JP6426256B2 - Game ball pumping device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a game ball transport apparatus for transporting game balls such as pachinko balls from a low place to a high place, and more particularly to a game ball transport apparatus provided in a game machine island below the top plate.

  In a gaming machine island that accommodates a plurality of gaming machines in parallel, a downward sloping collection tub is installed along the longitudinal direction of the gaming machine island below the gaming machine, and the gaming balls discharged from the gaming machine are received by the collection tub , The roll is carried to a predetermined concentration place, and collecting is performed.

  In order to transport the gaming balls smoothly by the inclined collecting rod, the inclination angle of the collecting rod needs to be a certain angle or more, but in a large long gaming machine island, for example, one from the island edge to the center of the island In the case of the continuous recovery trough, since the overall length becomes longer with respect to the height difference, it is not possible to secure the necessary inclination. Therefore, it is performed to divide the collecting bag and to provide a small game ball transport device for transporting the game ball from the low place to the high place. In addition, when the game balls circulating in the gaming machine island run short, after the game balls stored in the lower tank are pumped up by the game ball transport device, the game balls are supplied by flowing them into the collection box (supplemented) See, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP-A-8-84846 JP, 2006-341028, A

  The above-described gaming ball pumping device is installed inside the gaming machine island below the gaming machine, that is, below the top plate of the gaming machine island. Therefore, the recovery and periodic inspection work when a problem occurs in the game ball transport device must be performed in a low posture by removing the side plate of the lower part of the gaming machine island, etc. The burden was heavy. In addition, since the work is performed in the dark place inside the gaming machine island, it is difficult to see the details and the workability is not good. Furthermore, since the gaming ball transportation device is directly fixed to the gaming machine island by a plurality of bolts or the like, it is not easy to remove the gaming ball transportation device from the gaming machine island for repair or the like.

  The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a gaming ball pumping apparatus which can be easily attached to and detached from a gaming machine island.

  The subject matter of the present invention for achieving such an object resides in the inventions of the following items.

[1] A lift main body unit having a ball intake port at the lower part and a ball outlet port at the upper part, and pumping the gaming balls taken in from the ball inlet port and discharging it from the ball outlet port;
An outer casing in which the ball inlet and the ball outlet of the lift body unit is adapted to communicate with the outside while the lift body unit and out can accommodate, which accommodates the through loading and unloading opening of the upper portion,
Equipped with
The lift main body unit includes a housing having a shape inclined obliquely to the ball discharge port side,
Wherein inserting the lifting body unit, after lowered causing the tilt to a predetermined lower limit position in the outer case through the loading and unloading opening, the lifting body unit said outer casing and inclined to the ball discharge port side And
A game ball pumping device characterized in that the lift main body unit is separated from the outer case when the lift main body unit in a state of being inserted and attached to the outer case is raised and then pulled upward.

In the above invention, the game ball pumped device, a lift body unit for discharging from the top of the sphere outlet and pumped the accepted game balls from the bottom of the sphere inlet, lift the main unit from the loading and unloading opening of the upper portion It has an outer case which can be accommodated in the vertical direction so as to be able to be taken in and out and the ball inlet and the ball outlet of the lift main body unit communicate with the outside in the accommodated state. The lift body unit is equipped with a housing having a shape inclined at the ball outlet side, and the lift body unit pulled up and removed from the outer case is taken out of the gaming machine island through the outer frame of the gaming machine It can be repaired and checked.

  In the above invention, the lift main body unit can be installed in an inclined state in which it is difficult for the gaming balls to drop from the transport belt or the like during the transport.

  According to the gaming ball transportation device of the present invention, it can be easily attached to and detached from the gaming machine island, and the maintainability is improved.

FIG. 1 is a view showing an overview of a gaming machine island provided with a gaming ball transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows a part of internal structure of a gaming machine island. It is a figure which shows the game machine of the state which opened the game machine main body like a door with respect to an outer frame. It is a perspective view which shows the mode which takes in and out a lift main body unit to an outer case, and the gaming ball pumping device of the state which inserted and attached the lift main body unit to an outer case. It is a perspective view which shows the lift main body unit seen from the ball | bowl inlet side. It is a perspective view which shows the lift main body unit seen from the ball | bowl outlet side. It is sectional drawing of a lift main body unit. It is a perspective view showing a single lift bucket. It is a figure showing the side of a lift bucket in the state where it connected via the side of a lift bucket, and a connecting shaft. It is a front view which shows the state which connected the lift bucket rotatably via the connection shaft. It is a figure which shows the baseplate part which comprises the lower end of the housing of a lift main body unit. It is a figure which shows the state which the inner bottom plate moved by being pushed by the game ball which entered the lift bucket in the lower end part of a pumping belt. It is a perspective view showing a tension unit. It is a top view which shows a tension unit. It is a perspective view which shows a drive shaft unit. It is a front view which shows a drive shaft unit. It is a figure showing a follower unit. It is a perspective view showing the outer case seen from the taking-in side. It is a front view showing an outer case. It is BB sectional drawing of an outer case. It is a perspective view which shows the lower part of the front side of an outer case. It is a perspective view which shows an out ball | bowl aperture metal fitting. It is a front view which shows an out-ball-diaphragm metal fitting. It is a figure which shows the procedure which inserts and attaches a lift main body unit to an outer case. It is a front view showing a game ball transport device in a state where a lift main body unit is inserted into an outer case. It is the perspective view which looked at the game ball pumping apparatus of the state which inserted and attached the lift main body unit to the outer case from the ball | bowl inlet side. It is the perspective view which looked at the game ball pumping apparatus of the state which inserted and attached the lift main body unit to the outer case from the ball | bowl outlet side.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows an overview of a gaming machine island 2 provided with a gaming ball transport device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a part of the internal structure of the gaming machine island 2. The gaming machine island 2 accommodates a large number of the gaming machines 3 back-to-back on the front and back, and circulates the gaming balls used for playing games with these gaming machines 3 in the gaming machine island 2 It houses various equipment for repeated use. Here, the gaming machine 3 is a pachinko machine, and the gaming ball is a pachinko ball.

