CN112423853A

CN112423853A - Prize acquisition game device

Info

Publication number: CN112423853A
Application number: CN201980047173.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 深泽光晴; 若生晃; 富永麻子
Original assignee: Sega Games Co Ltd
Current assignee: Sega Corp
Priority date: 2018-07-18
Filing date: 2019-07-17
Publication date: 2021-02-26
Anticipated expiration: 2039-07-17
Also published as: JP2020010855A; WO2020017567A1; JP7234521B2; JP7470479B2; CN118121922A; JP2023054251A; JP2024074932A; CN112423853B; CN118105688A

Abstract

The invention provides a prize acquisition game device capable of adjusting the holding force of a prize holding part based on the opening and closing angle of each arm. The prize acquisition game device (1) is provided with at least one prize holding section (40) for holding a prize. The gripping force of each prize gripping section (40) is adjusted by a control section (61). Each prize gripping section (40) is provided with a single motor (42), a plurality of arms (43A, 43B, 43C), and a plurality of angle sensors (44A, 44B, 44C). Each angle sensor (44A, 44B, 44C) detects the opening/closing angle (alpha, beta, gamma) of the corresponding arm (43A, 43B, 43C). A control unit (60) controls the driving of a single motor (42) on the basis of a plurality of opening/closing angles (alpha, beta, gamma) detected by angle sensors (44A, 44B, 44C).

Description

Prize acquisition game device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a prize acquisition game device for a doll catching game or the like.

Background

In amusement facilities and the like, prize acquisition game devices that operate a prize holding section to carry a prize such as a doll to a prize delivery port are becoming widespread. When the gripping force of the prize gripping portion is increased, the number of delivered prizes tends to increase, and when the gripping force of the prize gripping portion is decreased, the number of delivered prizes tends to decrease. Accordingly, a prize acquisition game device capable of adjusting the gripping force of a prize gripping portion has been proposed (see, for example, patent documents 1 and 2).

The doll grasping machine described in patent document 1 changes the grasping force of the arm so that the actual prize acquisition rate calculated by the control unit approaches the preset prize acquisition rate. More specifically, if the prize acquisition rate is lower than the target prize acquisition rate, the drive time of the motor for opening and closing the arm is increased, and if the prize acquisition rate is higher than the target prize acquisition rate, the drive time of the motor is shortened. When the driving time of the motor is extended, the coil spring of the arm is elongated by a corresponding degree and the gripping force becomes strong.

The game device described in patent document 2 includes: a pair of upper and lower pressing members for sandwiching the base end portions of the plurality of arms; a coil spring for urging the lower pressing member toward the upper pressing member; and a peripheral wall plate for limiting the movement of the upper pressing member. The upper pressing member and the coil spring are moved in the vertical direction by the ball screw. The grasping force of the arm is determined by the biasing force of the coil spring that causes the arm to follow the upper pressing member. When the movement of the upper pressing member is restricted and the coil spring approaches the upper pressing member, the coil spring is compressed and the grasping force of the arm becomes strong.

The doll grasping machine described in patent document 1 monitors the prize acquisition rate to adjust the driving time of the motor, and does not refer to the opening and closing angle of each arm at all. Similarly, the game device described in patent document 2 detects the positional relationship between the single upper pressing member and the coil spring to adjust the biasing force of the coil spring, and does not refer to the opening/closing angle of each arm at all. That is, in the prize acquisition game devices described in

patent documents

1 and 2, the gripping force of the prize gripping portion cannot be adjusted based on the opening/closing angle of each arm.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2012-29825

Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2016-1430372

Disclosure of Invention

However, not all arms are in contact with the prize at the same time. The charging of a biasing member such as a coil spring for determining the grasping force of the arm is started in order from the arm which stops the operation by coming into contact with the prize. The opening/closing angle of the arm varies depending on the time difference, and the grasping force of the arm also has a magnitude relation depending on the opening/closing angle. If the drive time of the drive source is not adjusted based on the opening/closing angle of each arm, the grasping force of the arm cannot be appropriately adjusted.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a prize acquisition game device capable of adjusting the gripping force of a prize gripping portion based on the opening/closing angle of each arm.

One embodiment of the present invention is a prize acquisition game device including at least one prize gripping portion for gripping a prize. The gripping force of each prize gripping portion is adjusted by the control portion. Each prize holding section includes a single drive source, a plurality of arms, and a plurality of sensors. The driving force supplied from a single driving source is distributed to the plurality of arms. When the driving force is distributed, each arm is opened and closed. The sensors are respectively arranged on all the arms. Each sensor detects the opening/closing angle of the corresponding arm. The control unit controls the driving of the single driving source based on the plurality of opening/closing angles detected by the sensor.

