Swing unit, tile lifting device, tile feeding mechanism and mahjong machine

Abstract

The utility model aims to provide a swing unit capable of accurately feeding back lifting actions, and a tile lifting device, a tile feeding mechanism and a mahjong machine which comprise the swing unit. The swing gear assembly comprises a driven wheel which is driven by a swing motor to rotate, and a track groove is formed in one side of the driven wheel; one end of the swinging connecting rod is provided with a roller which is in sliding fit in the track groove and can translate back and forth along with the rotation of the driven wheel; the swinging arm can swing up and down along with the translation of the swinging connecting rod, so that the bearing plate is lifted; the sensing unit comprises a first sensor and a second sensor which are arranged near the driven wheel, and the driven wheel is provided with a first sensing piece which is matched with the first sensor and corresponds to the upper swing position of the bearing plate and a second sensing piece which is matched with the second sensor and corresponds to the descending position of the bearing plate; the first induction piece and the second induction piece are located on different circumferences of the driven wheel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of mahjong entertainment equipment, and relates to mahjong machines, especially to a swing unit for swinging and lifting the support plate of the tile stack, as well as a tile lifting device, a tile loading mechanism and a mahjong machine containing the swing unit. Background Technology

[0002] Mahjong machines typically include a shuffling mechanism for shuffling the mahjong tiles, a stacking mechanism for stacking the shuffled tiles and placing them on the table for use, a control panel mechanism for users to input operating instructions, and a table frame mechanism for overall support.

[0003] The card-dealing mechanism needs to be set up separately for each user. For example, if a typical mahjong machine is used by four users, then four sets of card-dealing mechanisms need to be set up. In this case, each set of card-dealing mechanisms also needs to perform functions such as stacking, storing, pushing, and raising cards. Therefore, its layout space is relatively limited, and the structural design needs to be very compact.

[0004] In some existing technologies, to lift the stacked tiles on a support plate to the tabletop, a swinging unit is included in the tile-loading mechanism to swing the end of the support plate. For example, CN111991798A discloses a fully automatic mahjong machine whose tile-lifting assembly includes a lifting swing arm and a lifting push rod. The lifting push rod drives the lifting swing arm to swing, and the lifting swing arm, in turn, drives the tile holder carrying the stacked tiles to rotate via a lever, thus loading the tiles. In this structure, because the lifting push rod relies on an intermittently engaged gear system to achieve reciprocating motion, and the current state of this intermittent gear engagement, as well as whether the lifting swing arm is in an upward or downward swinging position, are difficult to determine, the entire lifting action cannot provide accurate feedback information, which is detrimental to the automation and intelligent control of the mahjong machine.

[0005] In particular, if a user wishes to use different card-dealing modes (e.g., to deal the initial hand and the cards to be drawn at once, or to deal them separately in two stages), the lifting and lowering motion needs to be performed at appropriate times according to the different modes, and other components also need to pause in coordination with the lifting and lowering motion to avoid mutual interference. The existing swing unit lacks a feedback mechanism, therefore it cannot properly set the timing of the lifting and lowering motion, nor can it set the working actions of other components based on the current lifting and lowering state. In fact, it cannot realize the aforementioned different card-dealing modes. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a swing unit capable of accurately feeding back lifting and lowering motions, as well as a tile-raising device, a tile-adding mechanism, and a mahjong machine incorporating the swing unit.

[0007] Specifically, this utility model provides a swing unit installed in the tile-lifting device of a mahjong machine. It swings to raise and lower a support plate used to hold tile stacks, thereby raising the support plate to place tiles onto the stacks or lowering the support plate to receive new tile stacks. The unit is characterized by comprising: a swing motor; a swing gear assembly including a driven wheel that rotates under the drive of the swing motor, the driven wheel having a track groove on one side; a swing linkage with a roller slidably fitted into the track groove at one end, capable of reciprocating as the driven wheel rotates; a swing arm with one end fitted to the other end of the swing linkage and the other end fitted to the support plate, capable of swinging up and down with the translation of the swing linkage, thereby raising and lowering the support plate; and a sensing unit including at least one sensor disposed near the driven wheel, wherein the driven wheel has a first sensing part that cooperates with the sensor and corresponds to the upward swing position of the support plate, and a second sensing part that cooperates with the sensor and corresponds to the downward swing position of the support plate.

