A mute cover for mahjong machine

Abstract

The present application discloses a mute cover for a mahjong machine, belonging to the field of automatic mahjong machine parts, including a round table, a plurality of blades, and a lifting structure protective cover, the lifting structure protective cover is used to wrap around the lifting structure, the lower end is connected to the round table, the middle section forms telescopic folds, the telescopic folds can be extended or contracted following the lifting process, and the upper end is connected to the support seat to protect the mahjong tiles from hitting the lifting structure. The noise and damage problems caused by the middle section of the lifting structure of the mahjong machine being hit when the existing mute cover is used are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of automatic mahjong machine parts and components, and in particular, relates to a silent cover structure for a mahjong machine. Background Art

[0002] The automatic mahjong machine was invented by Japan in the last century and was introduced to China in the 1990s. The working process of the automatic mahjong machine is that a magnetic object is embedded in the mahjong tiles. When the player finishes a single game and needs to shuffle the tiles, the lifting structure of the mahjong machine is operated to rise, exposing the card collection hole, and the tiles to be shuffled are manually pushed into the card collection hole. The tiles to be shuffled fall from the card collection hole into an inclined disc inside the mahjong machine, which is generally called a large disc, and rotates with the disc to stir evenly. When the tiles rise to a high place, the tiles with the back facing upward are attracted by the magnetic circle, rotate with the magnetic circle and are sent to the conveying trough, and are pushed into piles by the stacking motor at the head of the machine and pushed away by the chain rod. The tiles with the front facing upward continue to rotate on the disc. The tiles on the trough are stacked into pairs and then distributed to the four sides by the push rod according to the number. The large disc is generally flipped by a flip spring to flip the front tiles downward, so that the back tiles are attracted by the magnetic circle with the back facing upward. Until finally all the cards are sent to the slot and taken away, and the cards on all four sides are fully distributed, a signal is sent to inform the players, who then operate the lifting button, and the support plate under the stacked cards lifts the cards onto the table.

[0003] In the above work process, as shown in the attached Figure 1 As shown, after the cards to be shuffled are manually pushed into the card receiving hole, the following three collisions inevitably occur: first, when the mahjong cards are pushed in from the table, they collide with the lifting structure 104 (especially the telescopic sleeve of the lifting structure) laterally under the action of the thrust; second, when the mahjong cards fall from the table to the large plate 106, they collide with each other due to free fall; third, when the large plate rotates and shuffles the cards, the mahjong cards on the large plate collide with each other.

[0004] The above-mentioned collision leads to the following adverse consequences: first, the most important one is noise, which affects the player's gaming experience; second, damage to mahjong machine parts, leading to malfunctions and reduced life of the mahjong machine; third, damage to the cards. If the cards have scratches or defects, their unrecognizable nature will be destroyed (players can identify them from the back), and the entire deck of cards will be scrapped.

[0005] In order to eliminate the above-mentioned collisions, the applicant's spouse Li Baoyi designed two types of products. The first type is the card-blocking fan blades. Li Baoyi applied for a design patent for one of them (application number CN202030300242.9, named "Automatic Mahjong Machine Card-blocking Fan Blades"). This type of card-blocking fan blades is integrally formed, with a circle of several blades distributed in a ring shape along the center area. The blades are soft and can mainly buffer the impact of the cards on the lifting structure (that is, the first type of impact mentioned above). There are gaps between the blades, which can be locked on the support or bowl under the control panel of the automatic mahjong machine lifting structure and suspended above the large plate. Its installation position is as shown in the attached figure. Figure 1 As shown in the figure, when the cards are pushed into the hole, it can be expected that most of them will hit the card blocking blades first, and then fall into the plate through the gaps between the blades. The second type is the silent cover. Li Baoyi has applied for a number of design patents (application numbers CN202030424365.3, CN202230267337.4, etc.). This type of silent cover product is shown in the attached Figure 2 As shown, the material is soft, the lower part is a round table 204, the upper part has blades 201, and the middle center has a hole 203 for the lifting structure to pass through. Its installation position is as shown in the attached Figure 1 As shown, when placed on a large plate, after the mahjong tiles fall into the large plate, it can be expected that most of them will hit the silent cover, buffering the aforementioned second type of impact. At the same time, during the rotation and shuffling of the large plate, they can freely follow the rotation, buffering or limiting the impact between the above-mentioned cards (i.e., the aforementioned third type of impact). Of course, there is no strict division. The card-blocking fan blade products also contribute to the prevention of the second and third types of impacts, and the silent cover products also contribute to the prevention of the first type of impact. It should be noted that although the purpose of designing these products is to prevent collisions, since the technical effect of reducing noise can be quickly recognized by consumers, the products on the market are called "silent card-blocking fan blades" and "silent covers", instead of "anti-collision fan blades" or "anti-collision covers". The applicant believes that it is better to follow the name of consumers.