According to this aspect, even if the opening/closing angle of each arm is deviated, the opening/closing angle of each arm can be detected. In the configuration in which the single drive source is driven to open and close the plurality of arms, the open and close angles of the plurality of arms are not detected all at once, but the open and close angles are detected for the respective arms, so that the gripping force of the prize gripping section can be appropriately adjusted.

In the above aspect, each prize gripping portion may further include: a spring seat component which is connected with each arm and enables the arm to rotate towards the closing direction; and a coil spring attached to each arm, and storing potential when the spring seat member is moved in a direction to close the arms.

According to this aspect, a coil spring can be used as the urging member sandwiched between the arm and the drive source. In the case of a coil spring, it is easy to grasp the urging force accumulated as a delay in the opening/closing angle of the arm with respect to the operation of the spring seat member. Further, the coil spring may be a torsion coil spring that receives a torque about the central axis from the rotating spring bearing member, or may be a tension coil spring that receives a tensile stress in the expansion and contraction direction from the swinging spring bearing member.

In the above aspect, each prize gripping portion may further include: a feed screw that converts rotational motion of a screw shaft into linear motion of a nut; and a link mechanism connecting each arm with the nut. Alternatively, a single drive source may rotationally drive the screw shaft, and the arms may be rotated in the opening direction or the closing direction in conjunction with the linear movement of the nut.

According to this aspect, the driving force of the single driving source can be distributed to the plurality of arms by a simple configuration in which the feed screw and the link mechanism are combined. Since the prize gripping portion can be configured compactly and inexpensively, it is particularly suitable for a prize acquisition game device having a small-sized housing.

In the above aspect, the control unit may control the driving of the single driving source based on an opening/closing angle of an arm having a largest opening/closing angle in the closing direction.

The arm having the largest opening and closing angle in the closing direction has a weaker grasping force than the other arms. When a prize is held by a plurality of arms, even if the holding force of one of the arms is strong, if the holding force of the arm that supports the prize in the opposite direction is weak, the prize falls off and cannot be held firmly. That is, the weak gripping arm greatly affects the gripping force of the entire prize gripping portion. According to this aspect, the gripping force of the prize gripping portion can be appropriately adjusted by controlling the driving of the single driving source based on the opening/closing angle of the arm having the weakest gripping force.

In the above aspect, when the number of arms is 2n +1, the control unit controls the driving of the single driving source based on the opening/closing angle of the arm having the opening/closing angle n + 1-th in the closing direction. When the number of arms is 2n, the control unit drives the single drive source based on any one of the opening/closing angle of the nth largest arm, the opening/closing angle of the (n + 1) th largest arm, and the average value of the opening/closing angle of the nth largest arm and the opening/closing angle of the (n + 1) th largest arm in the closing direction.

Depending on the shape of the prize and the number of arms, it may be appropriate to use the other arms as a reference rather than the arm with the weakest gripping force. According to this aspect, when the number of the arms is three, for example, the gripping force of the entire prize gripping section can be appropriately adjusted with reference to the opening/closing angle of the arm having the second highest gripping force. In the case where the number of the arms is four, for example, the opening/closing angle of the arm with the third highest grasping force may be used as a reference, the opening/closing angle of the arm with the second highest grasping force may be used as a reference, or the average value of these may be used as a reference. The gripping force of the prize gripping portion can be appropriately adjusted according to the shape of the prize and the number of arms.

In the above aspect, the control unit may calculate a weighted average value having a weight that an arm having the largest opening and closing angle in the closing direction is larger than other arms, and control the driving of the single driving source based on the weighted average value.

According to this aspect, the gripping force, which is the opening and closing angle of the plurality of arms, can be appropriately adjusted by considering the opening and closing state thereof and finely setting the weight of each opening and closing angle according to the shape of the prize and the number of arms.

In the above aspect, the prize delivery device may further include a prize delivery sensor that detects the number of prizes delivered. The control unit may acquire a delivery index based on the number of delivered prizes, and control the driving of the single drive source based on the delivery index.

An example of a delivery index is a delivery rate obtained by dividing the purchase amount of a delivered prize by the amount of money that has been invested. For example, if a prize purchased at 500 yen is acquired at 1000 yen, the delivery rate is 50%. According to this aspect, in the control based on the detection results of the plurality of sensors described above, the adjustment based on the lead rate can be further increased. In an amusement facility, an operator does not need to frequently monitor a delivery rate or manually adjust a gripping force of a prize gripping portion. The burden on the operator can be reduced. The delivery index is not limited to the delivery rate, and may be the number of prizes delivered per unit time or the like. The delivery index may be calculated by the control unit and acquired by itself, or may be acquired from the outside via a network or the like.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a prize acquisition game device capable of adjusting the gripping force of the prize gripping portion based on the opening/closing angle of each arm.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a prize acquisition game device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view showing an example of the prize gripping section of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the base end portion of the arm shown in fig. 3 in an exploded manner.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line V-V shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a right side view showing the prize gripping portion shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the prize gripping section shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for controlling a single motor based on a plurality of opening/closing angles.