[0008] The swing unit provided by this utility model may further have the following technical features, wherein the sensor includes a first sensor that cooperates with a first sensing part and a second sensor that cooperates with a second sensing part, and the first sensing part and the second sensing part are located on different circumferences of the driven wheel.

[0009] Furthermore, the swing unit provided by this utility model may also have the following technical features: both the first sensing part and the second sensing part are magnets, and both the first sensor and the second sensor are magnetic induction sensors.

[0010] The swing unit provided by this utility model may also have the following technical feature: the first sensing part and the second sensing part are located on the same diameter of the driven wheel.

[0011] The swing unit provided by this utility model may also have the following technical features: the track groove has a far end that is farthest from the rotation center of the driven wheel and a near end that is closest to the rotation center of the driven wheel; when the roller is located at one of the far end and the near end, the bearing plate reaches the upper swing position and the first sensor is opposite to the first sensing part; when the roller is located at the other of the far end and the near end, the bearing plate reaches the lower swing position and the second sensor is opposite to the second sensing part.

[0012] In addition, the swing unit provided by this utility model may further have the following technical features: the sensor includes a sensor that can cooperate with the first sensing part and the second sensing part respectively. The sensor is a distance sensor, the first sensing part is one of a protrusion or a recess, and the second sensing part is the other of a protrusion or a recess.

[0013] The swing unit provided by this utility model may further have the following technical features: the other end of the swing linkage is provided with drive teeth arranged in a straight line, and one end of the swing arm is provided with a swing shaft portion for rotatable mounting. The swing shaft portion is provided with swing shaft teeth that match the drive teeth and are distributed circumferentially along the swing shaft portion. In addition, the swing gear assembly may also include a driving wheel mounted on the output end of the swing motor, and a driven wheel meshing with the driving wheel, so that the driven wheel can be driven to rotate by the swing motor.

[0014] This utility model also provides a tile-lifting device, installed in a mahjong machine, for raising the delivered tile stacks to the tabletop. It is characterized by comprising: a support unit having a support plate for supporting the tile stacks, the receiving edge of which is provided with a tile-loading sensor; and a swing unit that swings the support plate up and down, thereby raising the support plate to load tiles onto the stacks or lowering the support plate to receive new tile stacks, wherein the swing unit is any of the swing units described above.

[0015] This utility model also provides a tile feeding mechanism, installed in a mahjong machine, characterized in that it includes: a tile feeding device for absorbing mahjong tiles from a shuffling mechanism and feeding them; a tile stacking device for stacking the mahjong tiles fed by the tile feeding device to form a tile stack; a tile storage device for storing the tile stack; a tile pushing device for pushing and conveying the tile stack; and a tile lifting device for raising the conveyed tile stack to the tabletop, wherein the tile lifting device is as described above.

[0016] In addition, this utility model also provides a mahjong machine, characterized in that it includes: a shuffling mechanism for shuffling mahjong tiles; and multiple tile-adding mechanisms for adding the shuffled mahjong tiles, wherein the tile-adding mechanisms are as described above.

[0017] Invention Function and Effect

[0018] According to the swing unit provided by this utility model, as well as the card lifting device, card loading mechanism and mahjong machine containing the swing unit, since the sensing unit includes a first sensor and a second sensor arranged near the driven wheel, and the driven wheel is provided with a first sensing part that cooperates with the sensor and corresponds to the upward swing position of the support plate, and a second sensing part that cooperates with the sensor and corresponds to the downward swing position of the support plate, the current position of the support plate can be accurately determined by sensing the signal, which is convenient for setting the working actions of each component according to the position state during the automatic control process. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the mahjong machine according to an embodiment of the present invention from one angle;

[0020] Figure 2This is a structural diagram of the mahjong machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a portion of the structure omitted.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the vehicle registration mechanism from one angle according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the vehicle registration mechanism from another angle according to an embodiment of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the card-feeding device according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the card stacking device according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a structural diagram of the stacking device of this utility model, omitting the stacking housing and the stacking motor;

[0026] Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of one side of the stacked card block according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0027] Figure 9 This is a structural diagram of the toggle drive block according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 10 This is a structural diagram of the card storage device according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0029] Figure 11 This is a structural diagram of the parts where the card storage device, card stacking device, and card supply device cooperate in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0030] Figure 12 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the card slot according to an embodiment of this utility model.