[0006] The applicant produces and sells these products through its own individual business. In the actual sales and use process, the applicant found, based on the feedback from the customers of the mahjong machine manufacturers, that although the collision has been prevented to a large extent, it is still imperfect, as shown in the following: Figure 1 As shown, the installation position of the card-blocking blade 103 is at the upper end of the lifting structure 104, and the installation position of the mute cover 105 is at the lower end of the lifting structure 104. The middle part of the lifting structure 104 is still exposed and lacks protection. Whether the cards are pushed into the card hole or shuffled, they may still collide with the sleeve in the middle of the lifting structure, and the noise still exists objectively. In addition, after the mahjong machine manufacturer's customers applied the card-blocking blade and mute cover, the proportion of feedback from consumers about the damage of the sleeve in the middle of the lifting structure accounted for more. Summary of the invention

[0007] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a silent cover for a mahjong machine.

[0008] Provided is a mute cover for a mahjong machine, comprising:

[0009] The round table, the upper and lower surfaces of the round table are not sealed, forming a through hole for the lifting structure of the mahjong machine to pass through, and the lower surface of the round table is close to the center of the large plate of the mahjong machine, which is used to cover and protect the large plate during the shuffling process;

[0010] A plurality of blades extending from the edge of the upper surface of the truncated cone, with a length that can cover the side of the truncated cone when naturally hanging down, and covering and protecting the truncated cone when viewed from above, with the through holes around the center of the truncated cone distributed in rotational symmetry, and gaps between the plurality of blades;

[0011] It is characterized by further comprising:

[0012] A lifting structure protective cover, which is used to wrap around the lifting structure, with the lower end connected to the round table, and the middle section forming telescopic folds. When the lifting structure is lifted or lowered, the telescopic folds can be stretched or contracted accordingly with the lifting process, and the upper end is connected to the bracket;

[0013] The truncated table, the plurality of blades and the lifting structure protective cover are all made of soft materials.

[0014] Furthermore, the lower end of the lifting structure protection cover is connected to the truncated table in a fixed manner.

[0015] Furthermore, the truncated cone, blades and lifting structure protective cover of the noise-reducing cover are integrally formed.

[0016] Furthermore, the lower end of the lifting structure protection cover is connected to the truncated table in a movable manner, and the truncated table can rotate freely under the action of external force without being disconnected.

[0017] Furthermore, the upper end of the lifting structure protection cover is connected to the bracket in a movably connected manner, and the upper end of the lifting structure protection cover forms an annular interlocking structure. When the bracket has a ring-groove-shaped silent cover reserved opening, the interlocking structure can cooperate with the silent cover reserved opening to movably accommodate the interlocking structure in the silent cover reserved opening. The interlocking structure can rotate freely under the action of external force without losing connection.

[0018] Furthermore, a ring-groove-shaped retaining plate fan blade reserved opening is provided at the upper end of the lifting structure protective cover for installing the retaining plate fan blade.