Fig. 9 is a plan view showing an example of a field partition.

Fig. 10 is a front view showing an example of the coin slot shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 11 is a right side view showing the coin slot shown in fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing the sliding door and the middle floor structure shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged front view of the lock mechanism shown in fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a gap between the right side plate and the middle yard structure shown in fig. 12.

Fig. 15 is a sectional view showing an internal structure of the prize delivery port shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the prize is pushed into the folding back area by the baffle shown in fig. 15.

Detailed Description

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals. One of the features of the prize acquisition game device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is that the opening/closing angles α, β, and γ of all the

arms

43A, 43B, and 43C are detected, and the driving of the single motor 42 is controlled based on the plurality of opening/closing angles α, β, and γ (see fig. 5).

When α > β > γ, for example, the driving of the motor 42 may be controlled based on the maximum opening/closing angle α among the opening/closing angles α, β, and γ. For example, the driving of the motor 42 may be controlled based on the second large opening/closing angle β. For example, the drive of the motor 42 may also be controlled based on a weighted average (w1 × α + w2 × β + w3 × γ)/(w1+ w2+ w3) with weights of w1 > w2 > w 3.

Since the grasping force of the arms 43A, 42B, and 42C varies depending on the opening/closing angles α, β, and γ, even if the grasping force of one of the arms 43C is strong, if the grasping force of the

arms

43A and 43B supported in the opposite direction is weak, the prize falls off and cannot be grasped firmly. According to the present embodiment, since the driving of the motor 42 is controlled based on the opening/closing angles α, β, γ of the

arms

43A, 43B, 43C, the gripping force of the entire prize gripping section 40 can be appropriately adjusted. Hereinafter, each configuration will be described in detail with reference to fig. 1 to 16.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a prize acquisition game device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 1, the prize acquisition game device 1 includes a casing 2 formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing 2 may have another shape such as a substantially cylindrical shape. In the example shown in fig. 1, the prize acquisition game device 1 is configured in two upper and lower stages, the first game device 3 is disposed in the lower stage of the casing 2, and the second game device 4 is disposed in the upper stage of the casing 2. The prize acquisition game device 1 may be constructed in one upper layer and one lower layer, or may be constructed in three or more upper layers and lower layers. Two left and right rows may be formed.

The housing 2 includes

front doors

11 and 12, a left side plate 13, a right side plate 14, and a back plate 15, which are formed of a translucent material such as acrylic resin or glass.

Front doors

11 and 12 are attached to first game device 3 and second game device 4, respectively. The unlocking and locking of the

front doors

11 and 12 will be described in detail later with reference to fig. 12 and 13. The left side plate 13, the right side plate 14, and the back plate 15 are constituted by one plate in the range of the first game device 3 and the second game device 4. A gap is secured between the left side plate 13, the right side plate 14, and the back plate 15, and the first game device 3 and the second game device 4. This point will be described in detail later with reference to fig. 12 and 14.

The first game machine 3 includes the front door 11, the left side plate 13, the right side plate 14, and the back plate 15, and further includes the bottom plate of the lower yard structure 5 and the middle yard structure 6. The second game machine 4 includes most of the middle yard structure 6 and the top board 7 in addition to the front door 12, the left side board 13, the right side board 14, and the back board 15.

The lower yard structure 5, the middle yard structure 6, and the roof 7 are arranged from the bottom to the top with a space therebetween, and are fixed to a pair of left and right support columns 8. The support column 8 is erected between the left side plate 13 and the back plate 15 and between the right side plate 14 and the back plate 15, respectively.

The space between the lower yard structure 5 and the middle yard structure 6 is divided into prize accommodating portions 16 of the first game machine 3. The space between the middle floor structure 6 and the top plate 7 is divided into the prize accommodating section 17 of the second game machine 4. The

prize storage sections

16 and 17 are surrounded by the translucent

front doors

11 and 12, the left side plate 13, the right side plate 14, and the back plate 15 and are visible from the outside.

The ceiling surface of the lower yard structure 5 constitutes a yard 18 of the first game machine 3, and the ceiling surface of the middle yard structure 6 constitutes a yard 19 of the second game machine 4. Prizes are placed on

venues

18, 19. The

sites

18, 19 will be described in detail later with reference to fig. 11.

Inside each of the

prize accommodating portions

16 and 17, a prize gripping portion (prize catcher) 40 is disposed that can move in the

fields

18 and 19 to grip a prize. The front panel of the lower floor yard structure 5 is provided with a first operation part 31 for operating the lower floor prize holding part 40, and a prize delivery port 33 through which the transported prize falls. Similarly, the front panel of the middle floor structure 6 is provided with a second operation portion 32 for operating the prize holding portion 40 of the upper floor and a prize delivery port 34 through which the transported prize falls.