[0031] Figure 13 This is a structural diagram of the card-pushing device according to an embodiment of the present invention from one angle;

[0032] Figure 14 This is a structural diagram of the card-pushing device from another angle;

[0033] Figure 15 This is a structural diagram of the card-raising device according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0034] Figure 16 This is a structural diagram of the card-lifting device according to an embodiment of the present invention, omitting the support frame;

[0035] Figure 17 This is a structural diagram of one side surface of the driven wheel in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 18 This is a structural diagram of the swing linkage of this utility model.

[0037] Figure 19 This is a structural diagram of the other side surface of the driven wheel in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0038] Figure label:

[0039] Mahjong machine 100; Card feeding mechanism 101; Card supply device 10; Card suction wheel 11; Card supply frame 12; Belt assembly 13; Card supply motor 14; Card supply belt 15; Guide wheel 16; Tensioning wheel 17; Card stacking device 20; Card stacking block 21; Card stacking block groove 211; Card stacking block drive rod 22; Card stacking drive shaft 221; Card stacking drive wheel 23; Card stacking drive groove 231; Concave section 231A; Protruding section 231B; Card stacking motor 24; Card pushing block 25; Card pushing connecting rod 26; Card pushing Drive block 27; Card-pushing slide 271; Card stacking housing 28; Counting sensor 29; Card storage device 30; Card storage tray 31; Rotating shaft 310; Baffle 311; Card slot 312; Upper card slot 312A; Lower card slot 312B; Support column 313; Driven wheel slot 314; Connecting rod mating slot 315; Upper slot plate 32; Flange 321; Lower slot plate 33; Inner slot plate 34; Card pushing device 40; Card pushing seat 41; Notch 41A; Rotating groove 411; Recessed section 412; Card pushing rotation 42; 421; 422; 423; 43; 43; 431; 432; 44; 45; 46; 40; 51; 511; 511A; 52; 521; 53; 54; 541; 542; 55; 543; 55; 56; 57; 58; 59; 50; 50; 51; 511; 511A; 52; 521; 53; 54; 55; 56; 57; 58; 59; 50; 51; 511; 511; 52; 511A; 52; 53; 54; 55; 55; 56; 57; 58; 59; 50; 51; 51; 52; 54; 5 ...4; 55; 51; 52; 54; 55; 54; 55; 51; 52; 54; 55; 54; 55; 51; 52; 54; 55; 54; 55; 55; 52; 53; 54 Driven wheel mating end 551; swing mating end 552; roller 553; swing mating tooth 554; driving wheel 56; driven wheel 57; driven wheel shaft 316; track groove 572; distal end 572A; proximal end 572B; first sensing part 58; second sensing part 59; first sensor 61; second sensor 62; operation panel mechanism 102; table frame mechanism 103; outer frame 104; table board 105; card slot 105A; lower frame 106; mahjong tiles 200. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The specific implementation of this utility model will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0041] <Example>

[0042] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the mahjong machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, taken from one angle. Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the mahjong machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a portion of the structure omitted.

[0043] like Figure 1, 2 As shown, this embodiment provides a mahjong machine 100 for automatically shuffling and loading mahjong tiles 200, including a shuffling mechanism, a loading mechanism 101, an operation panel mechanism 102, and a table frame mechanism 103.

