2 is slightly shifted from the normal position to the right side in the drawing and protrudes. Therefore, when the stopper lever P2 rotates in the direction of arrow B, the stop portion P5 (including the lower end side) is stopped. ) The game ball Y in the tip portion or the ball receiving portion P4
1, the next game ball Y2 may be flipped in the return direction of the path P1.

In order to stop the stopper lever P2 at a predetermined position (when rotating in the direction of arrow A), a stopper pin P8 is attached, but this stopper pin P8 has been used for a long time. And the stop position of the stopper lever P2 is
The position may deviate from the proper position in the direction of arrow A. As a result, the next game ball Y2 is projected to the right side of the drawing in the same manner as described above, so that when the stopper lever 33 rotates in the direction of the arrow B, the game balls Y1 and Y2 come into strong contact with each other and The game ball Y2 may be hit in the return direction.

When the game ball Y2 is flipped in the returning direction, the safe ball switch P3 may detect the game ball Y2 again when returning to the original stop position. In this case, In this case, the player may incorrectly judge that two or more winning balls are provided, even though the winning ball is one.

At the time of this returning operation, since nothing is naturally detected by the prize ball switch, the safe ball switch P3 and the output of the prize ball switch do not match.
However, when such a signal mismatch occurs, the pachinko machine is usually set so that a maximum number of prize balls are paid out in order to secure the profit of the player. The erroneous determination due to the erroneous detection of the winning ball in P3 results in an unnecessary prize ball being paid out, and is a very serious problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has an object to provide a prize ball dispensing device for a pachinko machine capable of preventing return of a game ball by a stopper lever or the like and preventing erroneous detection of a sensor such as a safe ball switch. It is intended to provide a stopper lever.

[0011]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the invention of claim 1 provides a safe ball passage for guiding a game ball winning a winning opening of a pachinko machine, and a safe ball passage provided in the safe ball passage. A stopper lever for preventing the passing of the game ball by rotation of the safe ball, and a safe ball provided near the safe ball passage for detecting the game ball at a position where the passage of the safe ball is prevented. In a prize ball dispensing device for a pachinko machine, comprising a sensor and a stopper lever driving unit that opens and closes the safe ball passage by rotating a stop portion of the stopper lever upward or downward, A stop portion that abuts the game ball at a contact portion to prevent passage of the game ball,
A ball receiving portion for receiving the game ball by releasing the blocking of the passage when the stop portion rotates upward,
The next game ball in contact with the game ball received by the ball receiver,
The gist of the present invention is a prize ball payout device for a pachinko machine, wherein the ball receiving portion is raised so that the ball is not flipped in the return direction of the safe ball passage when the stop portion rotates downward.

The gist of the present invention is that the pachinko machine is a CR machine in which game balls are paid out by a card. .

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the raised portion of the ball receiving portion of the stopper lever is a flat surface or a curved surface that smoothly curves. The ball payout device is the gist.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the raised portion of the ball receiving portion of the stopper lever is formed at a position which is substantially vertical when the stop portion is rotated upward. The gist of the present invention is a prize ball payout device for a pachinko machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the raised portion of the ball receiving portion of the stopper lever is formed tangentially to the center of rotation of the stopper lever. The gist of the present invention is a prize ball payout device for a pachinko machine described in 1 to 3.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stopper lever of a pachinko machine which passes or blocks passage of a game ball by its own rotation. A stop portion for stopping the passage of the game ball in contact therewith, and a ball receiving portion for receiving the game ball by releasing the blockage of the passage when the stop portion rotates upward; That the ball receiving portion is raised so that the next game ball in contact with the game ball received by the portion is not flipped in the return direction of the safe ball passage when the stop portion rotates downward. The gist is a prize ball payout device for pachinko machines.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the stopper lever is arranged in a safe ball passage for guiding a game ball which has won a winning opening of a pachinko machine. Leverage the lever.

The invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that the raised portion of the ball receiving portion of the stopper lever is a flat surface or a curved surface that smoothly curves. And

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the raised portion of the ball receiving portion of the stopper lever is formed at a position which is substantially vertical when the stop portion is rotated upward. The gist is a stopper lever according to any one of claims 6 to 8.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the raised portion of the ball receiving portion of the stopper lever is formed in a tangential direction with respect to a rotation center of the stopper lever. The gist is the stopper lever described in any of 6 to 8.

[0021]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a game ball that has won a winning port of a pachinko machine is guided to a safe ball passage, which is rotated by a stopper lever driving unit. A stopper lever is provided. The stopper lever stops the game ball by contacting it at a predetermined abutting position when the stop portion that stops the game ball in contact with the game ball and stops stops, and the stop portion rotates upward. In this case, the game ball is received by the ball receiver and passed therethrough. The safe ball sensor detects a game ball at a position where passage through the safe ball passage is prevented.

Particularly, in the present invention, since the ball receiving portion of the stopper lever is raised, the game ball in the ball receiving portion is lifted by the raised amount. Thereby, the next game ball in contact with this game ball is also pushed in the return direction of the safe ball passage by the lifted amount. Therefore, for example, even if the stopper lever rattles or the stopper pin is deformed, the next game ball does not descend so much forward. Is not flipped in the return direction of the safe ball passage (by the tip of the stop portion of the stopper lever or the game ball in the ball receiving portion). Therefore, erroneous detection of the game ball by the safe ball sensor is not performed.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, as a pachinko machine to which the present invention is applied, a so-called CR machine in which a game ball is paid out by a card can be adopted. still,
It can be applied to other general pachinko machines. According to the invention of claim 3, as the shape of the raised portion of the ball receiving portion of the stopper lever, a flat surface or a curved surface that smoothly curves can be adopted.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the raised portion of the ball receiving portion of the stopper lever is formed at a position which is substantially vertical when the stop portion is rotated upward, so that the ball receiving portion receives the ball. The game ball can be lifted appropriately and held properly, and the release property of the game ball is excellent.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the raised portion of the ball receiving portion of the stopper lever is formed in a tangential direction to the rotation center of the stopper lever, the game received by the ball receiving portion is formed. The ball can be lifted appropriately and held properly, and the game ball is also excellent in release property.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the ball receiving portion of the stopper lever is raised as the stopper lever,
Even if the stopper lever has some backlash or the stopper pin is deformed, the next game ball that comes into contact with the game ball received by the ball receiver when the stopper lever rotates downwards at the stop is the safe ball. It can be prevented from being flipped in the return direction of the passage.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the stopper lever is
It can be arranged in a safe ball passage that guides a game ball that has won a prize to a winning port of a pachinko machine, in which case the game ball is not hit in the return direction of the safe ball passage. Therefore, erroneous detection of a game ball by the sensor arranged in the safe ball passage can be prevented.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, as the shape of the raised portion of the ball receiving portion of the stopper lever, a flat surface or a smoothly curved surface can be adopted. In the invention of claim 9,
Since the raised portion of the ball receiving portion of the stopper lever is formed at a position that is substantially vertical when rotating upward of the stop portion, the game ball received by the ball receiving portion is appropriately lifted and suitably lifted. While being able to hold, it is also excellent in the release property of the game ball.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, since the raised portion of the ball receiving portion of the stopper lever is formed in a tangential direction with respect to the center of rotation of the stopper lever, the game received by the ball receiving portion is formed. The ball can be lifted appropriately and held properly, and the game ball is also excellent in release property.

[0030]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a prize ball dispensing apparatus for a pachinko machine and a stopper lever used in the apparatus will be described below with reference to the drawings. (Embodiment 1) A pachinko machine to which this embodiment is applied is a so-called CR machine that can pay out game balls with a card. FIG. 1 shows the CR machine from the front side, and FIG. 2 shows the part excluding the game board and the like from the back side.

