JPS6149988B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention limits the number of balls fired, records the number of points scored in each game, and controls the operation of the settlement push button switch performed by the player in that game, or in place of the operation in the next game. In a vertical pinball game machine that releases a predetermined number of prize coins by using coin insertion to start the game as a payment method, when the number of coins stored in the coin storage box decreases below the predetermined number, A vertical pinball game machine that is sensed by a sensing switch to close a coin slot and at the same time disables a coin ejecting mechanism,
The purpose of this is to prevent problems related to the number of released coins from occurring.

In a conventional vertical pinball game machine, a sensing switch is used to detect when the number of coins stored in the coin storage box is less than the predetermined number of coins to be released and disable the prize coin release mechanism. There is no such thing. However, without this sensing switch, when a player finishes a game and presses the settlement button switch, or instead inserts a new coin from the coin slot, a number of coins short of the predetermined number of prizes will be released. As a result, there is a problem with the game center regarding the number of releases, and the player wins.

The present invention attempts to prevent such disputes.

A first embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figures 1 and 2 show an example of a vertical pinball game machine according to the present invention, in which the game machine main body 1 has a fixed frame 2 and a front frame 3 which is pivotably supported on the fixed frame so that the door can be opened and is normally locked.
A game board 5 on which a spiral rail 6 is laid is fixed to the rear side of a vast window 4 of a front frame 3. The spiral rail 6 is provided with a firing position 7 facing the firing beak of the firing hammer 9 and a return ball discharge port 8. The game board surface 10 surrounded by the guide rail 6 is provided with winning holes 11, 12, and 13, which allow the balls to pass downward, as appropriate, and the lowest part receives all the balls flowing down the game board surface 10 in a dispersed manner. A horizontally long chuck car 14 is provided in which a large number of winning holes 14a are successively arranged. In this embodiment, the number of winning holes 11 is five, 11A to 11E, as shown in FIG. 2, and the number of winning holes 14a is sixteen. At the center of the game board surface 10, there is provided a display 15 for detecting balls passing through the winning holes 11A to 11E by means of passage detection switches and announcing the passage of these balls. As shown in detail in FIG. 3, the display 15 has five display sections A to E where lamps are lit by balls that have passed through the winning holes 11A to 11E and 16 winning holes 14a. 16 display areas where the lamps are lit by the bulbs
~p are provided in an arbitrary arrangement. The lighting display of these display areas is not directly performed by the passage detection switch, but is controlled by a computer 41, which will be explained later.

The number of balls a fired from the firing position 7 of the spiral rail 6 to the game board surface 10 by the firing mallet 9 during one game is set to be 16. Those balls are winning hole 11A~
11E or not, and finally enters one of the sixteen winning holes 14a, and is guided to the back side of the game board 5 and enters the recovery storage path 16, as shown in FIG. The first part is stopped by the solenoid stopper 18, and the 16 constants are arranged in a line. The solenoid stopper 18 is connected to the coin slot 2 in Fig. 1.
Coin switch SW ₁ is turned on to confirm the passage of the regular coin C ₁ inserted from 8, and the game start solenoid 19 driven by the computer moves in the direction of the arrow to send all of the balls a to the game board. The water is allowed to flow out through an outflow port 17 that is transparently provided immediately below the return discharge port 8 on the front of the unit 5.
The balls a flowing out from the opening 17 are received by a ball organizing gutter 20 shown in FIG. 2, and are guided to the front side of the firing position 7 in a line. At the tip of the ball organizing gutter 20, a supply port 21 is provided which opens at the upper front side of the firing position 7, and a feeding piece 2 is provided to prevent the flow of the leading ball a.
2 is pivoted. The feeding piece 22 is of a known structure that rotates clockwise as shown in FIG. be. Balls falling from the return ball discharge port 8 also enter the ball sorting gutter 20.

A decorative plate 23 is fitted into the lower part of the window 4 of the front frame 3 to cover slightly above the return ball outlet 10, and a plurality of selections are placed on the decorative plate in addition to a coin out indicator lamp 24, a payment push button switch 25, etc. Button switches 26, indicator lamps 27, etc. are provided to indicate that the switches 26 are ready for operation.