[0044] The table frame mechanism 103 includes an outer frame 104, a tabletop 105 mounted on the outer frame 104, and a lower frame 106 that supports the tabletop 105 and other mechanisms. The bottom of the lower frame 106 is provided with table legs for supporting the table on the ground. Figure 1 , Figure 2 Table legs were omitted in all of them. Figure 2 The outer frame 104, lower frame 106, and tabletop 105 are further omitted.

[0045] The control panel 102 is located in the center of the tabletop 105. It contains a control module that controls the operation of various components of the mahjong machine 100. Operation buttons are located on the top for users to input operating commands. The shuffling mechanism (not shown) is located in the center below the tabletop 105 and is used to shuffle the used mahjong tiles 200. It includes a shuffling disc for carrying and rotating the mahjong tiles. Its specific structure and function are the same as existing technology and will not be described further here.

[0046] The mahjong machine 100 of this embodiment can be used by four users at the same time, and is provided with four card-adding mechanisms 101, which are located at the four corners of the lower frame 106 respectively.

[0047] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the vehicle registration mechanism from one angle according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the vehicle registration mechanism from another angle, according to an embodiment of this utility model.

[0048] like Figure 1-4 As shown, the card-issuing mechanism 101 includes a card-supplying device 10, a card-stacking device 20, a card-storing device 30, a card-pushing device 40, and a card-raising device 50.

[0049] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the card-feeding device according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0050] like Figure 3-5 As shown, the tile feeding device 10 is used to pick up mahjong tiles from the shuffling mechanism and feed them to the mahjong tiles, and includes a tile-picking wheel 11, a tile-feeding frame 12, a belt assembly 13, and a tile-feeding motor 14.

[0051] The card feeder 12 is fixedly installed on the lower frame 106 and located near the shuffling mechanism 101. It has an opening facing the shuffling plate of the shuffling mechanism 101. The card suction wheel 11 is rotatably installed at the opening. The output end of the card feeder motor 14 is connected to the card suction wheel 11 and can drive the card suction wheel 11 to rotate.

[0052] The belt assembly 13 includes a feeding belt 15 wound around the card-feeding wheel 11, a guide wheel 16 for guiding the feeding belt 15, and a tensioning wheel 17 for tensioning the feeding belt 15. The guide wheel 16 is mounted near the card-stacking device 20 so that the feeding belt 15 can transport the mahjong tiles on it to the card-stacking device 20.

[0053] In this embodiment, the card-collecting wheel 11 is equipped with several card-collecting magnets, and each mahjong tile 200 is inlaid with magnetic material that can be magnetically attracted to the shuffling magnets. When the card-collecting wheel 11 rotates under the drive of the card-feeding motor 14, the card-collecting magnets that rotate to the downward position can attract the mahjong tiles 200 below. As the card-collecting wheel 11 continues to rotate, the mahjong tiles 200 are carried to the top of the card-collecting wheel 11 and then transported to the stacking device 20 by the card-feeding belt 15.

[0054] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the card stacking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 This is a structural diagram of the card stacking device according to an embodiment of the present invention, omitting the card stacking housing and the card stacking motor.

[0055] like Figure 3-4 As shown in Figures 6-7, the stacking device 20 is used to stack the single mahjong tiles supplied by the tile supply device 10 to form stacks of two tiles together, and includes a stacking unit and a tile dispensing unit.

[0056] The card stacking unit includes a card stacking block 21, a card stacking block drive rod 22, a card stacking drive wheel 23, and a card stacking motor 24. The card pulling unit includes a card pulling block 25, a card pulling connecting rod 26, and a card pulling drive block 27. In addition, the card stacking device 20 also has a card stacking housing 28 that houses and supports the various components in the card stacking unit and the card pulling unit.

[0057] The top of the stacking block 21 is flat. In the initial state, this flat surface is located near the guide wheel 16 of the supply belt 15 and can receive the mahjong tiles conveyed on the supply belt 15.

[0058] The stacking block 21 is provided with a stacking block groove 211. One end of the stacking block drive rod 22 is a movable end, which is slidably fitted into the stacking block groove 211 by a slider.

[0059] like Figure 6-7As shown, the card stacking drive wheel 23 is mounted on the output shaft of the card stacking motor 24 and rotates under the drive of the card stacking motor 24. A card stacking drive groove 231 is provided on one side of the wheel.