  The gaming machine island 2 has a plurality of island pillars erected on the floor at both ends in the longitudinal direction, the center and a predetermined location therebetween, and these island pillars are bridged in the longitudinal direction of the gaming machine island 2 It is configured by attaching various equipments and decorative boards to a framework consisting of connecting island frames and the like.

  Each gaming machine 3 is attached to the gaming machine island 2 so that the height at which the player can easily play the game is exactly when sitting on a chair installed in front of the gaming machine. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the horizontal top board 7 which is made to project toward the player at the height of the lower end of the gaming machine 3 to be installed is In each case, the game machine island 2 is extended in the longitudinal direction, and the game machine 3 is installed on the top board 7.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the gaming balls discharged from the gaming machine 3 are collected below each gaming machine 3 and transported toward the pumping and polishing apparatus 4 erected at the center of the gaming machine island 2. A collection trough 5 is provided. The pumping and polishing apparatus 4 transports the gaming balls collected by the collection bin 5 to the upper part of the gaming machine island 2 while cleaning and polishing them.

  The collecting rod 5 is installed so as to incline downward, and the gaming ball rolls in the inclined collecting rod 5 toward the lower end side by gravity. The collection bin 5 is divided into a plurality of pieces, and a small game ball pumping apparatus 20 (so-called mini lift) is disposed between them. The collecting rod 5 and the gaming ball pumping device 20 are attached below the top plate 7 of the gaming machine island 2. The game ball transport device 20 rolls the inside of the collection tub 5a inclined downward and takes in and lifts the game ball that has reached the end (low point), and discharges it to the beginning of the next collection tub 5b. By interposing the game ball pumping device 20 at a joint of the collecting rods 5 arranged in a plurality of divided and zigzag, the possible height difference of the collecting rods 5 is limited to the height below the top plate. Even in this case, it is possible to set up the required length of the collection trough 5 with a certain inclination or more.

  In the gaming machine island 2, the gaming balls discharged from the respective gaming machines 3 are collected by the collection bin 5 below the gaming machines 3, flow into the pumping and polishing apparatus 4, and are polished by the pumping and polishing apparatus 4. The game balls after being pumped up to the upper part of the gaming machine island 2 and discharged from the pumping and polishing apparatus 4 are supplied to the respective gaming machines 3 again through the supply tank 6 and are used cyclically.

  In addition, the game ball transport device 20 may be used so as to take in the game balls from a tank storing the game balls, pump them up, and discharge them to the start end of the collection bin 5. In FIG. 2, the portion corresponding to the collection bag 5 a in FIG. 1 is the tank 8 storing the game balls, and the game ball pumping device 20 takes in the game balls stored in the tank 8. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the gaming machine 3, the gaming machine main body 3b is attached to the outer frame 3a like a door that opens and closes. The outer frame 3 a is fixed on the top plate 7 of the gaming machine island 2, and the gaming machine 3 is attached to the gaming machine island 2. Normally, the gaming machine body 3b is used in a closed state, but when checking the back side of the gaming machine body 3b or dealing with an abnormality that occurs inside the gaming machine island 2, the gaming machine body 3b It opens like a door.

  Next, the game ball transport device 20 will be described in detail.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the entire game ball transport device 20. As shown in FIG. The game ball lift device 20 is composed of a lift main body unit 21 and an outer case 22 which accommodates the lift main body unit 21 in a removable manner. 4A shows a state in which the lift main body unit 21 is removed from the outer case 22, and FIG. 4B shows a state in which the lift main body unit 21 is inserted into the outer case 22.

  The outer case 22 is fixed to the inside of the gaming machine island 2 at a position below the top board 7. The outer case 22 is provided at the top with an opening 23 for the lift body unit 21. The lift main body unit 21 is lowered into the outer case 22 from above the outer case 22 through the inlet / outlet 23 and then inserted into the outer case 22 by being slightly inclined. On the other hand, removal from the outer case 22 is performed by raising the lift main body unit 21 straight and then pulling it upward.

  The lift main unit 21 is sized to pass through the outer frame 3a of the gaming machine 3 in a state where the gaming machine main body 3b is opened like a door. The lift main unit 21 is moved into and out of the gaming machine island 2 through the outer frame 3a of the gaming machine 3 in a state where the gaming machine main body 3b is opened like a door.

  First, the lift main body unit 21 will be described in detail.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the lift main body unit 21 as viewed from the ball intake side, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the lift main body unit 21 as viewed from the ball discharge port side. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a main body unit 21. FIG.

