JPH0829188B2 - Ball detector for pachinko machines - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Industrial applications]

The present invention relates to a ball detection device for a pachinko machine, which prevents malfunctions due to noise and prevents failures and fraud.

[Prior art]

In recent years, pachinko machines are becoming more electronically controlled. As an example, when a specific winning opening is won, an event that is influenced by chance, such as randomly changing a three-digit number, is generated, and the winning mode is determined by a specific combination of the generated events. However, depending on the winning mode, there is one that controls the opening of a big winning opening formed in the center of the game board and having a higher winning probability. The conditions for continuing to open the special winning opening of such a pachinko machine are rigorously determined so as to keep the entertainment level moderate and not to overly amuse the player. For example, in the jackpot mode with the highest winning probability, the special winning opening is opened for 30 seconds or until there are 10 winnings in the special winning opening, and the V winning opening provided in a part of the special winning opening is won. Even after the opening continuation condition is completed, the operation of continuously opening the special winning opening can be repeated up to 10 times even after the opening continuation condition is completed. Therefore, the determination device for detecting the sphere that has won in the special winning opening and the V winning opening is required for the determination of the above-mentioned opening continuation condition. The poor detection of such a device directly affects the interests of the player and the provider thereof and causes troubles between them. For this reason, there is a need for an apparatus that accurately detects winning balls with few failures. Conventionally, a microswitch utilizing mechanical contact has been generally used for such a device. In addition, in order to improve the drawbacks of the microswitch, a non-contact detecting device that utilizes a change in electromagnetic characteristics for detecting a metal ball, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 60-20276 and Japanese Utility Model Publication 60-190376.
Japanese Patent Publication has been proposed.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

In any of the above detection devices, it outputs an electrical detection signal to a control device that electronically controls the pachinko machine. The control device is provided on the back of the game board, and the ball detection device and the control device arranged at the winning opening are connected by an unshielded wire. However, pachinko spheres collide with each other and rotate on the game board,
Because it falls while rubbing against it, it is charged with static electricity. Therefore, noise is generated in the back of the game board due to the movement of the pachinko ball, and noise is induced in the electric wire. Therefore, there is a problem that the balls are not accurately detected. Moreover, failures such as wire breaks and short circuits were likely to occur.
Further, since the game provider is connected by an electric wire, in order to allow the player to more favorably operate the condition for continuing the opening of the special winning opening, for example, the winning ball detecting device that detects 10 winning balls is disabled. It is possible that intentionally disconnect or short-circuit the signal line for the purpose of outputting a signal indicating a normal state in which a winning ball different from the fault state is not detected. there were. The present invention has been made to remedy the above drawbacks, and an object of the present invention is to prevent malfunction and fraud of a ball detection device and reduce failures.

[Means for solving problems]

A light-emitting element that emits light, a first polarizer that linearly polarizes the light emitted from the light-emitting element, an optical fiber that guides linearly polarized light that is polarized by the first polarizer, and a pachinko ball pass through. The light guided by the optical fiber from the passage hole and the opening provided on the side wall of the passage hole is radiated to the passage hole, and is arranged at a position facing the opening of the side wall of the passage hole, and the emitted light is polarized. A ball detection device having a polarization reflection plate that rotates the direction by 90 degrees and reflects the light toward the opening, and is provided between the first polarizer and the optical fiber, and linearly polarized light by the first polarizer is provided. A half mirror that separates the reflected light that is transmitted and reflected by the polarizing reflector and propagates through the optical fiber to the first polarizer side and that is output from the optical fiber, and the polarized light reflected from the reflected light separated by the half mirror. By a plate A second polarizer that passes only the reflected light polarized in a particular direction Te is the provision of the light receiving element for receiving the reflected light passing through the second polarizer.

[Action]