[0060] The other end of the stacking block drive rod 22 is a fixed end, which has a stacking drive shaft 221 hinged to the stacking block housing 27; the middle part of the stacking block drive rod 22 is also provided with a slider that is slidably fitted in the stacking drive groove 231. When the stacking drive wheel 23 rotates, the stacking block drive rod 22 swings up and down, driving the stacking block 21 to move up and down through the movable end.

[0061] Figure 8 This is a structural diagram of one side of the stacked card block according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0062] like Figure 8 As shown, the stacking drive groove 231 is approximately annular, with a concave section 231A with a decreasing radius and a convex section 231B with an increasing radius. When the slider in the middle of the stacking block drive rod 22 is in the concave section 231A, the top plane of the stacking block 21 is lower than the upper plane of the end of the feeding belt 15, and the height difference is slightly greater than the thickness of two mahjong tiles, so that the mahjong tiles fed by the feeding belt 15 can be stacked on the top plane of the stacking block 21. When the slider in the middle of the stacking block drive rod 22 moves to the convex section 231B, it can drive the stacking block 21 to move slightly upward, which facilitates the card-picking block 25 to perform the card-picking action.

[0063] like Figure 6-7 As shown, the card-pulling block 25 is fixed to the top of the card-pulling linkage 26. The card-pulling linkage 26 is approximately L-shaped and bent, with its lower end fixed to one side of the card-pulling drive block 27.

[0064] Figure 9 This is a structural diagram of the toggle drive block according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] like Figure 6-7 As shown in Figure 9, an arc-shaped card-dispensing groove 271 is provided on the other side of the card-dispensing drive block 27, and a slider is provided on the other side of the stacking drive wheel 23 (i.e., the opposite side of the surface where the stacking block groove 211 is located) that is slidably fitted into the card-dispensing groove 271. As the stacking drive wheel 23 rotates, under the action of the slider and the card-dispensing groove 271, the card-dispensing drive block 27 moves back and forth intermittently and drives the card-dispensing block 25 to move back and forth through the card-dispensing connecting rod 26. Thus, when the two mahjong tiles 200 at the top of the stacking block 21 overlap to form a tile stack, the tile stack is pushed toward the card storage device 30.

[0066] In this embodiment, the stacking device 20 also includes a counting sensor 29 facing the stacking block 21. The counting sensor 29 is a magnetic induction sensor that can generate a sensing signal when a mahjong tile with an embedded magnet passes through, thereby counting the mahjong tiles stacked and entering the tile slot 312.

[0067] Figure 10 This is a structural diagram of the card storage device according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0068] like Figure 10 As shown, the card storage device 30 is used to store card blocks, including a card storage tray 31, an upper slot plate 32, a lower slot plate 33, and an inner slot plate 34.

[0069] The card storage tray 31 is approximately square in shape, with one corner notched and the other three corners rounded. Vertically upward-extending baffles 311 are provided along the edge, and the center protrudes upwards, forming a groove, i.e., a card slot 312, between the baffles 311 and the central protrusion. Additionally, a support column 313 is provided at the bottom of the card storage tray 31, which is used to mount it to the lower frame 106.

[0070] The upper groove plate 32 is a plate-shaped component that matches the shape of the baffle 311 and is embedded in the upper part of the inner surface of the baffle 311 (equivalent to the outer side of the card slot 312); the lower groove plate 33 is a plate-shaped component that matches the card slot 312 and is embedded in the bottom surface of the card slot 312; the inner groove plate 34 is approximately annular and matches the central protrusion of the card storage tray 31, and is installed on the outer edge of the central protrusion of the card storage tray 31 (equivalent to the inner side of the card slot 312).

[0071] Figure 11 This is a structural diagram of the mating parts of the card storage device, card stacking device, and card supply device according to an embodiment of this utility model. Figure 11 In order to show the cooperation between the components, some components of the card storage device, card stacking device, and card supply device have been omitted.