  The lift main body unit 21 is extended so that the upper part of the vertically-long hollow rectangular parallelepiped protrudes to one side, and is provided with a casing 31 shaped like a slight slant to the expanded side. In the lower part of the casing which is obliquely upward in the above-mentioned inclined state, a ball taking-in port 32 for taking in gaming balls is opened, and of the casing which is obliquely downward in the above-mentioned inclined state At the upper part, a ball discharge port 33 for discharging game balls taken from the ball intake port 32 and discharged is opened. Further, a roller catch 25 is provided immediately below the ball discharge port 33 (see FIG. 6). The roller catch 25 engages with the keeper 26 (see FIG. 20) provided at the corresponding position of the outer case 22 when the lift main body unit 21 is inserted into the outer case 22 and inclined toward the ball discharge port 33 side. Together, they serve to fix the lift body unit 21 to the outer case 22.

  The housing 31 is composed of a plurality of bent metal plates (zinc coat: galvanized steel sheet). In order to facilitate the replacement of internal parts, the joining of these metal plates is done by screwing.

  The upper surface of the housing 31 forms an openable upper lid 34. The upper cover 34 is pivotally supported at its end opposite to the ball outlet 33 to open and close. The upper cover 34 is provided with a lock mechanism 35 for locking the upper cover 34 in a closed state. When the upper cover portion 34 is opened, a lift belt 43 wound around a drive roller 41 described later can be seen below.

  Further, the upper cover portion 34 is provided with a handle 36 which is a portion to be gripped by hand when lifting the lift main body unit 21. The handle 36 is fixed by a screw from the back side of the upper lid portion 34.

  As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 7, the lift main body unit 21 of the gaming ball lift device 20 comprises a drive roller 41 provided on the upper inside of the housing 31, and a driven roller 42 provided on the lower part. It has an endless annular transfer belt 43 stretched around. The driving force of a motor 37 attached to the outside of the upper portion of the housing 31 via a motor bracket 37a (see FIG. 6) is transmitted through a belt and rotationally driven. The belt is covered with a belt cover 38 (see FIG. 6) for safety. The belt cover 38 is formed of a metal plate.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the lift-feed belt 43 is constructed by connecting a large number of lift buckets 46 rotatably as shown in FIG. 10 via a connecting shaft 47 and connecting them in an endless belt shape. . The lift bucket 46, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, is erected from the circumferential surface portion 46a1 forming the circumferential surface of the lift belt 43 when connected, and conveys the gaming balls upward from the circumferential surface portion 46a1. A bucket body 46a having a projection 46a2 for supporting the lower part of the gaming ball, and the gaming ball from the end provided at both ends of the bucket body 46a in the longitudinal direction (width direction of the lift belt 43) End wall portion 46b for preventing the falling of the first and second bearing portions 46c provided at predetermined intervals along one longitudinal edge of the bucket body 46a, and the other edge of the bucket body 46a. A plurality of second bearing portions 46d are provided along the line at predetermined intervals.

  The first bearing portion 46c and the second bearing portion 46d each have a short cylindrical shape provided with a hole through which the connection shaft 47 passes, and the first bearing portion 46c and the second bearing portion 46d are arranged at alternate positions. ing. That is, the second bearing portion 46d of the next lift bucket 46 just fits between the first bearing portion 46c and the first bearing portion 46c of one lift bucket 46, and thus the fitted state Then, by making the connecting shaft 47 penetrate the first bearing portion 46c and the second bearing portion 46d, one lift bucket 46 and the next lift bucket 46 are connected. On the connecting shaft 47, a bucket roller 48, which is a resin thick washer, is fitted on the outside of the lift bucket 46, and on the outside, an E-ring 49 for falling off prevention is fitted.

  As described above, the lifting and conveying belt 43 has a so-called crawler structure in which a plurality of lift buckets 46 are connected by the connecting shaft 47. There is no gap between the lift buckets 46 connected to each other, and foreign matter is prevented from entering the inside of the lift belt 43. In addition, if the foreign matter of the size of a screw or a nail is about the size of the transport belt 43, it lifts up with the game ball. This is possible because there is no gap between the lift buckets 46, and it is possible to reduce the lifting efficiency by reducing the chance of stopping the gaming ball lift device 20 caused by the foreign matter.

  The lifting and feeding belt 43 places the gaming balls on the bucket body portions 46 a of the lift buckets 46 and transports them. As shown in FIG. 9 (b), the gaming ball is held between the projection 46 a 2 of one lift bucket 46 connected and the projection 46 a 2 of the next lift bucket 46. Here, the game balls enter in one stage and are not stacked in two stages. One lift bucket 46 can arrange nine game balls in the width direction of the lift belt 43, and can lift these at one time. The number is not limited to nine, and the width of the lift bucket 46 may be changed as appropriate. The height of the end wall 46b at each end of the bucket body 46a of the lift bucket 46 is 9 mm, which is slightly smaller than the diameter (11 mm) of the gaming ball.

  Returning to FIG. 7, the description of the interior of the lift main body unit 21 will be continued. The lifting and feeding belt 43 revolves in the direction indicated by arrow A in FIG. The ball inlet 32 is opened at a position facing the lift belt 43 in a straight portion immediately after going up the driven roller 42. The ball discharge port 33 is opened at a position slightly opposite to the lift belt 43 of a portion just before being separated from the drive roller 41 after the ball discharge port 33 goes downward beyond the top of the drive roller 41. A space on the way from the lift belt 43 to the ball outlet 33 serves as a discharge passage 52 for guiding the gaming ball detached from the lift belt 43 to the ball outlet 33, and the lift belt from the lower end of the ball outlet 33 A rubber plate 51 is disposed as a road surface of the discharge passage 52 in the vicinity of 43 so as to receive gaming balls which are separated from the lift belt 43 and fall and guide them to the ball discharge port 33.