A) As shown in FIG. 1, the CR machine is a gaming table 2 on which a card unit 1 is arranged on the side.
The game board 3 is provided with a plurality of winning openings 5. A prize ball switch 7 (see FIG. 5), which is a proximity sensor, is disposed at each winning opening 5 in order to detect a game ball (winning ball) that has entered (wins) the winning opening 5. Since the number of prize balls differs depending on which winning opening 5 is entered, the number of prize balls is set according to the signal from the prize ball switch 7.

As shown in FIG. 2, a tank 11 for storing game balls is provided above the rear side of the CR machine, and a tank rail 13 for guiding the game balls from the tank 11 to the downstream side is provided below the tank. Have been. A prize ball payout mechanism 15 is provided downstream of the tank rail, and a discharge motor 16 for paying out prize balls is arranged below the prize ball payout mechanism 15. Further, a safe ball passage 17 is provided at a lower position of the game board 3 for guiding a game ball entered through the winning opening 5 to the downstream side.
7, a safe mechanism 19 for checking a winning ball is provided.

B) The prize ball payout mechanism 15 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (a) and (b), the mechanism is driven when a game ball enters the winning opening 5, and pays out a number of prize balls according to the type of the winning opening 5. This prize ball payout mechanism 15
A prize ball passage 21 for introducing game balls (prize balls) from the tank rail 13, a motor cam 23 for rotating and passing the prize balls one by one (the prize ball passage 21), and a discharge motor for rotating the motor cam 23. 16 (see FIG. 2), a motor cam stopper 25 for stopping the rotation of the motor cam 23, a discharge solenoid 27 for driving the plunger 25a (downward in the figure) to release the motor cam stopper 25, and a motor. A spring member 29 for urging the plunger 25a (upward in the figure) to apply the cam stopper 25, and a discharge switch 31 for detecting a prize ball to be paid out are provided.

On the other hand, the safe mechanism 19 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (d), the game ball (winning ball) entered into the winning opening 5
Ball passage 17 that guides the ball, a stopper lever 33 that opens and closes the safe ball passage 17, and a safe ball switch 35 that detects a game ball stopped by the stopper lever 33
And own plunger 3 to open safe ball passage 17
A safe ball solenoid 37 for rotating the stopper lever 33 by driving the bottom 7a (downward in the figure) and a safe ball passage 17
And a spring member 39 for urging the plunger 37a (upward in the figure) to rotate the stopper lever 33.

The present embodiment is characterized in the shape of the stopper lever 33 as shown in FIG. This stopper lever 3
Reference numeral 3 denotes a substantially rectangular stop portion 33b having a contact surface 33a for contacting and stopping the game ball, an arm 33c extending obliquely forward from the base of the stop portion 33b, a stop portion 33b and an arm 33c. The ball receiving portion 33d, which is recessed between them and receives a game ball, the shaft portion 33e which is the center of rotation of the stopper lever 33, the lever portion 33f extending rearward from the shaft portion 33e, and the lever portion 33f are provided. And a locking shaft 33g for locking the plunger 37a of the safe ball solenoid 37.

In particular, the bottom 33d1 of the ball receiving portion 33d is raised on the right side of the drawing so as to form a flat surface in the tangential direction of the circle centered on the shaft portion 33e (ie, in the vertical direction in the drawing). A raised portion 33d2 is provided. That is,
Conventionally, the dotted line in the figure is the bottom, but a raised bottom 33d2 is formed to fill this bottom.

In this embodiment, the height of the raised portion 33d2 is set to, for example, 1.5 mm. This number is
As shown in FIG. 6 (a), when the game ball escapes from the ball receiving portion 33d of the stopper lever 33 to below the safe ball passage 17, the convex portion 1 of the safe ball passage 17 which bends in a substantially rectangular shape.
7a is set so as not to be caught on the floor 7a.
The height of d2 can be set.