The light emitted by the light emitting element is emitted from the opening provided on the side wall of the passage hole through the first polarizer, the half mirror, and the optical fiber. At this time, the emitted light is linearly polarized in a predetermined direction (X direction) by the first polarizer. In a normal state in which the pachinko ball does not pass through the passage hole of the ball detecting means, the light emitted from the opening is incident on the polarization reflection plate provided at a position facing the opening without being blocked by the pachinko ball. The light incident on the polarization reflection plate has its polarization direction rotated by 90 degrees and is reflected as linearly polarized light polarized in a specific direction (Y direction). The reflected light enters the optical fiber through the opening, propagates to the light emitting element side, and is separated by the half mirror. The light separated by the half mirror enters the second polarizer. The second polarizer passes only light polarized in a specific direction (Y direction), and the light passing through the second polarizer is detected by the light receiving element. Therefore, when there is no pachinko ball in the passage hole and the light incident on the passage hole is reflected by the polarization reflector, the polarization direction of the light incident on the second polarizer is the specific direction (Y direction). Therefore, this reflected light is
After passing through the polarizer, the light is received by the light receiving element. On the other hand, when there is a pachinko sphere in the passage hole, the light emitted from the opening to the passage hole is reflected by the pachinko sphere, so that linearly reflected light polarized in a specific direction (Y direction) is obtained. I can't. Therefore, the intensity of the light passing through the second polarizer is low, and the light receiving element does not detect the reflected light. In this way, in the normal state, when the light receiving element detects the reflected light, the pachinko ball does not exist in the passage hole, and when the light receiving element does not detect the reflected light, the pachinko ball passes. It is a state existing in the hole. In addition, when a pachinko ball is detected during normal operation, the reflected light is temporarily not detected by the light receiving element during the time when the pachinko ball passes through the passage hole, whereas the reflected light is not detected by the light receiving element when a failure occurs. Since it is not detected continuously for more than a time, it is possible to determine whether a failure or a ball is detected by the length of this duration. Further, in the present invention, since the normal state is the state in which the reflected light polarized in the specific direction (Y direction) is received, even if the pachinko ball passes through the passage hole, a fraudulent act of making it a normal state in which it does not pass is possible. It will be difficult.

【Example】

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on specific examples.
In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the special winning opening 1 is a variable winning device.
The variable winning device 10 is formed in the central portion of the game board (not shown) of the pachinko machine by the mounting substrate 13. An opening / closing panel 11 is rotatably attached to the upper front portion of the mounting substrate 13, and
Is held in the closed state by the operating state of the solenoid (not shown), and by deactivating the solenoid,
It is opened by its own weight. A surrounding frame 14 forming a winning area is integrally formed on the back surface of the mounting substrate 13, and a lid 15 is joined to the rear end opening of the surrounding frame 14 to close the rear portion of the winning area. Inside the enclosure 14, partition plates 14a and 14b fixed to the lid 15 forming the normal winning openings 12a and 12b and the V winning opening 12c are arranged. In addition, on the back surface of the mounting substrate 13, the winning openings 12a, 12b, the V winning opening 12c.
Rail 17 on a semi-circle that guides the ball that won the prize to the opening 16
Is provided. A frame body 21 of the optical switch 20 is arranged in the opening 16 so that the passage hole 18 is located. or,
V winning hole 1 so as to detect a ball that has passed V winning hole 12c
Another optical switch 20a is arranged so that 2c and the passage opening 18a coincide with each other. The appearance of the optical switch 20, as shown in FIG.
The side wall of the passage hole 18 has a frame body 21 in which 18 is formed.
An opening 24 is formed in 23. One end surface 29b of the optical fiber 29 is open to the opening 24. Further, a polarization reflection plate 25 is arranged at a position facing the opening 24 of the side wall 23 of the passage hole 18. The polarizing reflector 25
As shown in FIG. 1, it comprises a λ / 4 plate 251 and a reflecting plate 252 provided behind the λ / 4 plate. The electrical circuit of the detection circuit is shown in FIG. The light emitting diode PD is connected to the power feeding circuit 30 via the resistor R1, is fed from the power feeding circuit 30, and constantly emits light in the operating state of the detection device. The light emitted from the light emitting diode PD is collimated by the lens 31 and is incident on the polarizer 32. The light that has passed through the polarizer 32 becomes linearly polarized light in the X direction. The light passing through the polarizer 32 passes through the half mirror HM to the one end face 29a side of the optical fiber 29, enters the optical fiber 29 from the end face 29a, propagates through the optical fiber 29, and reaches the optical switch 20. The light emitted from the end surface 29b of the optical fiber 29 to the passage hole 18 is incident on the λ / 4 plate 251, reflected by the reflection plate 252, and again incident on the λ / 4 plate 251 from the opposite direction, and the λ / 4 plate 251 It is output from the main surface. The polarization plane of the output light, that is, the reflected light is rotated by 90 degrees with respect to the incident light of the λ / 4 plate 251, and becomes linearly polarized light in the Y direction. This reflected light is the end face of the optical fiber 29.
It is incident from 29b, propagates the optical fiber 29 to the end face 29a side,
Up to the half mirror HM. This reflected light is reflected by the half mirror HM toward the polarizer 33 side. The polarizer 33 is configured to pass only light polarized in the Y direction. Therefore, the reflected light reflected by the polarization reflection plate 25 is linearly polarized in the Y direction and can pass through the polarizer 33. A series circuit of a phototransistor PT and a resistance R2 is formed as a light receiving circuit, and a series connection of a comparator CP and a resistance R3 and a resistance R4 for generating a reference voltage is formed as a signal processing circuit. In the normal state in which the pachinko ball does not pass through the passage hole 18, the phototransistor PT is in the conductive state because it receives the reflected light, and its output signal S1 becomes low level. The signal S1 is compared with the reference voltage S2 by the comparator CP, and the waveform-shaped signal S3 is output. This signal S3
Becomes a high level in a normal state where pachinko balls are not detected. On the other hand, when the pachinko ball passes through the passage hole 18, the light is blocked by the optical switch 20 for the passage time,
Since the light linearly polarized in the Y direction does not enter the polarizer 33, there is no light passing through the polarizer 33 and the phototransistor PT cannot receive the reflected light. Therefore, the phototransistor
PT becomes non-conductive, and its output signal S1 becomes high level. As a result, the voltage of the signal S1 becomes higher than the reference voltage S2, and the output S3 of the comparator CP becomes low level. Therefore, when the signal S3 changes to a low level, it can be determined that a pachinko ball has been detected. Further, the output S3 of the comparator CP becomes low level even when the optical path such as the optical switch 20 and the optical fiber 29 fails, but in the case of detecting a winning ball, the comparator is used only for a minute time when the winning ball passes through the passage hole 18. Only the output S3 of CP goes low. Therefore, the output is
If S3 does not return to the high level, it is judged as a failure. The light emitting circuit, the light receiving circuit, and the signal processing circuit are shielded from the control board at the back of the game board along with the control device that electronically controls other pachinko machines, and noise is picked up by the circuit section. There is no. Further, in the unshielded portion up to the optical switch 20 arranged in the winning opening, the signal line is composed of an optical fiber, so that noise is not induced. In this way, since the number of optical fibers up to the optical switch is one, the configuration becomes simple. Further, since the polarization direction of the reflected light is detected in the normal state, it is simply
Even if you try to invalidate the main ball detection device by improperly working to reflect the light incident on, the reflected light polarized in a specific direction will not be detected, so it will be judged as a failure,
It becomes difficult to carry out fraudulent activities. In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the detection of the winning ball is described, but the device of the present invention can also be used to detect the out-ball and other balls.