  The game ball is clogged at the point where it came out of the ball discharge port 33, etc., and the game ball detached from the lift belt 43 may be collected in the discharge passage 52, and the game ball exceeding the allowable amount is collected in the discharge passage 52 When it is pressed from these gaming balls, a leaf plate 53 is provided which swings. The leaf plate 53 is attached above the rubber plate 51 so as to be opposed to the lift belt 43 at a position separated from the lift belt 43 to a certain extent. The leaf plate 53 functions as an actuator of the door switch 54 and constitutes a part of the wall surface of the discharge passage 52 for guiding the gaming ball released from the lift belt 43 to the ball discharge port 33. When the game ball is clogged in the discharge passage 52 and the door switch 54 is turned on, the motor 37 is stopped to stop the lifting (lifting) of the game ball. As the door switch 54, a micro switch is used. The door switch 54 is covered with a door switch cover 55 for protecting the cable wiring and the like.

  The lifting and feeding belt 43 is pressed from the outside to the inside by the tension roller 61 so as to eliminate the slack. Here, the tension roller 61 is provided immediately below the rubber plate 51, and presses the lift belt 43 in the downward direction at a position immediately below the drive roller 41 to apply tension.

  A roller guide plate 44 is provided so as to abut on the inside of the lift belt 43 over the entire straight portion in the upward direction. The roller guide plate 44 plays a role of supporting the lift belt 43 from the inside so as not to be bent by the weight of the game ball. The roller guide plate 44 is a channel-shaped member having an L-shaped cross section and a predetermined length. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, one side of the L-shape is inserted into the slit provided in the housing 31 and the other is The side is fixed to the side surface of the housing 31 with a screw. One side which is inserted supports the inside of the pumping belt 43. A total of four roller guide plates 44 are provided on both sides.

  The game ball is pressed from the outside of the lift belt 43 toward the lift belt 43 from the vicinity of the end point of the straight portion of the lift belt 43 in the upward direction to the portion approaching the drive roller 41 to prevent the drop of the game ball A game ball drop prevention plate 45 is provided. The game ball drop prevention plate 45 is formed of a spring material (stainless steel material), and appropriately presses the game balls lifted and transported by the lift and transport belt 43 toward the lift and transport belt 43. A game ball drop prevention plate 45 is provided because the game ball is likely to drop due to the vibration from the motor 37 and the driven roller 42 in this area.

  In the lower part of the housing 31, an inner bottom plate 71 provided along the outer side of the lifting and feeding belt 43 in a portion which is wound around the driven roller 42 and a half circumference, and an outer side surrounding the outer side of the inner bottom plate 71 with a predetermined gap. A bottom plate 72 is provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the ball inlet 32 is largely opened to have a height corresponding to a plurality of stages of the lift buckets 46. Since the ball intake port 32 is opened in a size corresponding to a plurality of stages of the lift bucket 46, when a large amount of gaming balls flow into the ball intake port 32, the game balls are made at once by the multistage lift bucket 46. It can be imported. A resin side guide plate 81 is provided on the left and right side surfaces inside the ball intake port 32 in order to prevent game balls and foreign matter from being caught between the housing 31 and the lift bucket 46. The side guide plate 81 also plays a role of preventing the end wall 46 b of the lift bucket 46 from coming into direct contact with the inner surface of the housing 31 to be worn.

  At the lower end portion of the ball intake port 32, a ball alignment plate 82 for aligning and taking in the gaming balls is provided. The ball alignment plate 82 has the same number (here nine) of grooves (downwardly inclined grooves toward the lift bucket 46) as the number of gaming balls that can be transported by one lift bucket 46. The ball alignment plate 82 is attached to one end (an arm 71 b described later) of the inner bottom plate 71 described above.

  FIG. 11 (a) is a perspective view of the bottom plate portion 70 composed of the inner bottom plate 71 and the outer bottom plate 72, and FIG. 11 (b) is a side view of the bottom plate portion 70. As shown in FIG. The outer bottom plate 72 is a metal plate fixed to the housing 31 so as to form the bottom plate of the housing 31 and covers the lower part of the lift main unit 21. The inner bottom plate 71 includes an arc portion 71a obtained by curving a spring material (stainless steel material) into a semicylindrical shape, and a flat arm portion 71b bent and extended outward from one end of the arc portion 71a. The end of the inner bottom plate 71 opposite to the arm 71 b is fixed to the outer bottom plate 72, and the arm 71 b is a free end.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the inner bottom plate 71 is extended from the portion fixed to the outer bottom plate 72 so as to be along the lifting and feeding belt 43 of the portion wound around the driven roller 42. The inner bottom plate 71 is made of a spring material, and has a certain clearance between it and the lift belt 43 near the side fixed to the outer bottom plate 72, but the lift belt near the ball inlet 32 43 is urged to abut. A ball aligning plate 82 forming a road surface of the ball inlet 32 is attached to the arm portion 71 b, and the ball aligning plate 82 is also in contact with the lift belt 43. As a result, there is no gap between the ball alignment plate 82 and the lift belt 43, and foreign matter is prevented from entering the gap.