[0072] like Figure 3-4 As shown in Figure 11, the card feeding device 10 and the card stacking device 20 are located at the notch corner of the card storage tray 31 and are positioned near one end of the card slot 312. The card stacking block 21 is located at the end opening of the card slot 312. When the card block 25 is pushed towards the card storage device 30, the card block will enter the card slot from the end opening of the card slot 312. When the next card block is stacked and pushed towards the card slot 312 by the card block 25, the card block will also push the card blocks that have already entered the card slot 312. This process is repeated to allow a certain number of card blocks to be stored in the card slot 312.

[0073] Figure 12 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the card slot according to an embodiment of this utility model.

[0074] like Figure 12 As shown, the upper slot plate 32, lower slot plate 33, and inner slot plate 34 are all adapted to the tile slot 312, together forming a tile storage slot structure that can store and allow the tile stacks to pass through. The bottom end of the upper slot plate 32 has a flange 321 protruding towards the center of the tile slot 312, while the upper half of the inner slot plate 34 protrudes outwards, creating two sections within the tile slot 312 with different radii of movement (i.e., distances relative to the center of the tile storage tray 31): the upper tile slot 312A and the lower tile slot 312B (as shown in the dashed box). The upper tile slot 312A and the lower tile slot 312B correspond to the upper and lower mahjong tiles in the tile stack, respectively. Because the upper tile slot 312A has a larger radius of movement, during movement within the tile slot 312, the upper mahjong tile will lag slightly behind the lower mahjong tile.

[0075] Figure 13 This is a structural diagram of the card-pushing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, taken from one angle. Figure 14 This is a structural diagram of the card-pushing device from another angle.

[0076] like Figure 3-4 As shown in Figures 13-14, the card pushing device 40 is used to push and transport the card stacks stored in the card storage device 30, and includes a card pushing seat 41, a card pushing rotating seat 42, a card pushing arm 43, a card pushing motor 44, and a card pushing drive gear 45.

[0077] The card pusher 41 is fixedly installed in the middle of the card storage tray 31. The middle part has a circular notch 41A and a rotating groove 411 around its perimeter. The shape and outline of the rotating groove 411 are basically matched with the card slot 312A, but the size is smaller. At the same time, there is a recessed section 412 near the notch of the card storage tray 31.

[0078] The card pusher rotating seat 42 is rotatably mounted on the card storage tray 31 via a rotating shaft 310. The entire seat is located within a notch 41A, and its upper surface protrudes from the notch 41A. A push arm mounting protrusion 421 is provided on the upper surface of the card pusher rotating seat 42, and a push arm mounting hole 422 extending horizontally through the protrusion 421.

[0079] One end of the pusher arm 43 is movably fitted into the pusher arm mounting hole 422, and the other end is provided with a pusher head 431 for pushing the tile blocks in the tile slot 321. The lower end of the pusher head 431 is provided with a pusher protrusion 433 extending along the pushing direction, which can push the lower layer of mahjong tiles forward more. Combined with the structural design of the tile slot 312A having a larger movement radius, it can always ensure that the upper layer of mahjong tiles is slightly behind the lower layer of mahjong tiles.

[0080] When the tile stack reaches the tile lifting device 50, the upper layer of mahjong tiles has less friction because it only contacts the lower layer of mahjong tiles. After the pushing force of the tile pusher 431 is removed, it usually slides forward a short distance. However, in this embodiment, through the combination of the structural design of the tile pusher protrusion 433 and the larger movement radius of the tile loading groove 312A, the upper layer of mahjong tiles always stays slightly behind during the movement. After the pushing force is removed, the upper layer of mahjong tiles slides a short distance and then overlaps exactly on top of the lower layer of mahjong tiles, so that the mahjong tiles can be stacked neatly when the tiles are loaded.

[0081] The pusher arm 43 is also provided with a pusher slider 432 located near the pusher head 431, which is slidably embedded in the rotating groove 411.