Further, of the contact surface 33a, the upper portion 33a1 above the contact portion SP with which the game ball comes into contact (when the game ball is stopped) is formed to have a circular curvature centered on the shaft portion 33e. I have. When the center line is set as shown in FIG. 4, an angle of 49 ° from the vertical position is the contact portion SP. The lower portion 33a2 of the contact portion SP is arranged such that the contact surface 33a is on the inner side of the curvature circle of the upper portion 33a1, that is, the lower the contact portion 33a2, the lower the contact surface 33a and the shaft portion 33e.
The notch is smoothly cut so that the distance from the notch becomes short (the notch width increases).

For example, assuming that the intersection of the extension line of the arc forming the upper portion 33a1 of the contact surface 33a and the extension line of the upper side surface of the ball receiving portion 33d is KP (not shown), in this embodiment, The stop portion 33b is cut out by a straight line that is inclined downward by 0.5 ° (that is, counterclockwise) about the contact portion SP as an axis with respect to the straight line connecting the portion SP and the intersection KP. In addition, the ball receiving portion 33d
Are subjected to R processing.

In this embodiment, FIGS. 3C and 3D
As shown in FIG. 7, a stopper pin 33h is attached to stop the stopper lever 33 at a predetermined position (when the stopper lever 33 rotates in the direction of arrow A).
3h is made of a metal (for example, an aluminum alloy) so as not to be deformed by aging.

C) Next, the control device according to the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, in order to control the prize ball payout device of the pachinko machine of the present embodiment, specifically, to control the prize ball payout mechanism 15 and the safe mechanism 19, etc.
A main control circuit (main board) 41 and a sub control circuit (sub board) 43 are provided.

The main control circuit 41 includes a well-known CPU 41
a, a ROM 41b, a RAM 41c, an input / output unit 41d, and a bus line 41e connecting them. This input / output unit 41
Each of the prize ball switches 7 and the discharge switch 31 is connected to d, and the signal thereof is input. The input / output unit 41d receives a prize ball data request signal from the sub control circuit 43, and outputs a prize ball data and a prize ball data determination signal to the sub control circuit 43.

The prize ball data request signal is a 1-bit signal for requesting prize ball data from the main control circuit 41, and is changed from OFF (OFF) to ON (O).
N) indicates that a request for prize ball data has been made. The prize ball data is a 4-bit signal indicating the number of 5 or 10 prize balls. The award ball data determination signal is a 1-bit signal indicating that the award ball data has been output, and indicates that the output of the award ball data has been completed when switched from OFF to ON.

The ROM 41b stores prize ball data indicating how many prize balls (for example, 5 or 10) when the prize ball switch 7 is turned on. When the switch 7 is turned on, the award ball data corresponding to the award ball switch 7 is retrieved, and is temporarily stored in the RAM 41c as the current award ball data.

On the other hand, the sub-control circuit 43 is also a well-known CPU.
43a, ROM 43b, RAM 43c, input / output unit 43
d and a microcomputer including a bus line 43e for connecting them. The safe ball switch 35 is connected to the input / output unit 43d to input a signal thereof, and the discharge solenoid 27, the discharge motor 16, and the safe ball solenoid 37 are connected thereto, and control signals are sent to them. Further, the award ball data request signal is output from the sub control circuit 43 to the main control circuit 41, and the award ball data and the award ball data determination signal are input from the main control circuit 41.

D) Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. Before the game ball wins in the winning opening 5, the prize ball payout mechanism 15 and the safe mechanism 19 are set in a holding state as shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (c). That is, in the prize ball payout mechanism 15, the discharge solenoid 27 is in the OFF state, and the motor cam stopper 25 is driven by the upward biasing force of the spring member 29, and the motor cam 2
The rotation of 3 is stopped. Thereby, the prize ball passage 2
Since 1 is closed, many game balls are staying in the prize ball passage 21.

On the other hand, in the safe mechanism 19, the safe ball solenoid 37 is in the OFF state, and the spring member 39
The stopping portion 33b of the stopper lever 33 is stopped in a state of turning downward (in the direction of arrow B) by the upward biasing force of. Thereby, the safe ball passage 17 is closed.