[0019] The present application provides a mute cover for a mahjong machine, which is provided with a lifting structure protective cover for wrapping and surrounding the lifting structure, thereby completely preventing the possibility of the mahjong tiles hitting the lifting structure, thereby improving the noise and damage problems caused by the middle section of the lifting structure of the mahjong machine being hit when the existing mute cover is used.

[0020] It should be noted that, before the application date, the soundproof covers for mahjong machines were already known to ordinary technicians in this field due to the commercial activities and marketing promotions of the applicant and other operators in the same industry; however, before the application date, the technical personnel in this field had not yet realized the detailed technical problem that the lifting structure could not be completely prevented from being hit under the protection of the existing soundproof covers, so they lacked the corresponding motivation for improvement. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the prior art, wherein: 101, operating panel; 102, bracket; 103, plate blocking fan blade; 104, lifting structure; 105, silent cover; 106, large plate.

[0022] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of a noise-reducing cover in the prior art, wherein: 201, blades; 202, reinforcing ribs; 203, through holes; 204, frustum.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the silent cover for the mahjong machine of the present application, wherein: 301, operating panel; 302, bracket; 303, fitting position; 304, reserved opening for the card blocking fan blade; 305, telescopic pleats; 306, lifting structure protective cover; 307, reinforcing ribs; 308, blades; 309, round table.

[0024] Figure 4 for Figure 3 The schematic diagram of a card blocking fan blade that can be matched with the reserved opening of the card blocking fan blade is shown, wherein: 401, a card blocking fan blade ring; 402, a card blocking fan blade;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the upper end of the silent cover and the bracket for the mahjong machine of the present application, wherein: 501, the bracket; 502, the reserved opening for the silent cover; 503, the interlocking structure; 504, the silent cover; 505, the reserved opening for the card blocking fan blade. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0027] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", etc. are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting this application. In particular, the understanding of the term "upper" following a noun in the claims should be understood as the entire inner and outer surfaces of the structure referred to by the noun conforming to the definition of "upper".

[0028] The specific implementation methods, structures, features and functions provided by the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments.

[0029] As attached Figure 3 What is shown is the mute cover for mahjong machine of the present application, wherein the marks 307, 308, 309 show the blade and the structure of the truncated table of the mute cover which are well known to those skilled in the art. The innovation of the present application is that a lifting structure protective cover 306 is also added on the top, the upper end of which is connected to the bracket 302 of the mahjong machine, and the lower end is connected to the truncated table, which can wrap the lifting structure as a whole, so that when the mahjong tiles fall into and hit the lifting structure, the lifting structure protective cover can provide buffering and protection. On the one hand, it reduces noise, and on the other hand, it reduces the possibility of damage. When the lifting structure is lowered, the card collection hole is closed, and the mahjong tiles are shuffled on the large plate, as they are stirred, the mahjong tiles may also hit the lifting structure, and at this time, the lifting structure protective cover can provide buffering and protection.

[0030] According to the choice of the whole machine manufacturer and the consumer, a retaining plate fan blade reserved opening 304 can be left on the lifting structure protective cover to accommodate the retaining plate fan blade, such as the attached Figure 4 The shield fan blade shown has a shield fan blade ring 401, which can be inserted into the shield fan blade reserved opening 304. Of course, the shield fan blade reserved opening 304 can accommodate more than this type of shield fan blades, and the connection method is not limited to a movable connection. The shield fan blade reserved opening is mainly left because the whole machine manufacturer and consumers may have the habit of using shield fan blades. In fact, as the lifting structure protective cover completely wraps the lifting structure, from the perspective of the lifting structure anti-collision, it is unnecessary to use shield fan blades. If the shield fan blades are used at this time, it can mainly reduce the damage to the lifting structure protective cover.

[0031] Since the lifting structure needs to be frequently raised and lowered during the use of the mahjong machine as the game progresses, the lifting structure protective cover cannot restrict the flexible movement of the lifting structure, otherwise it cannot be used. To this end, the lifting structure protective cover is provided with telescopic folds 305, which expand when the lifting structure rises and shrink when the lifting structure falls.