A device plate 30 is attached to the back side of the game board 8 by a hinge, and covers the back side of the recovery and storage path 16, etc. described above.
The inner surface of the device plate 30 is provided with an opening 31 for receiving the regular coin C ₁ thrown from the coin slot 28, an inclined guide gutter 32, and a collection box 33 at the end thereof, and the guide gutter 32 has the same structure as described above. The coin switch is provided with a SW ₁ and a coin storage box 34 branched directly below the gutter 32. The storage box 34 is designed to allow the coins C ₁ sliding through the guide gutter 32 to fall to the collection box 33 and store them in a stack as prize coins C ₂ .
A feed-out plate 36 is provided that sends out one prize coin C ₂ with each operation, and the ejected coin C ₂
is from the guide path 37 to the coin tray 38 in front of the fixed frame 2.
sent to. The release solenoid 35 is an example of the prize coin release mechanism of the present invention.

The display 15 shown in Fig. 3 has, for example, a score of 2 points when display sections a, m, f, and A are lit, and a score of 1 point when display sections f, A, n, and j are lit. It is stipulated in The determination of scores, addition operations, etc. are performed by a computer 41, which will be described later, and the number of scores is displayed on the display 15 using characters, color coding, etc. In addition, for example, a ball that falls into the winning hole 12 and passes through the winning hole 12 may be detected by a passing detection switch and stored in the computer 41 as a present score, or the winning hole 11A to 1
The passage detection switch detects the ball passing through 1E and displays the display sections A to E on the display 15 as described above.
The computer 41 controls the lighting of any one of and the lighting of the display lamp 27.
Press any of the selection pushbutton switches 26 displaying c', e', h', i', l', n', p' to select the display section a, c, h, i, At the same time as turning off the lights 1, n, and p, one of the substitute balls stored separately is sent out from the discharge port 29 onto the shooting position 7, and the result can be corrected by shooting it with the shooting mallet 9. Such substitute balls are added to the limited number of balls that can be shot in the present invention.

However, it is known that the highest score obtained by adding several gift points to the total score when all of the display sections A to E and a to P are lit is calculated by the program of the computer 41; The maximum number of prize coins C ₂ required to be released from the coin storage box 34 at the end of one game is determined by itself in accordance with the highest score. The coin storage box 34 is provided with a sensing switch SW ₂ that senses when the maximum number of coins cannot be satisfied.

The computer 41 is comprised of elements such as input/output controllers 42 and 43, an arithmetic control section 44, and a memory section 45, as shown in the block diagram of FIG. The ROM 51 of the memory section 45 stores a game program that determines the processing procedure and processing conditions of the CPU 46 of the arithmetic control section 44. The input/output controllers 42 and 43 perform a control function of converting various signals obtained from the outside into computer data used by the computer 41, and converting instructions from the computer 41 into output signals to the outside. The CPU 46 of the calculation control unit 44 includes a calculation unit 47, a control unit 48, an input/output controller 42,
It functions to provide control information, ie, command, to 43.
In addition, the memory section 45 includes a RAM 52 that temporarily stores the calculation data of the calculation section 47 and control data of the control section 48, and a RAM 52 that temporarily stores the calculation data of the calculation section 47 and the control data of the control section 48, and the control section 45 that inputs the payment signal.
At the same time as processing in 8, the game results in RAM 52 are shifted and the second register 5 records the results.
It consists of 3.

In this embodiment, the coin switch SW ₁ detects the passage of the coin C ₁ and generates a signal, which instructs the computer 41 to operate the setting operation, and the coin switch SW 1 detects the passage of the coin C 1 and commands the setting operation of the computer 41, and the coin switch SW 1 detects the passage of the coin C 1 and commands the setting operation of the computer 41. The computer 41 receives signals from the passage detection switch, selection push button switch, etc. that operate when the switch is turned on.
The controller causes the necessary operations to be performed to control the lighting of the display section of the display 15, the turning on and off of the display lamp 27, the storage of game results, etc., but such control operations have no direct relation to the present invention. The explanation will be omitted from here.

Genuine coins inserted from coin slot 28
When C ₁ slides down the inclined guide gutter 32 from the intake port 31, the coin switch SW ₁ detects its passage and turns on, and the signal is input to the input controller 42 and sent to the computer 4 as described above.
1, but if the settlement push button switch 26 is not pressed, the settlement push button switch 26 is not pressed because the prize coins C ₂ have not been released based on the results of the previous game. In exactly the same way as when pressing 25, the number of winning points stored in the RAM 52 of the computer 41 is first shifted to the second register 53 and recorded. In the computer 41, the memory is erased along with the shift, so the display sections A to E on the display 15,
The lights are turned on according to the results of grades a to p, and all other display lights are turned off.