Next, when a game ball wins in the winning opening 5,
The winning of the game ball is detected by the prize ball switch 7,
The signal from the prize ball switch 7 is sent to the main control circuit 41
Is input to The ROM 41b of the main control circuit 41 stores prize ball data indicating how many prize balls are to be put out corresponding to each prize ball switch 7, so that the prize ball data is read from the ROM 41b in accordance with the input signal. The prize ball data is temporarily stored in the RAM 41c.

Next, when the game ball which has won the winning opening 5 is guided to the safe ball passage 17 through the passage on the back side of the game board 3, the game ball is stopped by the stopper lever 33 of the safe mechanism 19. Can be That is, as shown in FIG. 6A, the game ball comes into contact with the contact portion SP, which is the most distal end of the contact surface 33a of the stop portion 33b of the stopper lever 33, and stops.

The game ball stopped at this position is
The signal is detected by the safe ball switch 35, and the signal is input to the sub control circuit 43. This safe ball switch 3
When the signal from No. 5 is input, the prize ball data request signal is output from the sub control circuit 43 to the main control circuit 41 (turns on the prize ball data request signal).

When the prize ball data request signal is turned on, the main control circuit 41 outputs the prize ball data stored in the RAM 41c to the sub control circuit 43. In other words, for detection of one game ball by the safe ball switch 35,
One prize ball data (for example, data of five prize balls)
Is output. Then, after outputting the prize ball data, a prize ball data determination signal is output to the sub control circuit 43 to indicate to the sub-control circuit 43 that all the current prize ball data has been output (prize ball data determination). Signal is turned on).

When the sub control circuit 43 confirms that the award ball data determination signal has been turned on, the award ball data at that time is read. Thereafter, the award ball data request signal is turned off. The main control circuit 43 sends the award ball data request signal OF
When F is confirmed, the award ball data stored in the RAM 41c is cleared, and the award ball data determination signal is turned off.
I do.

Next, the sub-control circuit 43 performs a discharging process. That is, the prize ball payout mechanism 15 and the safe mechanism 19 are controlled to be in a release state as shown in FIGS. 3B and 3D. That is, in the prize ball payout mechanism 15, the discharge solenoid 27 is turned on, and the motor cam stopper 25 is turned on.
Is released, and the discharge motor 16 is driven to rotate the motor cam 23 so that the game balls as many as the prize ball data are passed and discharged as prize balls. After the discharge, the state is returned to the holding state.

On the other hand, in the safe mechanism 19, the safe ball solenoid 37 is turned on, and the stop portion 33b of the stopper lever 33 is rotated upward (in the direction of arrow A), and the ball receiving portion 3 is rotated.
The game ball is received in 3d. After that, safe ball solenoid 3
Since 7 is turned off, the stopper lever 33 rotates in the direction of arrow B by the urging force of the spring member 39, and returns to the above-mentioned holding state. The game ball received by the ball receiving portion 33d is discharged downward by the operation of returning to the holding state.

That is, the stopper lever 33 is indicated by arrows A, B
One reciprocation in the direction causes one game ball to pass through the safe ball passage 17. Here, the operation of the stopper lever 33 will be described in more detail. As shown in FIG. 6A, in the suspended state, the game ball comes into contact with the contact portion SP of the contact surface 33a of the stopper lever 33 and stops.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6 (b), when the stopper lever 33 is turned in the direction of arrow A in order to make the ejection state, the contact surface 33a also turns according to the movement.
The game ball starts moving toward the ball receiving portion 33d along the lower portion 33a2 of the contact surface 33a. At this time, the contact surface 33a
The lower portion 33a2 of the contact portion SP is smoothly cut out so that the notch width becomes larger toward the lower end, so that even if there is some play in the stopper lever 33, the game ball is not hit in the return direction. .