A first coin inlet 21 is provided near the first operation portion 31. When a game credit (credit) for allowing a game to be played is inserted into the first coin inlet 21, an operation can be input to the first operation unit 31 to operate the prize gripping unit 40 on the lower stage. Similarly, a second coin inlet 22 is provided near the second operating portion 32. When a game credit for enabling a game is inserted into the second coin inlet 22, an operation can be input to the second operation portion 32 to operate the prize gripping portion 40 on the lower layer. Note that the

coin insertion ports

21 and 22 may be provided with a banknote insertion device and an electronic money input device at the same time.

The first operation unit 31 and the second operation unit 32 used for the game are, for example, buttons or joysticks. When the prize gripping portion 40 is operated to drop the prize to the

prize delivery openings

33, 34, the player can take out the prize from the

prize delivery openings

33, 34. Prize delivery sensors 35, 36 for detecting the number of delivered prizes are provided in the

prize delivery ports

33, 34. The internal structure of the

prize delivery ports

33 and 34 will be described in detail later with reference to fig. 15 and 16.

Coin selectors

23 and 24 are provided at the first coin inlet 21 and the second coin inlet 22, respectively. The

coin selectors

23, 24 detect the types and the numbers of coins that have been inserted into the first coin insertion slot and the second coin insertion slot, respectively. Note that the

coin selectors

23 and 24 may have a function of temporarily holding coins and returning the coins from the coin return opening when a return operation is received.

Only the lower floor structure 5 is provided with a coin box 26. The coins put into the first coin inlet 21 fall into the coin deposit box 26. The coins put into the second coin inlet 22 on the upper layer are guided by the coin slot 25 and fall into the coin box 26 common to the first coin inlet 21 and the second coin inlet 22.

The coin slot 25 and the coin box 26 will be described in detail later with reference to fig. 10 and 11. The first game device 3 and the second game device 4 have substantially the same shape and function except for the coin slot 25 and the coin box 26. Therefore, the first game machine 3 will be described in detail as a representative example, and the second game machine 4 will not be described in detail.

Fig. 2 is a front view showing an example of the prize gripping section 40 of the present invention. As shown in fig. 2, the prize gripping portion 40 includes a plurality of arms 43. In the example of fig. 2, the prize gripping portion 40 includes three

arms

43A, 43B, and 43C. The number of the arms 43 may be two, or four or more. The prize gripping portion 40 further includes a holder 41 and a control board 60 fixed to the holder 41.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III shown in fig. 2. As shown in fig. 3, the prize holding section 40 further includes a single motor 42 mounted on the bracket 41, a feed screw (a screw shaft 53 and a nut 54), and an angle sensor 44. The motor 42 is, for example, a dc brush motor with a gear head, and is an example of a drive source. Instead of the motor 42, the prize gripping section 40 may be configured by a pneumatic or hydraulic drive source. A motor shaft gear 51 is attached to an output shaft of the motor 42 via a gear head.

The feed screw is a slide screw, a ball screw, or the like, and converts the rotational motion of the screw shaft 53 into the linear motion of the nut 54. A screw shaft gear 52 is attached to the screw shaft 53. The screw shaft gear 52 meshes with the motor shaft gear 51. The nut 54 and the arm 43 are connected by a link mechanism constituted by a first member 55 and a second member 56. The first part 55 is fixed to the nut 54. The rotation center of the second member 56 is rotatably supported by a base end portion 58 of the arm 43. One end of the second part 56 is attached within a slot formed in the first part 55.

In the example of fig. 3, the linkage mechanism is a pendulum slider crank mechanism, and as the first part 55 moves up and down, one end of the second part 56 slides within a slot formed in the first part 55 to cause the second part 56 to swing. More specifically, when the first part 55 is moved in an upward direction, the second part 56 rotates the arm 43 in the closing direction D1. When the first part 55 is moved downwards, the second part 56 rotates the arm 43 in the opening direction D2.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the base end portion 58 of the arm 43. As shown in fig. 4, an urging member is attached to the arm 43. The urging force of the urging member determines the gripping force with which the arm 43 presses the prize. In the example of fig. 4,

coil springs

57L and 57R are provided as biasing members at the base end portion 58 of the arm 43.

The coil springs 57L and 57R are torsion coil springs, and are attached to the arm 43 so that the center axis of the coil coincides with the rotation axis 581 of the base end portion 58. The urging member of the arm 43 is not limited to the torsion coil spring, and may be a spring such as a tension coil spring, or may be another elastic member. The arm portions on one end sides of the

coil springs

57L and 57R are fixed to the base end portion 58 in a bent manner.

