JPH026544B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a ball sorting and supplying device for a game machine that rolls balls on an inclined board.

For example, a game device in which opposing players score points by hitting the ball alternately and putting the ball into the opponent's goal, and the winner or loser is determined by the number of points scored, is well known. In this case, if a ball falls into one of the calls, a new ball must be placed on the board again to continue the game. However, it would be unfair in terms of competition if the balls thus supplied were always given to only one player, so it is desirable that the balls be given to each player alternately.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a ball sorting and supplying device having a simple configuration and capable of alternately supplying balls to players' partners.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on drawings showing embodiments thereof.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a game device using a ball sorting device according to the present invention. In the figure, a curved peripheral wall 2 is located approximately in the center of the table 1.
A field 4 is provided which faces the peripheral wall 2, is surrounded by a similarly curved front peripheral wall (not shown), and is inclined with the center line 3 as the top.
The width of both skirts of the inclined field 4 is narrowed by both curved peripheral walls, and a keeper 5 is attached to each of the narrowed skirts.
a and 5b are arranged. In the figure, one keeper 5b is mechanically connected to a handle 7 attached to the right side of the front side 6 of the table 1. Although the mechanical system that connects the handle 7 and the keeper 5b is not shown, this mechanical system uses, for example, a bevel gear, and when the handle 7 is rotated as indicated by AA', the keeper 5b rotates around the shaft 8b. is configured to rotate. The other keeper 5a facing the keeper 5b has a handle (not shown) attached to the back side (not shown) of the table 1 via a mechanical system having the same configuration as the keeper 5b. ). The keeper 5a also rotates around the shaft 8a by operating its handle (not shown). Goals formed as openings (only one goal 9 corresponding to the keeper 5a is shown in the figure) are arranged behind the keepers 5a and 5b. field 4
peripheral wall 2 at a position corresponding to the center line of
The balls supplied to the field 4 from the ball supply port 11 provided at the ball roll toward either the keeper 5a or 5b according to the inclination of the field 4. For example, if the ball rolls toward the keeper 5b, one player operates the handle 7 to rotate the keeper 5b and hits the rolling ball toward the opponent's goal 9. The ball that was hit in this way is at the top 3.
However, the other player rotates the keeper 5a by operating a handle on the back side (not shown) to prevent the ball from entering goal 9 and to move the ball toward the keeper 5b. Hit back. In this way, the opposing players mutually operate the keeper 5a or 5b in an attempt to put the ball into the opponent's goal. If any player makes a mistake in operating the keeper, the ball will pass through the keeper and enter the goal. When the ball enters the goal, a detection means (not shown) provided inside the table 1, such as an optical sensor, detects this, and as a result, a score indicator light 12 provided on the field 4 lights up.

In the above-mentioned competition, when a ball enters one of the goals, a new ball is supplied from the ball supply port 11 onto the field 4 each time in order to continue the competition. However, it would be unfair to the players if they were to be in a situation where the probability of always going towards one keeper or towards either keeper is higher. Therefore, in this embodiment, the supplied balls are distributed alternately to both players.

Hereinafter, a device for alternately distributing and supplying balls as described above will be explained.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are a front view and a side sectional view, respectively, showing an example of the ball sorting and feeding device. In these figures, a motor 15 is attached to the center of a substantially square support plate 13 with screws 14a and 14b. At a position above the motor 15 on the support plate 13,
Two circular holes 16 and 17 are arranged side by side with an appropriate interval, while one circular hole 18 is arranged at a position below the motor 15.
Note that the distance from the output shaft 19 of the motor 15 to the center of the hole 17 is smaller than the distance from the output shaft 19 to the center of the hole 16. Hereinafter, the holes 17 will be referred to as short-interval holes, and the holes 16 will be referred to as long-interval holes. Moreover, the hole 18 is
It is provided at a position such that the distance from the output shaft 19 to its center is equal to or longer than the distance to the center of the hole 16. This support plate 13 is
Inside the table 1 in FIG.
It is arranged on the back side of the ball supply port 11,
In this case, the support plate 13 is arranged so that the top part 3 of the field 4 (indicated by the two-dot chain line) is located at an intermediate position between the holes 16 and 17, as shown in FIG.