Next, as shown in FIG. 6 (c), when the stopper lever 33 is further rotated in the direction of arrow A (from the state shown in FIG. 6 (b)), the game ball is transferred to the ball receiving portion 33d. Completely received. At this time, the game ball does not enter so deeply because it abuts on the raised portion 33d2 of the ball receiving portion 33d. That is, the game ball in the ball receiving portion 33d is located slightly to the left of the figure by the bottom raising portion 33d2, so that the next game ball in contact with this game ball also slightly moves back in the conventional direction. Will be located.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6 (a), when the stopper lever 33 rotates in the direction of arrow B, the contact surface 33a of the stop portion 33b moves between the game ball in the ball receiving portion 33d and the next game ball. To prevent the next game ball from advancing. At the same time, the game balls in the ball receiving portion 33d are discharged to the downstream side.

That is, the next game ball is raised to the bottom 33d2.
The ball is pushed in the return direction of the safe ball passage 17 and moved in the return direction by the game ball in the ball receiving portion 33d lifted up by the arrow B of the stop portion 33b even if the stopper lever 33 has a play. It is located outside the trajectory of the rotation in the direction. Therefore, the next game ball is not hit in the return direction.

Therefore, by the above-described operation, the game balls are sequentially sent below the safe ball passage 17 without the next game ball being flipped. Thus, in this embodiment,
Since the bottom raising portion 33d2 is provided on the bottom portion 33d1 of the ball receiving portion 33d of the stopper lever 33, when a plurality of game balls are stopped in the safe ball passage 17, the stopper lever 33 rotates in the direction of arrow B. Even when the stopper lever 33 has some backlash, the next game ball in contact with the game ball in the ball receiving portion 33d is moved to the tip portion (including the lower end side) of the stop portion 33b or the ball receiving portion. The game ball in 33d does not hit the return direction. Therefore, the same game ball is not detected again by the safe ball switch 35.

Further, since the stopper pin 33h is made of metal, the stopper pin 33h is not normally deformed. However, if the stopper pin 33h is defective due to an unexpected cause, the stopper lever 33h may be deformed. In this embodiment, even if the stop position of the stopper lever is shifted from the proper position in the direction of arrow A, in the present embodiment, the bottom lever 33d1 of the ball receiving portion 33d of the stopper lever 33 is provided with the bottom raising portion 33d2. When rotating in the direction of arrow B, the next game ball is not flipped in the return direction by the game ball in the ball receiving portion 33d. Therefore, the same game ball is not detected again by the safe ball switch 35.

As a result, since the outputs of the safe ball switch 35 and the prize ball switch 5 match, a remarkable effect that an appropriate number of prize balls are always paid out is achieved. Furthermore,
Since the bottom raising portion 33d2 is formed in a tangential direction of a circle centered on the shaft portion 33e, the game ball received by the ball receiving portion 33d can be appropriately lifted and held appropriately,
The release of game balls is also excellent.

Further, in this embodiment, the stopper lever 3
The lower portion 33a2 of the third contact surface 33a below the contact portion SP is:
When the stopper lever 33 rotates in the direction of the arrow A, the stopper lever 33 has a slight play or a contact surface 33a. Even if there are burrs or irregularities, the game ball will not be hit in the return direction (by the lower portion 33a2). Therefore, also in this case, the same game ball is not detected again by the safe ball switch 35.

In this embodiment, when the sub-control circuit 43 outputs a prize-ball data request signal to the main control circuit 41, the main control circuit 41 outputs prize-ball data to the sub-control circuit 43. After the award ball data is output, the award ball data determination signal is output. Then, the sub control circuit 43
Has read the award ball data confirmation signal, the award ball data at that time is read. Therefore, the time from ON of the prize ball data request signal to reading of the prize ball data is shortened, and the operation time of discharging the prize ball is shortened. Also, even if noise or runaway of the CPU of the main control circuit occurs,
The danger of reading the abnormal prize ball data as it is is reduced. (Embodiment 2) Next, Embodiment 2 will be described.