On the other hand, when the shift to the second register 53 is confirmed, an operation command for the discharge solenoid 35 is output from the output controller 43. The solenoid 35
When the discharge solenoid 35 returns to de-energization after one drive discharges one coin from the coin storage box 34, the second register 53 decrements and records the number of coins discharged in response to the confirmation signal, and at the same time, the output controller is activated again. 43 outputs an operation command for the release solenoid 35. This command is the second register 53
is repeated until the record becomes zero, completing the release of prize coins _C2 that match the winning points of the previous game. Immediately after its completion, the second register 53
Since the record becomes zero, only then is the computer 41 commanded to perform a set operation for the next game. When the settlement push button switch 25 is pressed prior to inserting the coin C ₁ into the coin slot 28, the prize coins are removed from the coin storage box 34.
Since the discharge of _C2 has been completed and the record in the second register 53 has become zero, a set operation for the next game is commanded by turning on the coin switch _SW1 .

As explained above, the player can arbitrarily choose whether to insert coin _C1 into the coin slot 28 or press the settlement push button switch 25 in order to settle the results of the previous game. Although it is possible, during the ejection operation of prize coins C ₂ , the maximum number of coins C ₂ as described above is stored in the coin storage box 34.
When the number becomes insufficient or the number is reduced to the maximum number and the sensing switch SW ₂ performs a sensing operation, the out-of-coin indicator lamp 24 lights up and the closing solenoid 39 turns on.
(see FIG. 9) to operate a shutter or the like that closes the coin slot 28 so that it cannot be inserted, and further interrupts transmission of the operating command to the release solenoid 35. However, at this time, the operation command of the discharge solenoid 35 by the output controller 43 is not canceled, nor is the record of the remaining number of coins to be discharged in the second register 53.
When the prize coins C ₂ are replenished beyond the number required for release, the coin shortage detection operation of the sensing switch SW ₂ is canceled, and at the same time, the solenoid 39 is deactivated to release the coin slot 28 from being blocked by the shutter or the like. Furthermore, coin out indicator lamp 24
This causes the lights to go out.

The computer 41 commands the actuation of the closing solenoid 39 and the interruption of transmission of the operating command to the release solenoid 35 based on the sensing operation of the sensing switch SW ₂ . That is, coin switch SW ₁
The signal from the settlement push button switch 25 is applied to the computer 41 via a program provided in the computer 41, and is then input to the second register 53 described above.
, an activation command to the release solenoid 35, or a set activation command from the computer 41 after the second register is recorded as zero when the signal from the coin switch SW ₁ is received (including an activation command for the game start solenoid 19). ), etc., and
In response to the prize coin shortage signal of the sensing switch SW ₂ inputted to the gate, the shortage signal is applied from the gate to the computer 41 and the release solenoid 3 is activated.
5, and commands to drive the closing solenoid 39 and turn on the coin-out indicator lamp 24. Especially the drive of the release solenoid 35 and the coin cut-off indicator lamp 24
The lighting can also be directly electrically controlled without going through the computer 41.

The closing solenoid 39 may be of a type in which the excitation current is cut off together with the sensing activation signal of the sensing switch _SW2 .

A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9.

The settlement push button switch 25' is connected to the coin storage box 34.
(See FIG. 6) is controlled by a coin out detection switch SW ₂ ′ that operates when the number of prize coins C ₂ in the prize coins C 2 decreases to less than the maximum number described in the first embodiment or a predetermined number less than that. , when the settlement line L to the computer 41 has more than a predetermined number of prize coins _C2 , the a-a' terminal of the sensing switch _SW2 ' is connected to the ninth
Since the circuit is closed as shown in the figure, a settlement signal is input to the computer 41 by closing the settlement push button switch 25', and the discharge solenoid 35 is driven to discharge the number of prize coins corresponding to the game result.

On the other hand, the closing solenoid 39' that closes the coin slot 28 (FIG. 1) is normally a sensing switch.
Since the a-a' terminal of SW ₂ ' is closed as described above, it is energized to open the coin slot 28 and enable coin insertion.

Coin storage box 34 due to release of prize coin C ₂
When the number of coins in the terminal decreases and the sensing switch SW ₂ ' is activated, the movable section moves as shown by the chain line in FIG. 9, opening the circuit between the terminals a and a'. Therefore, even if the settlement push button switch 25 is pressed, the settlement line L is not closed.
Therefore, since the settlement signal is not input to the computer 41, the discharge solenoid 35 becomes inoperable, and the game results are not settled by discharging the prize coins. Further, the closing solenoid 39' is deenergized by the opening of the sensing switch SW ₂ ', thereby closing the coin slot 28, making it impossible to insert coins, and at the same time lighting up the coin out indicator lamp 24'.