  On the other hand, the game balls transported by the transportation belt 43 are rare (specifically, when the game balls on the ball outlet 33 start to get clogged, when the flow gets worse, etc.), the ball outlets It may fall downward from between the rubber plate 51 and the lifting and feeding belt 43 without being discharged from 33. Such gaming balls fall between the housing 31 of the lift main unit 21 and the lift belt 43, and are guided by the inner bottom plate 71 at the lower end of the lift belt 43 as shown in FIG. It enters the lift bucket 46 and is pumped again. At this time, since the height (9 mm) of the end wall 46b of the lift bucket 46 is smaller than the diameter (11 mm) of the gaming ball, the gaming ball in the lift bucket 46 is taken in from the lower end of the lift belt 43. When transported toward the mouth 32, the inner bottom plate 71 of the portion in contact with the lift belt 43 is pushed by the gaming balls. Since the arm 71b side of the inner bottom plate 71 is a free end, when it is pressed by the game ball, it moves outward and does not hinder the transport of the game ball.

  FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the tension unit 60 including the tension roller 61, and FIG. 14 is a top view of the tension unit 60. As shown in FIG. The tension unit 60 includes a tension base plate 62 forming a part of a wall surface of the housing 31, and a tension arm 63 having a base end attached to the lower portion of the tension base plate 62 and swinging around the base end. ing. The tension roller 61 is rotatably attached to the tip of the tension arm 63 via a wheel shaft 64. The tension arm 63 is biased by a spring 65 in such a direction that the tension roller 61 at the tip end presses the lift belt 43. The spring 65 is fixed to the joint of the tension arm 63. The tension roller 61 abuts on the bucket rollers 48 on both sides of the lift bucket 46 of the lift belt 43.

  Further, a roller catch 25 is attached to the tension base plate 62. Further, the upper end of the tension base plate 62 is bent upward of the tension roller 61, and the rubber plate 51 forming the road surface of the discharge passage 52 described above is attached to the upper surface of the bent portion. . The roller catch 25 has a pair of rollers 25a urged so as to push each other, and the keeper 26 (see FIG. 19) provided at the corresponding position of the outer case 22 is sandwiched by the pair of rollers 25a. And engage with the keeper 26.

  FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a drive shaft unit 90 including the drive roller 41, and FIG. 16 is a front view showing the drive shaft unit 90. As shown in FIG. The drive shaft unit 90 is a mechanism for transmitting the driving force generated by the motor 37 to the lifting and feeding belt 43. The drive shaft unit 90 is mounted on the outer surface of the upper part of the housing 31 at a drive shaft base plate 91, and at the center of the drive shaft base plate 91, the drive shaft 92 is passed through a hole formed in this portion. A bearing unit 93 rotatably supporting one end side, a pulley 94 provided at an end of the drive shaft 92 on the drive shaft base plate 91 side and engaged with a belt to which the drive force from the motor 37 is transmitted Sprocket fixing plates 95 provided in the vicinity of the other end of the shaft 92 and the surface on the other end side of the driving shaft base plate 91, and sprockets (driving rollers 41) attached to the sprocket fixing plates 95, respectively. Prepare.

  The sprocket (drive roller 41) rotates so as to sandwich the bucket roller 48 of the lift bucket 46 constituting the lift belt 43 between gears, and the driving force transmitted from the motor 37 via the belt is used as the lift bucket 46. It conveys to the bucket rollers 48 at both ends of the belt so as to rotate the lift belt 43.

  FIG. 17 shows the driven unit 100 including the driven roller. The figure (a) shows the front of the driven unit 100, and the figure (b) shows the side of the driven unit 100. Further, FIG. 6C is a perspective view of the driven shaft 101. FIG.

  The driven unit 100 has a driven shaft 101 whose one end is slightly thinner than the other portion, the shaft hole of the driven roller 42 is fitted in the narrowed portion, the C ring 102 is attached to the outside, and the driven roller 42 is It supports rotatably. The other part of the driven shaft 101 is threaded and a part of the circumferential surface is scraped flat.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the driven shaft 101 of the driven unit 100 is inserted into the hole provided in the lower part of the housing 31 (the hole having a shape corresponding to the cross section of the threaded portion of the driven shaft 101). The driven unit 100 is attached to the housing 31 by fitting the hinge spacer 104 to a portion of the housing 31 protruding outward and fitting the hinge spacer 104 with a hexagonal nut 103. The driven unit 100 supports the driven roller 42 on which the left end of the lift belt 43 is stretched and supports the driven roller 42 on which the right end of the lift belt 43 is stretched. It is attached. The portion of the bucket roller 48 of the lift bucket 46 of the lift belt 43 abuts on the driven roller 42.

  The housing 31 of the lift main body unit 21 is configured to be easily disassembled by removing a screw, and for example, it becomes possible to easily perform an operation such as replacing the lift bucket 46 of a part of the lift belt 43. ing.

  Next, the outer case 22 will be described.

  18 is a perspective view showing the outer case 22 viewed from the loading side, FIG. 19 is a front view of the outer case 22, and FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the outer case 22 taken along the line B-B.