The coil spring (closing direction spring) 57L biases the arm 43 toward the prize to give the arm 43a gripping force pressing the prize. In the combination of the large-sized arm 43 and the small-sized prize, the weight of the arm 43 may act as a gripping force for pressing the prize. The coil spring (opening direction spring) 57R urges the arm 43 in the opening direction D2 to equalize the own weight of the arm 43.

The second component 56 of the link mechanism is constituted by a pair of

spring seat members

56L, 56R sandwiching a base end portion 58. The rotation centers of the

spring seat members

56L, 56R coincide with the rotation shaft 581 of the base end portion 58. Spring seats for supporting the other end sides of the

coil springs

57L and 57R are formed at the rotation centers of the

spring seat members

56L and 56R, respectively.

When the arm 43 is rotated in the closing direction D1 by the spring seat member 56L via the coil spring 57L in a state in which the arm 43 is almost immovable by abutting against the prize, the arm portion on the other end side of the coil spring 57L is pressed against the bent portion of the spring seat, and the biasing force of the coil spring 57L increases. When the spring seat member 56L rotates the arm 43 in the reverse direction of the opening direction D2, the urging force of the coil spring 57L decreases.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line V-V shown in fig. 2. As shown in fig. 5, one of the features of the prize gripping section 40 of the present invention is that angle sensors 44(44A, 44B, 44C) are provided on all the arms 43(43A, 43B, 43C). In the example of fig. 5, the angle sensor 44 is a potentiometer that outputs a voltage corresponding to the rotation angle. The angle sensor 44 may be a photo interrupter or the like. The angle sensor 44 meshes with a gear portion 582 formed around the rotation shaft 581 of the base end portion 58 of the arm 43. The control unit 61 described later controls the driving of the single motor 42 based on the opening/closing angles α, β, and γ of the angle sensors 44.

Fig. 6 is a right side view showing the prize gripping section 40. As shown in fig. 6, the prize gripping section 40 further includes an up-down sensor 45 that detects the up-down position of the nut 54. The upper and lower sensor gears 59 are attached to the rotary shaft 581 of the base end portion 58. The up-down sensor 45 is a potentiometer similar to the angle sensor 44, and meshes with the up-down sensor gear 59. The prize gripping section 40 further includes a lower limit sensor 46 (shown in fig. 7) for detecting the lower limit position and an upper limit sensor 47 (shown in fig. 7) for detecting the upper limit position. The lower limit sensor 46 and the upper limit sensor 47 block light by an unillustrated inductive switch attached to a nut 54 (shown in fig. 3) of the feed screw using, for example, a photo interrupter, and detect that the nut 54 has moved to the edge of the movable range. In addition, a pressure-sensitive sensor may be used to detect that contact has been made with the inductive switch.

Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the prize gripping section 40. As shown in fig. 7, the control board 60 includes a control unit 61 and a storage unit 62. The control unit 61 and the storage unit 62 are not limited to the control board 60 mounted on the prize gripping unit 40, and may be provided with boards mounted on the lower floor structure 5 or the middle floor structure 6.

The storage unit 62 has a function of storing various programs and an operating system. The storage unit 62 also has a function as a work area for temporarily storing various data in the middle of processing by the control unit 61. The storage section 62 is realized by ROM, for example. Further, the RAM and the like may be used. Various programs and data necessary for controlling the driving of the motor 42 are stored in the ROM. The ROM is configured by any one of a volatile memory represented by, for example, a DRAM, a non-rewritable nonvolatile memory represented by a mask ROM, and a rewritable nonvolatile memory represented by a flash memory, or an appropriate combination thereof.

The control unit 61 can be realized by, for example, the function of a CPU mounted on the control board 60. The CPU executes the program stored in the ROM by expanding it on the memory of the storage unit 62, and includes: a gripping force control mechanism 611 that adjusts the gripping force of the prize gripping portion 40 by causing the devices constituting the prize gripping portion 40 to realize various functions in cooperation with other hardware units or components; and an adjustment index determining means 612 for determining an adjustment index to be referred to when the gripping force control means 611 executes. The control unit 61 may further include a delivery index calculation means 613 for calculating a delivery index based on the number of delivered prizes.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for controlling the driving of the single motor 42 based on the plurality of opening/closing angles α, β, and γ. When the operation of the player is input to the first operation unit 31, the prize gripping unit 40 moves in accordance with the operation of the player (step S1). When all the operations by the player are completed, the prize gripping section 40 descends and starts the operation of closing the plurality of arms 43 at the same time (step S2). The arm 43 stops when it abuts against or closes to a limit angle with the prize. If the arm 43 is not stopped, the controller 61 returns to step S2 to repeat the closing operation of the arm 43 (step S3).