This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the shape of the stopper cam. The description of the same parts as those in the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified, and the description will be focused on the different points. However, the same figures are used for the same parts. As shown in FIG. 7, the stopper cam 53 of this embodiment is different from that of the first embodiment.
Similarly to the stopper cam 33, a stop portion 53b having a contact surface 53a, an arm 53c extending from a root portion of the stop portion 53b, and a ball receiving portion 53d for receiving a game ball between the stop portion 53b and the arm 53c. And a shaft 53e which is the center of rotation of the stopper lever 53, a lever 53f extending rearward from the shaft 53e, and a locking shaft 53g provided on the lever 53f.

The shape of the ball receiving portion 53d is the same as that of the first embodiment, and a bottom raising portion 53d2 is formed on the right side of the bottom 53d1 of the ball receiving portion 53d in the drawing so as to be a substantially vertical plane. ing. Particularly, in this embodiment, the contact surface 53a
Is different from that of the first embodiment. That is, in the first embodiment, the upper portion 53a1 of the contact portion SP of the game ball is
The contact portion SP is formed in a circular shape around the shaft portion 53e.
The lower portion 53a2 is smoothly cut out so that the notch width becomes larger as it goes downward, but in this embodiment,
The lower portion 53a2 is not provided with a notch,
Similarly to the upper portion 53a1, a2 is formed in a circular shape having the same curvature centered on the shaft portion 53e.

Therefore, as in the first embodiment, even if the stopper lever 53 has a play or a stopper pin (not shown) is deformed, the next game ball is stopped by the stop portion 53b.
With the tip of the ball and the game ball in the ball receiving portion 53d, it has the effect of not being flipped in the return direction,
There is an advantage that the structure is simplified.

It is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the technical scope of the present invention. (1) In the first and second embodiments, the raised portion is formed in a flat shape, but may be formed in a convex or concave shape, or may be smoothly curved in a convex or concave shape. Further, the formation position at the bottom of the bottom raising portion is not particularly limited as long as the game ball received by the ball receiving portion can be lifted by an appropriate amount (that is, an amount by which the next game ball is not hit even if there is play). (2) In the first and second embodiments, an example is described in which the stopper lever is applied to the safe mechanism of the prize ball supply device. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the stopper lever having the above-described structure can be applied to ball feeding in which a game ball is sent from an upper plate to a firing device. In addition, in some types of characters, in order to enhance the playability, the winning game balls are temporarily held and then sequentially sent to the passage, but the stopper lever having the above-described structure is also applied to such ball feeding. it can. (3) Further, in the first embodiment, the stopper pin is formed of metal. However, since the bottom of the ball receiving portion is raised, a conventional plastic material can be employed. (4) Also, for example, in the first embodiment, the prize ball data at that time is read after confirming that the prize ball data determination signal has been turned on. However, a different data configuration may be used. .

Specifically, communication is performed by using two types of signals, a prize ball data request signal (1 bit) and a prize ball data (4 bits), without using a prize ball data determination signal.
The processing may be performed as follows. The main control circuit detects a winning ball by a winning ball switch provided for each winning opening, and stores the winning ball data of the number of prize balls set for each winning opening.

The sub control circuit detects a game ball passing through the prize ball switch by a safe ball switch, and turns on a prize ball data request signal transmitted to the main control circuit. When the main control circuit confirms that the prize ball data request signal is ON, the main control circuit retrieves the prize ball data stored above and outputs the prize ball data to the sub-control circuit accordingly.

The sub-control circuit reads the award ball data at that time about 50 ms after the award ball data request signal is turned on, and turns off the award ball data request signal. When confirming that the award ball data request signal is OFF, the main control circuit clears the award ball data.

Thereafter, the sub-control circuit controls the prize ball payout mechanism and the safe mechanism to perform a prize ball and prize ball discharging process. When performing such processing, about 5
Although a waiting time of 0 ms is required, there is an advantage that the load of signal processing is reduced because a prize ball data determination signal is not required.