In this embodiment, unlike the first embodiment described above, the settlement push button switch 25' is pressed, a settlement signal is given to the computer 41 through the settlement line L, and the release solenoid 35 is activated to release the prize coin C ₂ from the coin storage box 34. When the game starts, the computer 41 is programmed to continue releasing all the prize coins corresponding to the game results until the end even if the number of coins in the coin storage box 34 becomes less than a predetermined number by the sensing switch SW ₂ '. give. If the sensing switch SW ₂ ′ is activated during the discharge of all the coins, only the coin slot 28 is closed.

When the coin switch SW ₁ ' is activated by the coin inserted from the coin slot 28, the release solenoid 35 is also driven, and the action of releasing all the prize coins corresponding to the game result is performed by the settlement push button switch 25'. It is the same as when pressing , but
Should the program be programmed to set the game regardless of whether the sensing switch SW ₂ ' is activated, or should it be programmed so that the game is not set when the sensing switch SW ₂ ' is activated? Optional. sensing switch
The above-mentioned operation of SW ₂ ' is performed by replenishing the coin storage box 34 with prize coins C ₂ by the game hall operator, which closes terminals a and a' and drives the closing solenoid 39' (coin slot 28) and turning off the coin-out indicator lamp 24'.

A feature of the present invention is that when the number of coins stored in the coin storage box 34 becomes less than a predetermined number of coins to be released, a sensing switch SW ₂ is provided which detects when the number of coins stored in the coin storage box 34 becomes less than a predetermined number of coins to be released.
SW ₂ ′ is interposed between the closing solenoids 39 and 39 ′, which generate the sensing operation of the sensing switch and the operation of closing the coin slot, and each circuit of the release mechanism, and the sensing switches SW ₂ , SW ₂ ′ When the detection switches SW ₂ and SW ₂ ' are sensed, the closing solenoids 39 and 39' are driven, and the ejection mechanism is controlled to be inoperable. The purpose is to cancel the sensing operation, and this feature has been made clear through the embodiments described above.

In the present invention, prize coins are released from the coin storage box when a player presses the settlement button switch or alternatively inserts coins from the coin slot to request settlement at the end of one game.
When the number of coins stored in the coin storage box decreases to an insufficient number to perform the above-mentioned ejection, it is sensed by a sensing switch, and when the sensing is failed, the coin slot is opened in conjunction with a closing solenoid. Since it is closed and the mechanism for discharging prize coins is inoperable, the prize coins will not be released even if the settlement push button switch is pressed, and it also serves as a substitute for pressing the settlement push button switch to start the next game and request settlement. Since it is not possible to insert coins into the coin slot, if there is a shortage that is clearly known in the coin storage box but is not directly known to the player or the gaming hall, coins will continue to be released regardless of the shortage. This has the unique effect of preventing troubles between players and players.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The attached drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a front view of the main body 1 of the pinball game machine, FIG. 2 is a front view of the main body 1 with the front frame 3 removed, and FIG. 3 is a display unit. 1
5 is an enlarged detailed front view of the game board 5, FIG. 5 is a front view of the device board 30, FIG. 6 is an enlarged front view of the moving parts, and FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the computer 41. , FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the computer 41 including the gate A of the second embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the computer 41 including the gate A of the second embodiment.
It is a diagram showing an example of a connection common to the embodiments. 1 → game machine body, 6 → spiral rail, 9 → starting hammer, 10 → game board surface, 11, 14a → winning hole, 1
5 → Display, 24, 24' → Coin out indicator lamp, 25, 25' → Settlement push button switch, 28 → Coin slot, 32 → Inclined guide gutter, 34 → Coin storage box, 35 → Release solenoid, 36 → Payout board,
SW ₁ , SW ₁ ′ → coin switch, SW ₂ , SW ₂ ′ → sensing switch, 39, 39′ → closing solenoid.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. The coins inserted into the coin slot are stacked in the coin storage box 34, and the player presses the settlement push button switch, or instead of pressing the settlement push button switch, the player plays the next game from the coin slot. In a vertical pinball game machine, a predetermined number of coins are discharged from the coin storage box 34 by inserting a coin to control the operation of a prize coin discharging mechanism to control the number of coins stored in the coin storage box 34. A closing solenoid 39 operates the sensing switches SW ₂ and SW ₂ ' to detect that the number of coins has become lower than a predetermined number of coins. ,39'
and interposed in each circuit of the discharge mechanism, and actuates the closing solenoids 39, 39' upon sensing operation of the sensing switches _SW2 , _SW2 ', and controls the discharge mechanism to be inoperable; This vertical pinball game machine is characterized in that the sensing operation of the sensing switches SW ₂ and SW ₂ ' is canceled by replenishing the storage box 34 with more coins than the required number of coins to be released.