  The outer case 22 includes a bottom plate 22a, a left side plate 22b, a right side plate 22c, and a back plate 22d, and the front surface (excluding a part of the lower portion) and the top surface are open.

  The bottom plate 22a has a rectangular shape and is slightly inclined toward the front side (see FIG. 20).

  The rear plate 22d rises so as to incline slightly outward from the edge of the bottom plate 22a, and then is further extended upward by loosening the inclination a little. A ball discharge port fixing portion 111 having an opening for inserting the ball discharge port 33 of the lift main body unit 21 into the upper portion of the back plate 22d and positioning and fixing the lift main body unit 21 at the inserted portion. It has become. In addition, a flat lift ball discharge plate 112 extending outward from the lower end of the ball discharge port fixing portion 111 with a slight inclination is provided. The lift ball discharge plate 112 serves as a road surface of a passage for receiving and discharging the game balls discharged from the ball discharge port 33 of the lift main body unit 21.

  The left side plate 22b and the right side plate 22c are provided so as to vertically rise from the edge of the bottom plate 22a. Ends of the left side plate 22b and the right side plate 22c on the side of the back plate 22d are formed along the back plate 22d, and at the upper portion are formed to form a side of a passage that uses the lift ball discharge plate 112 as a road surface. .

  Inside the outer case 22, various protrusions and abutment surfaces for regulating the position of the lift main body unit 21 to be inserted are provided. Specifically, on the inner surface of the left side surface plate 22b and the right side surface plate 22c, a width direction position restriction portion 115 which protrudes inward is provided to restrict the position in the width direction of the lift main body unit 21 inserted into the outer case 22. A lift lower end receiving portion 116 which abuts on the lower end of the lift main body unit 21 and restricts the lower limit insertion position of the lift main body unit 21 is provided below the lift main body unit 21.

  The lift lower end receiving portion 116 has edge-shaped notches 116 a that extend open outward to both ends after slightly extending the ends of the upward semicircular arc upward. The hinge spacer 104 fitted to the driven shaft 101 for supporting the driven roller 42 in the lift main body unit 21 is received by the notch 116 a of the lift lower end receiving portion 116. By receiving the annular hinge spacer 104 at the semicircular portion of the notch 116a, the lift body unit 21 can be smoothly inclined or raised at the time of loading and unloading.

  A keeper 26 protruding from the back plate 22 d to the inside of the outer case 22 is attached slightly below the ball outlet fixing portion 111 at the top of the back plate 22 d. The keeper 26 engages with the roller catch 25 of the lift body unit 21 as described above.

  As shown in FIG. 21, an open / close door 121 is provided at the front lower end portion of the outer case 22. The figure (a) has shown the state which opened the door 121, and the figure (b) has shown the state which closed the door 121. As shown in FIG. The open / close door 121 is opened and closed centering on the lower end. When the open / close lever 122 is turned downward in the closed state, the open / close door 121 is held in the closed state. When the open / close lever 122 is turned sideways, the holding is released and opened.

  When the lift main body unit 21 is removed from the outer case 22, etc., the game ball or foreign objects such as screws and nails used at the time of installation may fall from the collecting rod 5 into the outer case 22. It is opened, for example, when taking out the game ball or the foreign substance contained in the outer case 22. In particular, since the bottom plate 22a is inclined downward toward the open / close door 121, the gaming balls are easily collected on the open / close door 121, and the game balls can be easily removed from the outer case 22 by opening the open / close door 121. The open / close door 121 functions as a guiding plate for guiding the gaming balls coming out of the outer case 22 not to spread laterally.

  For example, in gaming machine island 2 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, since there is no decorative board at the bottom of gaming machine island 2 except for the pillar portion, the opening and closing of gaming ball transport device 20 installed in the pillar portion By opening the door 121, the gaming balls in the outer case 22 can be easily recovered.

  Above the open / close door 121, an out-the-ball expansion metal fitting 130 for guiding the game ball from the outside to the ball intake port 32 of the lift main body unit 21 is provided. The out-ball-diaphragm fitting 130 is screwed and fixed to the out-sphere diaphragm fitting mounting portion 124 provided on the lower side of the left side plate 22 b and the right-side plate 22 c of the lift main body unit 21.

  FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the out-ball-diaphragm fitting 130, and FIG. 23 is a front view of the out-ball-diaphragm fitting 130. Since the width of the ball inlet 32 of the lift main unit 21 is narrower than that of the collection rod 5, the out ball throttle bracket 130 narrows and narrows the width of the passage of the game ball to match the width of the ball inlet 32. Perform a function. That is, since the outer case 22 has the same width as the collecting cage 5 and the case 31 of the lift main unit 21 is narrower than the outer case 22, a part of the game balls coming from the collecting cage 5 is And the gap between the case 31 of the lift main body unit 21 and the outer case 22 on both sides of the ball inlet 32. Therefore, this is prevented by attaching the out ball throttle bracket 130.

  The out-the-ball throttle fitting 130 is a road surface inclined downward to the ball inlet 32 of the lift main body unit 21 inserted into the outer case 22 and has a center ball guiding portion 131 having the same width as the ball inlet 32. And a side ball guiding portion 132 which is extended on both the left and right sides of the center ball guiding portion 131 in a range of about half on the upstream side of the center ball guiding portion 131, and is inclined toward the center ball guiding portion 131; A ball shielding portion 133 erected along an edge on the ball intake port 32 side of the ball guiding portion 132 and a standing configuration along the left and right edges of the center ball guiding portion 131 at the downstream side of the ball shielding portion 133 Side wall portion 134 is provided.