[0073]

As described in detail above, in the prize ball dispensing device and the stopper lever of the pachinko machine according to the present invention, the ball receiving portion of the stopper lever is raised so that the stopper lever can be rotated downwardly below the stop portion. Since the next game ball in contact with the game ball received by the ball receiving portion is prevented from being hit in the return direction, the number of winning game balls is not erroneously determined. Thereby, a remarkable effect that the prize ball is paid out properly is exerted.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the front side of a CR machine according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a part of a rear side of the CR machine according to the first embodiment in a cutaway manner.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams of a prize ball payout mechanism and a safe mechanism according to the first embodiment. FIG.
(B) shows the released state, (c) shows the suspended state of the safe mechanism, and (d) shows the released state.

FIG. 4 is a front view illustrating the stopper lever according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a control device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the stopper lever according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a front view illustrating a stopper lever according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

5 Winning port 7 Prize ball switch 15 Prize ball payout mechanism 17 Safe ball path 19 Safe mechanism 21 Prize ball path 27 Discharge solenoid 33, 53 Stopper lever 33a, 53a Contact surface 33b, 53b
Stop part 33d, 53d ... ball receiving part 33d1, 53d1
... Bottom part 33d2, 53d2 ... Bottom raising part 35 ... Safe ball switch 37 ... Safe ball solenoid SP ... Abutting part

Claims (10)

(57) [Claims] 1. A safe ball passage for guiding a game ball that has won a prize port of a pachinko machine, and a stopper lever provided in the safe ball passage for passing or preventing passage of the game ball by rotating itself. A safe ball sensor provided in the vicinity of the safe ball passage and detecting the game ball at a position where passage of the safe ball passage is prevented; and rotating the stop portion of the stopper lever upward or downward. And a stopper lever drive unit for opening and closing the safe ball passage, wherein the stopper lever contacts the game ball at a contact portion when the stopper lever rotates downward. A stop for preventing the game ball from passing therethrough, and a ball receiving portion for receiving the game ball by releasing the stop of the passage when the stop rotates upward. Received by The next game ball that comes into contact with the skill ball,
A ball receiving device for a pachinko machine, wherein the ball receiving portion is raised to prevent the safe ball passage from being flipped in a return direction when the stop portion rotates downward. 2. The prize ball payout apparatus for a pachinko machine according to claim 1, wherein said pachinko machine is a CR machine for paying out game balls by a card. 3. The prize ball dispensing device of a pachinko machine according to claim 1, wherein the raised portion of the ball receiving portion of the stopper lever is a flat surface or a curved surface that curves smoothly. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the raised portion of the ball receiving portion of the stopper lever is formed at a position that is substantially vertical when the stop portion is rotated upward.
4. The prize ball dispensing device for a pachinko machine according to any one of items 3 to 3. 5. The stopper lever according to claim 1, wherein the raised portion of the ball receiving portion of the stopper lever is formed in a tangential direction with respect to the center of rotation of the stopper lever. A prize ball payout device for pachinko machines. 6. A pachinko machine lever lever which stops or prevents the passage of a game ball by its own rotation, wherein when the ball is rotated downward, it comes into contact with the game ball at an abutting portion and the game ball. And a ball receiving portion for receiving the game ball by releasing the blocking of the passage when the stopping portion rotates upward, and the ball receiving portion receives the game ball. The next game ball in contact with the game ball,
A ball receiving device for a pachinko machine, wherein the ball receiving portion is raised to prevent the safe ball passage from being flipped in a return direction when the stop portion rotates downward. 7. The stopper lever according to claim 6, wherein the stopper lever is disposed in a safe ball passage for guiding a game ball that has won a winning port of a pachinko machine. 8. The stopper lever according to claim 6, wherein the raised portion of the ball receiving portion of the stopper lever is a flat surface or a curved surface that curves smoothly. 9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the raised portion of the ball receiving portion of the stopper lever is formed at a position which is substantially vertical when the stop portion is rotated upward.
The lever lever according to any one of items 1 to 8. 10. The stopper lever according to claim 6, wherein the raised portion of the ball receiving portion of the stopper lever is formed in a tangential direction with respect to a center of rotation of the stopper lever. Or the stopper lever described.