[0032] Considering that: the noise-canceling cover in the prior art is not fixedly set on the lifting structure or the large plate, but is freely and flexibly placed on the large plate after being penetrated by the lifting structure, and can rotate and move with the stirring of the mahjong tiles on the large plate. The advantage of this flexible rotation and movement is to ensure that the noise-canceling cover itself is not torn or pressed by external forces, and to reduce the deformation and damage of the noise-canceling cover. Therefore, the noise-canceling cover for the mahjong machine of the present application should fully inherit this advantage. The upper end of the lifting structure protective cover is connected to the bracket 302, and the lower end is connected to the round table 309. Although a fixed connection method can be adopted, it does not affect the invention purpose of the present application; but a better choice is to select a movable and rotatable connection in at least one of the two connections, so that the advantage of the noise-canceling cover in the prior art that rotates flexibly with the stirring of the mahjong tiles can be retained.

[0033] Because the lifting structure protective cover is a part of the mute cover for the mahjong machine of the present application, it is more suitable for being integrally formed with the round table, blades and other structures, which is convenient for production and transportation. Therefore, the present application recommends that the upper end of the lifting structure protective cover be connected to the bracket by a movable and rotatable connection. Figure 5 As shown, the upper end of the lifting structure protective cover forms an annular interlocking structure 503. When the bracket 501 has an annular reserved opening 502 for the mute cover, the interlocking structure can cooperate with the reserved opening for the mute cover, and the interlocking structure can be movably accommodated in the reserved opening for the mute cover. The interlocking structure can rotate freely under the action of external force without being disconnected. Of course, this design requires the appearance of the bracket with the annular reserved groove on the market to cooperate. The applicant expects that it is possible for the bracket manufacturer to design and produce such a bracket in the future.

[0034] The embodiments described above are only preferred implementation modes of the present application. It should be pointed out that a person skilled in the art can make several improvements and substitutions without departing from the technical principles of the present application, and these improvements and substitutions should also be regarded as within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A mute cover for a mahjong machine, comprising: The round table, the upper and lower surfaces of the round table are not sealed, forming a through hole for the lifting structure of the mahjong machine to pass through, and the lower surface of the round table is close to the center of the large plate of the mahjong machine, which is used to cover and protect the large plate during the shuffling process; A plurality of blades extending from the edge of the upper surface of the truncated cone, with a length that can cover the side of the truncated cone when naturally hanging down, and covering and protecting the truncated cone when viewed from above, with the through holes around the center of the truncated cone distributed in rotational symmetry, and gaps between the plurality of blades; It is characterized by further comprising: A lifting structure protective cover, which is used to wrap around the lifting structure, with the lower end connected to the round table, and the middle section forming telescopic folds. When the lifting structure is lifted or lowered, the telescopic folds can be stretched or contracted accordingly with the lifting process, and the upper end is connected to the bracket; The truncated table, the plurality of blades and the lifting structure protective cover are all made of soft materials.

2. The mute cover for a mahjong machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the lifting structure protection cover is connected to the truncated table in a fixed manner.

3. The mute cover for a mahjong machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The truncated cone, blades and lifting structure protective cover of the noise-reducing cover are integrally formed.

4. The mute cover for a mahjong machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the lifting structure protection cover is connected to the round table in a movable manner, and the round table can rotate freely under the action of external force without being separated from the connection.

5. The mute cover for a mahjong machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end of the lifting structure protection cover is connected to the bracket in a movably connected manner. The upper end of the lifting structure protection cover forms an annular interlocking structure. When the bracket has a ring-groove-shaped silent cover reserved opening, the interlocking structure can cooperate with the silent cover reserved opening to movably accommodate the interlocking structure in the silent cover reserved opening. The interlocking structure can rotate freely under the action of external force without losing connection.

6. The mute cover for a mahjong machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end of the lifting structure protective cover is provided with a ring-groove-shaped retaining plate fan blade reserved opening for installing the retaining plate fan blade.

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