Attached to the output shaft 19 of the motor 15 is a rotary plate 22 having four ball carrying boxes 21a, 21b, 21c, and 21d equally spaced at 90 degrees. Side plates 23a, 23b, 23c of these ball transport boxes,
23d is inclined. Furthermore, the distance from the output shaft 19 of the motor 15 to these inclined side plates is
The distances up to 23a and 23c are the same long distance, and the distances up to 23b and 23d are the same short distance. Hereinafter, 23a and 23c will be referred to as side plates with long arms, and 23b and 23d will be referred to as side plates with short arms. The rotating plate 22 is rotationally driven by the motor 15, and as a result, the four ball transport boxes 21a, 2
The motors 1b, 21c, and 21d rotate around the motor shaft 19.

A rail 24 for guiding the ball 30 is connected to the hole 18 below the support plate 13, as shown in FIG.
The rail 24 guides the balls that have entered the goal 9 in FIG. 1 and the opponent's goal opposite thereto to the hole 18 described above. When the ball is guided by the rail 24 and reaches the hole 18, one of the ball transport boxes on the rotary plate 22 moves the ball to the hole 1.
8, the ball enters the transport box through the ball passage opening of the transport box, but at other times it hits the rotary plate 22 and does not pass through the hole 18. In this way, the hole 18 functions to feed the balls into the ball transport box, so hereinafter this hole 18 will be referred to as the ball intake port.

The balls that entered the ball transport box through the ball intake port 18 are
When the ball transport box rotates, it moves as it rotates, and as a result it is lifted upward in the figure.
At this time, since the opening of the ball transporting box through which the balls pass is covered by the support plate 13, the balls that have entered the ball transporting box can be removed from the opening during the upward transportation process. There is no need to worry about it flying out. In this way, in addition to supporting the motor 15 and other constituent members, the support plate 13 also functions as a cover that covers the ball intake opening of the ball transport box and prevents balls from flying out from the opening. It has the effect of In addition to the opening for taking in balls, the ball transport box has a rotating plate 22.
The supporting plate 13 has a guide plate 20 along the outer periphery of the rotary plate 22 to prevent the balls from jumping out from the opening on the outer periphery.
is fixed. The two holes 16 and 17 arranged above the support plate 13 are formed in the support plate 13 in a portion that acts as the cover, and their function is This involves removing the cover from the balls that have been transported upwards and discharging the balls out of the transport box. Therefore,
Hereinafter, these holes 16 and 17 will be referred to as ball outlet.

In the above explanation, the ball transport boxes 21a, 21b, 2
Although there is no particular mention of the positional relationship between 1c, 21d and the ball outlet ports 16, 17, this is set as follows. That is, from the ball outlet 17 with short intervals, side plates 23b and 23d with short arms are connected.
The ball transport boxes 21b and 21d have the outlet 1.
When the ball reaches 7, the balls in the box touch the side plates 23b and 24.
The ball transport boxes 21a and 21c, which have side plates 23a and 23c with long arms, roll on the slope d, pass through the takeout port 17 and jump out, and from the long-spaced ball takeout ports 16, the ball transport boxes 21a and 21c, which have side plates 23a and 23c with long arms, are taken out. When it reaches 16, the ball will pop out.

Long interval ball outlet 16 and short interval ball outlet 17
A guide member 26 having two arms 25a and 25b whose distance becomes wider toward the tip is provided between the guide member 26 and the lower edge of both ball outlet ports 16 and 17. Projecting inclined plate 27
is placed. On both sides of this inclined plate 27, optical sensors consisting of a light emitting element 28 and a light receiving element 29 are arranged.

The configuration of the ball sorting and feeding device according to this embodiment is as described above, and its operation is as follows. 1st
In the figure, when one of the goal balls enters, a detection means (not shown) detects this, and this is used as a signal to start the motor 15 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. When the ball transport box 21b with short arms reaches the short distance outlet 17 due to the rotation of the motor 15 (the state shown in the figure), the balls in the ball transport box 21b move to the inclined side plate 2.
3b, and fall onto the field 4 via the outlet 17, the inclined plate 27, and the ball supply port 11 (indicated by a two-dot chain line). Since the field 4 is tilted left and right with the top at the intermediate position between the two outlet ports 16 and 17, the ball that pops out from the outlet port 17 located to the right of the top will move along the inclination of the field 4 as shown in the figure. It rolls to the right of the keeper 5b in FIG. Since the balls passing through the outlet 17 are forcibly directed to the right by one arm 25b of the guide member 26, the balls from the outlet 17 will not accidentally jump out to the left of the top. When the ball passes through the inclined plate 27, the passage of the ball is detected by the optical sensors 28 and 29, and based on this, the rotation of the motor 15 is stopped, and the rotation of the motor 15 is stopped.
2. Therefore, the rotation of the ball transport box also stops. If any of the rotating ball transport boxes passes through the ball intake port 18,
Alternatively, if any ball transport box stops at a position corresponding to its intake port 18, new balls are fed into that ball transport box. In the state shown in FIG. 2, since the ball transport box 21d is stopped corresponding to the ball intake port 18, new balls are fed into the transport box 21d while balls are being ejected from the ball exit port 17.