On the other hand, when the arm 43 is stopped, the opening/closing angle of each arm 43 is detected (step S4). The control unit 61 (adjustment index determining means 612) determines the adjustment index of the gripping force by applying the detected opening/closing angle to the condition set by the operator (for example, the maximum opening/closing angle) (step S5). The index of adjustment of the gripping force is not limited to the opening/closing angle α of the arm 43A having the largest opening/closing angle in the closing direction D1, and can be appropriately selected according to the shape of the prize and the number of arms 43.

For example, when the number of the arms 43 is 2n +1, the opening/closing angle of the arm 43 having the opening/closing angle n +1 greater in the closing direction D1 may be used. For example, when the number of the arms 43 is 2n, the opening/closing angle of the n +1 th arm 43 may be large, or the opening/closing angle of the n-th arm 43 may be large. The opening/closing angle of the n +1 th arm 43 may be set. It may be an average value between the opening/closing angle of the n +1 th large arm 43 and the opening/closing angle of the n-th large arm 43.

For example, a weighted average (w1 × α + w2 × β + w3 × γ)/(w1+ w2+ w3) having a weight such that the arm 43A having the largest opening/closing angle in the closing direction D1 is larger than the

other arms

43B and 43C may be calculated. The control unit 61 (gripping force control means 611) controls the driving of the single motor 42 based on the adjustment index of the gripping force determined in step S5 (step S6).

The control unit 61 may add a correction value such as a delivery index to the main adjustment index. The control section 61 (delivery index calculation means) acquires a delivery index based on the number of delivered prizes. An example of a delivery index is the delivery rate of the number of prizes delivered divided by the amount of money that has been invested. The delivery index is not limited to the delivery rate, and may be the number of prizes delivered per unit time or the like. The delivery index may be calculated by the control unit and acquired by itself, or may be acquired from the outside via a network or the like.

In the case where the gripping force of the prize gripping portion 40 is adjusted based on the delivery index, the

venues

18 and 19 may be divided into a plurality of venues, and the delivery rate may be calculated or the gripping force of the prize gripping portion 40 may be adjusted for each venue. Fig. 9 is an example of division of the field 18 into a plurality of areas. As shown in FIG. 9, the field 18 may be divided into two areas 181-182 and 183-184.

Although not shown, the field 18 may be divided into two areas 181 to 183 and an area 184. The field 18 may also be divided into two sections 181 and 182-184. The field 18 may also be divided into three sections, one section 181, two sections 182-183, and one section 184. It can be further finely divided. For example, if the area in which a prize is placed is reduced according to the stock number of the prize and another prize is added to the space left, the reduced prize can be placed with good appearance.

In the example of fig. 9, a physical partition may be further provided at the boundary of the field 18. If a physical partition is provided, it becomes visually easy to distinguish. In addition, since the prizes in the adjacent areas can be prevented from being mixed, the types of prizes can be clearly distinguished. Further, when the adjustment of the gripping force described so far is performed for each zone with reference to fig. 1 to 8, it is possible to appropriately perform the processing in consideration of the delivery rate of prizes having different unit prices for each divided field. The position of the prize gripping section 40 in the region partitioned by the partition can be determined by a sensor provided in a horizontal movement mechanism of the prize gripping section 40, not shown, or the number of steps of a stepping motor that moves horizontally.

The prize acquisition game device 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above distributes the driving force of the single motor 42 to the plurality of arms 43. Since the prize gripping portion 40 can be configured compactly and inexpensively, it is suitable for the prize acquisition game device 1 divided into two upper and lower stages with small prize

accommodating portions

16, 17. As shown in fig. 5, since the angle sensors 44 are provided in all the arms 43, even if the opening/closing angles of the

arms

43A, 43B, and 43C are different, the opening/closing angles α, β, and γ thereof can be detected, and therefore, the gripping force of the prize gripping section 40 can be appropriately adjusted.

When α > β > γ, the driving of the motor 42 is controlled based on, for example, the largest opening/closing angle α among the opening/closing angles α, β, γ. When a prize is gripped by the plurality of

arms

43A, 43B, 43C, even if the gripping force of one of the arms 43C is strong, if the gripping force of the

arms

43A, 43B supported in the opposite direction is weak, the prize falls off and cannot be gripped firmly. Therefore, the gripping force of the prize gripping section 40 can be appropriately adjusted by controlling the driving of the single motor 42 based on the opening/closing angle of the arm 43A having the weakest gripping force.

Depending on the shape of the prize and the number of arms 43, it may be appropriate to use the

other arms

43B and 43C as a reference, rather than the arm 43A having the weakest gripping force. For example, the grasping force of the prize grasping portion 40 can be appropriately adjusted by controlling the driving of the motor 42 based on a weighted average value (w1 × α + w2 × β + w3 × γ)/(w1+ w2+ w3) having weights of w1 > w2 > w3 and finely setting the weight of each opening and closing angle in accordance with the shape of the prize and the number of arms 43. For example, the drive of the motor 42 may also be controlled based on the arm 43 of a moderate gripping force. The conditions for determining the adjustment index are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately selected according to the shape of the prize and the number of arms 43.