  Further, at the upper end of the ball shielding portion 133, a protective plate attaching portion 135 which is a base for attaching the protective plate 126 (see FIG. 18) is provided. A portion extending upward from the upper end of the side wall portion 134 contacts the lift main body unit 21 when the lift main body unit 21 is inserted into the outer case 22 to guide the lift main body unit 21 to a predetermined position. It has a slope-like lift main body guide portion 136. The entire width of the out-of-ball-diaphragm 130, which is the combination of the center ball guiding portion 131 and the left and right side ball guiding portions 132, is the same as the inside width of the outer case 22.

  On the downstream side of the center ball guiding portion 131, the game ball does not fall, but the trash and small foreign matter attached to the game ball are rod-shaped along the flowing direction of the game ball, although the game ball does not fall It is made into the comb-shaped part 131a which arranged the member at predetermined intervals, and was arranged. The foreign matter which can not be removed by the comb-like portion 131a can be raised as it is if it has a size (about a screw or a nail) which fits on the projection 46a2 of the lift bucket 46, and dust or drops dropped from the comb-like portion 131a The foreign matter can be easily taken out by opening the open / close door 121. In addition, by raising the foreign matter which could not be removed by the comb-like portion 131a, the game ball lifting apparatus 20 is not stopped, so that the lifting efficiency of the game ball is not lowered. A rubber plate which is a road surface is attached to the center ball guiding portion 131 except the comb-like portion 131a. Similarly, a rubber plate is attached to the side ball guiding portion 132 and the ball shielding portion 133 on the surface in contact with the gaming ball.

  The ball shielding portion 133 prevents the game ball from entering between the outer case 22 and the lift main unit 21.

  The protective plate attachment portion 135 has two holes on one side, and the inner hole is a screw hole, and the protective plate 126 is screwed with a screw hole, and the outer hole is co-fastened with the out-ball diaphragm fitting portion 124 of the outer case 22 Is used to fix the ball clamp 130 out.

  Next, the insertion and removal of the lift main body unit 21 to the outer case 22 will be described.

  FIG. 24 shows a procedure for inserting the lift main body unit 21 into the outer case 22. The lift body unit 21 is slowly lowered into the outer case 22 from the inlet / outlet 23 at the top of the outer case 22 (FIG. 6A). At this time, by holding the handle 36 on the upper part of the lift main body unit 21, the worker can smoothly carry out the work.

  When lowering the lift body unit 21 into the outer case 22, the position in the width direction of the lift body unit 21 is restricted by the width direction position restricting portion 115, and the lift body guiding portion 136 and the back plate possessed by the out-ball-diaphragm fitting 130 The position in the front-rear direction is regulated by 22d. The lower limit is determined by the lower hinge spacer 104 of the lift main unit 21 being brought into contact with the notch 116 a of the lift lower end receiving portion 116.

  The figure (b) has shown the state which lowered the lift main body unit 21 straight to the lower limit position. When the lift main body unit 21 is inclined toward the ball discharge port 33 from this state, the portion of the ball discharge port 33 of the lift main body unit 21 fits into the opening of the ball discharge port fixing portion 111 of the outer case 22. The keeper 26 on the side is fitted into the roller catch 25 on the side of the lift main unit 21, and the attachment is completed (FIG. 6 (c)). When the lift main body unit 21 is removed from the outer case 22, the procedure is the reverse of that at the time of attachment.

  Since the lower circular hinge spacer 104 of the lift main unit 21 is held by the semicircular portion of the notch 116a of the lift lower end receiving portion 116, the lift main unit 21 can be smoothly inclined or raised. Can.

  FIG. 25 is a front view of the game ball transport device 20 with the lift main body unit 21 inserted in the outer case 22 (the ball intake port 32 side), and FIG. FIG. 27 shows a perspective view of the game ball transport device 20 as seen from the ball discharge port 33 side.

  As shown in FIG. 27, when the lift main body unit 21 is inserted into the outer case 22, the portion of the ball intake port 32 of the lift main body unit 21 is in the opening of the ball outlet fixing portion 111 of the outer case 22. Since it is fitted, for example, the upper cover 34 can not be opened even if the lock mechanism 35 is released. In order to prevent the upper lid 34 of the lift main unit 21 from being accidentally opened during operation, safety is ensured by a double lock.

  In the game ball lift device 20, the position of the lift main unit 21 is determined by the restriction induction member provided inside the outer case 22, and fixing is also performed using a tool because it is a one-touch type by the roller catch 25 without using bolts or the like. Without this, the lift main unit 21 can be easily attached to and detached from the outer case 22. For example, even the game staff can be replaced.

  Further, since the outer case 22 is fixed to the gaming machine island 2 and the lift main body unit 21 is attached to and detached from the outer case 22, positioning and the like can be performed compared to the case where the lift main body unit 21 is directly attached to the gaming machine island 2. It is easy to attach and remove.

  Since the lift main unit 21 is sized and shaped to pass through the outer frame 3a of the gaming machine 3, when the gaming machine main body 3b is opened like a door, the lift main unit can be passed through the outer frame 3a of the gaming machine 3 21 can be taken in and out of the gaming machine island 2. As a result, the lift main body unit 21 can be easily taken out to a bright and wide place outside the gaming machine island 2, and the repair and inspection can be performed, and the working efficiency is improved.