【The invention's effect】

The present invention uses linearly polarized light as a probe signal for detecting a sphere, and in a normal operating state in which no sphere exists, linearly polarized reflected light obtained by rotating the polarization direction by 90 degrees with respect to the incident light is obtained. The sphere is detected depending on whether or not the reflected light linearly polarized in the specific direction is received by the light receiving element. Therefore, since the reflected light polarized in a specific direction must be detected in a normal operating state in which no sphere is detected, it is difficult to perform an illegal wiring operation that invalidates the ball detection device. Further, since light is used as the probe signal, it is possible to obtain a ball detection device that is resistant to noise without inducing electromagnetic noise generated by a pachinko ball or the like. Furthermore, since polarized light is used, malfunction due to external light is prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a ball detection device according to a specific embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 has a special winning opening in which an optical switch of the device is arranged. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the structure of the variable winning device, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the inside thereof seen from the back, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the optical switch of the embodiment device. 1 ... Large prize hole, 10 ... Variable prize device, 11 ... Opening / closing plate, 12a, b ... Prize hole, 12c ... V prize hole, 13 ... Mounting board, 14 ... Enclosed frame, 16 ... Opening, 17 ... Rail, 18 ... Passage hole, 15 ... Lid, 20 ... Optical switch, 21
…… Frame, 24 …… Aperture, 25 …… Polarization reflector, 251 …… λ /
4 plates, 252 …… Reflector, 31 …… Lens, 32 …… Polarizer, 33
...... Polarizer, 34 …… Optical fiber, HM …… Half mirror, 29 …… Optical fiber

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A light-emitting element that emits light, a first polarizer that linearly polarizes the light emitted from the light-emitting element, and an optical fiber that guides linearly-polarized light polarized by the first polarizer. A passage hole through which the pachinko ball passes, and a position at which the light guided by the optical fiber is emitted to the passage hole from an opening provided in the side wall of the passage hole and faces the opening in the side wall of the passage hole. Is arranged in the direction of polarization of the emitted light.
Ball detection means having a polarization reflection plate that rotates 90 degrees and reflects toward the opening, and is provided between the first polarizer and the optical fiber, and linearly polarized by the first polarizer. A half mirror that allows light to pass therethrough, is reflected by the polarization reflector, propagates in the optical fiber to the first polarizer side, and separates reflected light output from the optical fiber; and a half mirror Of the reflected light, a pachinko machine including a second polarizer that passes only the reflected light polarized in the specific direction by the polarizing reflector and a light receiving element that receives the reflected light that has passed through the second polarizer. Ball detector.