Next, the features of the casing 2 of the prize acquisition game device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 10 to 16. First, the coin slot 25 will be described with reference to fig. 10 and 11. As described above, the housing 2 has the first coin inlet 21 and the second coin inlet 22 corresponding to the upper and

lower venues

18 and 19, respectively, but the coin box 26 is disposed only in the lower venue structure 5. The first coin inlet 21 is located on the left side of the front panel of the lower yard structure 5, and the second coin inlet 22 is located on the right side of the front panel of the middle yard structure 6.

The prize acquisition game device 1 of the present embodiment includes a coin slot 25 that guides coins that have been inserted into the second coin insertion slot 22 on the upper layer to the coin box 26 on the lower layer. If the coin slot 25 is vertically formed, there is a risk that the coin slot 25 and the coin storage box 26 are damaged by the impact of the falling coin. In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 10 and 11, the first to third

inclined portions

251, 252, and 253 constituting the coin slot 25 are formed to have slopes δ, ∈, and ζ, respectively, so as to alleviate the impact of the falling coin. In the illustrated example, ∈ > δ, ζ is configured, and the coins roll over the first inclined portion 251 and the third inclined portion 253 at gentle slopes δ, ζ. In the second inclined portion 252, the coin slides down on a steep slope ∈. By providing the slopes δ, ∈ and ζ, the coin slot 25 and the coin storage box 26 can be prevented from being damaged by an impact caused by the direct drop of the coin.

Next, the locking structure of the

front doors

11 and 12 will be described with reference to fig. 12 and 13. Since the

front doors

11 and 12 have substantially the same shape and function, the front door 12 will be described in detail as a representative example, and the description of the front door 11 will not be repeated. If the

front doors

11, 12 are opened left and right, the

front doors

11, 12 may interfere with pedestrians during the supplement of the prize.

As shown in fig. 12, the front door 12 of the present embodiment is configured as a push-pull door to prevent interference with pedestrians. If the door type is a left-right push-pull door type, lock cylinders are usually respectively installed on a left push-pull door and a right push-pull door. However, in the case where the two-tier type is vertically long and the left-right space is small as in the present embodiment, it is difficult to secure a space for the key cylinder for locking the right sliding door 12R in addition to the key cylinder 27 for locking the left sliding door 12L. Further, since there are a plurality of sites, if two lock cylinders are installed for each site, the cost increases.

Therefore, as shown in fig. 12 and 13, only the left sliding door 12L is attached with the key cylinder 27 that is unlocked and locked from the outside. When the prize is replenished, the lock cylinder 27 of the left sliding door 12L is unlocked and the left sliding door 12L is slid to the right side. When a prize is placed at a position away from the left sliding door 12L, the right sliding door 12R may be slid to the left side to replenish the prize. In view of that, a lock mechanism 28 that can be unlocked by hand is provided inside the right sliding door 12R.

As shown in fig. 13, the lock mechanism 28 includes a lock bar 281, a guide 282 for holding the lock bar 281 in an upright posture, and a hole 283 for fitting the lock bar 281. The right sliding door 12R can be slid to the left by lifting the lock bar 281 and taking it out of the hole 283. In the case of locking, the right sliding door 12R is slid to the right side. When the right sliding door 12R returns to the original position, the lock bar 281 is guided by the guide 282 to fall down into the hole 283 by its own weight, thereby locking the right sliding door 12R.

Next, the gaps secured between the left side plate 13, the right side plate 14, and the back plate 15 and the middle floor structure 6 will be described with reference to fig. 12 and 14. As described above, the left side plate 13, the right side plate 14, and the back plate 15 are mounted across the first game machine 3 and the second game machine 4. An intermediate site structure 6 is disposed between the upper and

lower sites

18 and 19.

When a transparent plate such as the right side plate 14 is fixed to the middle yard structure 6, the transparent plate is fixed to the middle yard structure 6 with a gap therebetween, and thus the transparent plate can be prevented from being scratched by contact with the middle yard structure 6 due to vibration during transportation from a factory to a recreational facility or the like. As shown in fig. 14, the right side plate 14 is fixed to the middle floor structure 6 by a shoulder washer 141 and a screw 142. The shoulder washer 141 and a spacer rubber not shown are fixed to maintain a gap.