  Furthermore, since the handle 36 is provided on the upper part of the lift main body unit 21, the lift main body unit 21 can be easily lifted and lowered.

  In addition, since the lifting and conveying belt 43 has a crawler structure in which a plurality of lift buckets 46 are connected, the clearance between the lift buckets 46 is almost completely eliminated, and biting of foreign substances such as screws and nails is suppressed. It can be transported by the transport belt 43 together.

  In the case of an integral-type belt-type bucket, even if some of the buckets are damaged, the entire belt becomes an object to be replaced. However, in the lift and delivery belt 43 of this embodiment, the lift buckets of the broken part Only 46 can be replaced, which can reduce repair costs.

  Further, by changing the number of lift buckets 46 to be connected, the full length of the lift belt 43, that is, the height to be transported can be easily adjusted, so the size of the outer case 22 is changed without changing the basic structure. As well as being able to design the game ball transport device 20 for transporting the game balls to any height in a short time, the production cost is also reduced.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to that shown in the embodiment, and changes and additions may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also included in the present invention.

  The shapes of the lift main body unit 21 and the outer case 22 are an example, and may be changed as appropriate. For example, the outer case 22 may be configured such that the entire front surface is covered with a plate.

  In the embodiment, the lift main body unit 21 of the method of lifting game balls by the lift belts 43 to which the lift buckets 46 are connected is shown, but the method of lifting the game balls is not limited to this. Any configuration may be used, such as a configuration in which a belt having a circumferential surface provided with a projection for supporting the belt.

  The game ball transport device 20 of the present embodiment is not limited to being provided and used at the lower part of the gaming machine island 2 as shown in FIG. 1, but is suitable for use in other places. For example, it can also be used as a supply wedge at the end of the gaming machine island 2 where the gradient is insufficient, or during passage passing of gaming balls between gaming machine islands. Since the lift main body unit 21 is unitized by housing the lift mechanism in the housing 31, the lift main body unit 21 can be directly installed without using the outer case 22.

2 ... game machine island 3 ... game machine 3a ... outer frame 3b ... game machine main body 4 ... pumping and polishing device 5 ... recovery rod 5a ... recovery ball on the upstream side of the game ball pumping device 5b ... downstream of the game ball pumping device Recovery side 6 ... Supply side 7 ... Top plate 8 ... Tank 20 ... Game ball pumping device 21 ... Lift body unit 22 ... Outer case 22 a ... Bottom plate 22 b ... Left side plate 22 c ... Right side plate 22 d ... Back plate 23 ... Outlet slot 25: roller catch 25a: roller 26: keeper 31: housing 32: ball inlet 33: ball outlet 34: upper lid 35: lock mechanism 36: handle 37: motor 37a: motor bracket 38: belt cover 41: drive Roller (sprocket)
42 ... driven roller 43 ... transportation belt 44 ... roller guide plate 45 ... gaming ball fall prevention plate 46 ... lift bucket 46a ... bucket main body 46a1 ... circumferential surface 46a2 ... projection 46b ... end wall 46c ... first bearing 46d 2nd bearing portion 47 connected shaft 48 bucket roller 49 E ring 51 rubber plate 52 discharge passage 53 leaf plate 54 door switch 55 door switch cover 60 tension unit 61 tension roller 62 tension base Plate 63 Tension arm 64 Wheel shaft 65 Spring 70 Bottom plate portion 71 Inner bottom plate 71a Arc portion 71b Arm portion 72 Outer bottom plate 81 Side guide plate 82 Ball alignment plate 90 Drive shaft unit 91 Drive Shaft base plate 92 ... drive shaft 93 ... bearing unit 94 ... 95: Sprocket fixing plate 100: Driven unit 101: Driven shaft 102: C ring 103: Hexagon nut 104: Hinge spacer 111: Ball outlet fixing portion 112: Lift ball discharging plate 115: Width direction position regulating portion 116: Lift lower end Receiving part 116a ... Notch 121 ... Opening / closing door 122 ... Opening / closing lever 124 ... Out ball expansion bracket mounting part 126 ... Protective plate 130 ... Out ball expansion bracket 131 ... Center ball guiding part 131a ... Comb shaped part 132 ... Side ball guiding part 133 ... Ball shielding part 134 ... Side wall part 135 ... Protective plate attachment part 136 ... Lift main body guiding part A ... Circumferential direction of lift and delivery belt

Claims (1)

A lift main body unit having a ball intake port at the lower part and a ball outlet at the upper part, and pumping the gaming ball taken in from the ball inlet and discharging it from the ball outlet;
An outer casing in which the ball inlet and the ball outlet of the lift body unit is adapted to communicate with the outside while the lift body unit and out can accommodate, which accommodates the through loading and unloading opening of the upper portion,
Equipped with
The lift main body unit includes a housing having a shape inclined obliquely to the ball discharge port side,
Wherein inserting the lifting body unit, after lowered causing the tilt to a predetermined lower limit position in the outer case through the loading and unloading opening, the lifting body unit said outer casing and inclined to the ball discharge port side And
A game ball pumping device characterized in that the lift main body unit is separated from the outer case when the lift main body unit in a state of being inserted and attached to the outer case is raised and then pulled upward.

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