Since the ball has been supplied as described above, it is possible to continue the game, but when the ball enters the goal again, the motor 15
starts rotating again. In the next rotation, the ball carrying box 21a having the side plate 23a with long arms faces the outlet 16 or 17. Since the distance from the motor shaft 19 to the side plate 23a of the ball transport box 21a is long, even if the transport box 21a comes to a position corresponding to the short distance outlet 17, it will be blocked by the support plate 13 and will not come out. You can't jump out. However, when the transport box 21a comes to a position corresponding to the long-spaced outlet 16, the balls roll out of the box and fall onto the field 4 through the outlet 16. Outlet 1
6 is placed to the left of the top of the field 4, the ball that comes out of the outlet 16 falls to the left from the top of the field 4 and follows the slope to the left, thus falling to the left in FIG. It rolls towards the keeper 5a inside. In this case, the arm 25a of the guide member 26 ensures that the ball falls to the left.

As can be understood from the above explanation, the two ball outlet ports 16 and 17 are at different distances from the motor shaft 19, and each of these outlet ports has a length corresponding to the distance of one of them. Since the ball carrying boxes with open arms are brought in alternately, the balls are taken out from the outlets 16 and 17 alternately. Moreover, the field 4 to which balls should be supplied is
Since the top thereof is inclined so as to be located between the two outlet ports, the balls coming out of the outlet 16 and the balls coming out of the outlet 17 roll in different directions on the field 4. That is, field 4
The balls fed above alternately head in different directions. Therefore, since the opposing players are given balls alternately at the start of the game, the game can be played fairly.

In addition, in the above embodiment, there are two ball outlet ports 16 and 1.
7. The distribution of balls is realized using four ball transport boxes 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d arranged alternately with different arm lengths and a motor 15 rotating in a fixed direction, but as follows. Other variations are also effective.

First of all, the number of ball transport boxes is not limited to four, as long as there are two or more, but as the number increases, the ball transport boxes are moved one after another to the ball takeout port 1 by a small rotation angle.
6 and 17, balls can be quickly supplied.

The method of arranging the ball carrying boxes with different arm lengths is not limited to the alternate arrangement as in the above embodiment, but can be any method suitable for the desired distribution mode. For example, if you use two ball transport boxes with the same arm length and one ball transport box with different arm lengths, you can supply balls twice in a row in one direction and then only once in the other direction. For example, in this case, a handicap can be provided between the players.

The number of ball extraction ports may be two or more. For example, if three ball outlets are provided with different distances from the center, balls can be supplied to three different positions. However, in this case, the length of the arm of the ball transport box should be 3 to match the spacing of the ball outlet.
You need to prepare different types.

The motor 15 may be one that rotates in a fixed direction or one that can rotate in both directions.

Further, in the above embodiment, the game device having the field 4 with the top 3 located between the ball take-out ports 16 and 17 has been described, but the ball sorting and feeding device according to the present invention can be applied to any other game device that uses balls. Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to other amusement devices.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall view of an example of a game device using a ball sorting and feeding device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of a ball sorting and feeding device showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a plan view of the device, and FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the device. 30... Ball, 4... Inclined plate (field), 23a,
23b, 23c, 23d...Side plate, 19...Rotation center (motor shaft), 21a, 21b, 21c, 21
d...Ball transport box, 13...Cover body (support plate), 18...
Opening for taking in balls (ball taking in port), 16, 17... Openings for taking out balls (ball taking out port).

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A ball sorting and supplying device for an amusement machine that rolls balls on an inclined board, which is equipped with a side plate and an opening for balls to pass through, is rotatable about a fixed point, and the distances from the center of rotation to the side plate are equal to each other. at least two different ball transport boxes, a cover body that covers the opening of the rotating ball transport box and prevents the balls in the ball transport boxes from rolling out of the box, and a ball transport system provided at at least one place on the cover body. A ball intake opening for sending balls into the box and a side plate having different distances are provided in the cover body, and the ball rolls on the side plate and is removed from the ball transport box. A ball sorting and feeding device characterized by having a ball retrieval opening through which balls attempting to exit the ball pass.