Next, the internal structure of the

prize delivery outlets

33 and 34 will be described with reference to fig. 15 and 16. The prize acquisition game device 1 of the present embodiment is a two-layer type, i.e., upper and lower, and therefore has a large space limitation. In the present embodiment, a folded section 38 for rotating the prize is secured so that even if a large prize falls down to the

prize delivery ports

33, 34 in a vertically aligned manner, the large prize can be taken out. When the flap 37 is pushed up, the prize will roll down on the floor of the interior space of the

prize delivery opening

33, 34. When the flap 37 is further pushed upward, the prize moves to the folded-back section 38 defined on the inner side of the internal space of the

prize delivery ports

33, 34, and the flap 37 can be pushed upward to the upper limit to take out the prize. According to the present embodiment, even a small-sized housing can take out a large prize as in a case of a normal size.

The embodiments described above are for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit and explain the present invention. The elements and their arrangement, materials, conditions, shapes, dimensions, and the like of the embodiments are not limited to those illustrated in the drawings, and can be appropriately modified. In addition, the configurations shown in the different embodiments can be partially replaced or combined with each other.

Description of the reference numerals

1 prize acquisition game device, 2 cases, 3 first game device, 4 second game device, 5 lower floor field structure, 6 middle floor field structure, 7 top plate, 8 pillars, 11, 12 front door, 12L left sliding door, 12R right sliding door, 13 left side plate, 14 right side plate, 15 back plate, 16, 17 prize accommodation portion, 18, 19 field, 21 first coin inlet, 22 second coin inlet, 23, 24 coin selector, 25 coin slot, 26 storage box, 27 lock core, 28 locking mechanism, 281 locking strip, 282 guide, 283 hole, 31 first operation portion, 32 second operation portion, 33, 34 prize delivery port, 35, 36 prize delivery sensor, 37 baffle, 38 folding back region, 40 prize holding portion, 41 bracket, 42 motor (an example of driving source), 43. 43A, 43B, 43C … arm, 44A, 44B, 44C … angle sensor (an example of sensor), 45 … up and down sensor, 46 … lower limit sensor, 47 … upper limit sensor, 51 … motor shaft gear, 52 … screw shaft gear, 53 … screw shaft, 54 … nut, 55 … first part (part of link mechanism), 56 … second part (part of link mechanism), 57L, 57R … coil spring, 58 … base end, 59 … up and down sensor gear, 60 … control substrate, 61 … control section, 62 … storage section, 141 … shoulder washer, 142 … screw, 181, 182, 183, 184 … area after dividing the field,

rotating shaft

611, 582 …, gear section of inclined section 251 … first inclined section, 252 … second inclined section, 253 … third, 581 … arm 611, …, 612 611 … grasping gear section, 612 … adjustment index

force control mechanism

251, 613 … delivery index calculation means, closing direction of the D1 … arm, opening direction of the D2 … arm, n … natural number, w1, w2, w3 … weight, α, β, γ … opening and closing angle, δ, ε, ζ … gradient.

Claims

1. A prize acquisition game device comprising at least one prize gripping portion for gripping a prize, the prize acquisition game device being characterized by further comprising a control portion for adjusting the gripping force of each of the prize gripping portions,

each of the prize gripping portions includes:

a single drive source;

a plurality of arms that are opened and closed by being assigned with the driving force supplied from the single driving source; and

sensors which are provided on all the arms, respectively, and detect opening and closing angles of the corresponding arms,

the control unit controls the driving of the single driving source based on the opening/closing angle detected by the plurality of sensors.

2. The prize acquisition game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the prize gripping portions further includes:

a spring seat member connected to each of the arms and rotating the arm in a closing direction; and

and a coil spring attached to each of the arms and storing a potential when the spring receiving member moves in a direction to close the arms.

3. The prize acquisition game apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the prize gripping portions further includes:

a feed screw that converts rotational motion of a screw shaft into linear motion of a nut; and

a link mechanism connecting each of the arms with the nut,

the single driving source rotationally drives the screw shaft,

each of the arms rotates in an opening direction or a closing direction in conjunction with the linear movement of the nut.

4. The prize acquisition game apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control section controls the driving of the single drive source based on an opening/closing angle of the arm having a largest opening/closing angle in a closing direction.

5. The prize acquisition game apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control section controls the driving of the single driving source based on an opening/closing angle of the arm having an opening/closing angle n +1 th in a closing direction when the number of the arms is 2n +1,

in the case where the number of the arms is 2n, the control portion drives the single driving source based on any one of an opening and closing angle of the arm having an opening and closing angle in a closing direction that is nth large, an opening and closing angle of the arm having an opening and closing angle that is n +1 th large, or an average value between the opening and closing angle of the arm having an n-th large and the opening and closing angle of the arm having an n +1 th large.

6. A prize acquisition game apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit controls the driving of the single drive source based on a weighted average of the opening and closing angles with a weight that the arm with the largest opening and closing angle in the closing direction is larger than the other arms.

7. The prize acquisition game apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a prize delivery sensor for detecting the number of prizes delivered,

the control unit acquires a delivery index based on the number of delivered prizes, and controls the driving of the single drive source based on the delivery index.