[0082] A card-pushing motor 44 is located below the card-pushing base 41, and a card-pushing drive gear 45 is mounted on its output shaft. The lower surface of the card-pushing rotating base 42 has rotating seat teeth 423 that mesh with the card-pushing drive gear 45, thereby enabling the card-pushing motor 44 to drive the card-pushing rotating base 42 to rotate. When the card-pushing rotating base 42 rotates, the card-pushing slider 432 also moves accordingly within the rotating groove 411, driving the card-pushing head 431 to push the card blocks within the card slot 321. Because the rotating groove 411 has a recessed section 412, when the card-pushing slider 432 reaches the position of this recessed section 412, the distance between the card-pushing slider 432 and the rotation center (i.e., the rotating shaft 310) of the card-pushing rotating base 42 will shorten, causing the card-pushing head 431 to retract inward towards the rotation center and avoid contact with the components of the card-feeding device 10 and the card-stacking device 20, thus preventing mutual interference.

[0083] Figure 15 This is a structural diagram of the card-raising device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 16 This is a structural diagram of the plate-lifting device according to an embodiment of the present invention, omitting the support frame.

[0084] like Figure 2-3 As shown in Figures 15-16, the card-lifting device 50 is used to push the card-pushing device 40 to lift the card stacks to the tabletop. It includes a support unit and a swing unit. The support unit includes a support frame 51 and a support plate 52. The swing unit includes a swing motor 53, a swing arm 54, a swing linkage 55, and a swing gear set composed of a drive wheel 56 and a driven wheel 57.

[0085] The support frame 51 is fixedly installed on the lower frame 106, located near the card supply frame 12 and fixedly connected to the card supply frame 12 to form a frame. An opening is formed at the lower end of one side of the support frame 51 to facilitate the exposure of the card suction wheel 11, and a support groove 511 is formed at the upper end. The support groove 511 has an open end 511A, which faces the tail end of the card slot 312, and the depth of the support groove 511 gradually increases from the other end to the open end 511A.

[0086] The support plate 52 is used to support the card stack to be placed. The support plate 52 is a long strip plate-shaped piece. One end is a receiving end that can receive the card stack pushed by the card pusher arm 43 from the card slot 312, located at the open end 511A; the other end is a mounting end, which is rotatably mounted on the other end of the support slot 511 opposite to the open end 511A via a rotating shaft, so that the support plate 52 can swing up and down in the support slot 511, and correspondingly its receiving end can rise or fall at the open end 511A.

[0087] In this embodiment, a tile-adding sensor is provided at the edge of the receiving end of the support plate 52. This tile-adding sensor is a magnetic induction sensor. When the tile-pushing arm 43 pushes the tile piles in the tile slot 312 onto the support plate 52, the tile-adding sensor can sense the magnets in the mahjong tiles, thereby generating a corresponding induction signal. When the tiles at the edge are removed, the tile-adding sensor can no longer sense the magnets in the mahjong tiles and no longer generates a corresponding induction signal. Since the tile piles pushed by the tile-pushing arm 43 are usually distributed from the edge of the receiving end towards the mounting end, and the tiles at the edge of the receiving end are usually the last to be removed, if the tile-adding sensor cannot sense the mahjong tiles, it means that all the mahjong tiles on the support plate 52 have been removed, and it is ready to proceed with the next tile-adding action.

[0088] The tabletop 105 is provided with a card slot 105A that corresponds to the position and shape of the support plate 52. When the support plate 52 swings upward until the receiving end rises to the highest position, the entire support plate 52 protrudes from the card slot 105 onto the tabletop, and the user can remove the card stacks on the support plate 52. The position of the support plate 52 in this state is referred to as the upward swing position of the support plate 52. When the support plate 52 swings downward until the receiving end descends to the lowest position, the receiving end is basically flush with the bottom of the card slot 312. The card pushing arm 43 can push the card stacks in the card slot 312 from the receiving end onto the support plate 52. The position of the support plate 52 in this state is referred to as the downward swing position of the support plate 52.

[0089] The swing motor 53 is installed below the card storage tray 31, and its output axis extends upward to the card storage tray 31.

[0090] The drive wheel 56 is mounted on the output shaft of the swing motor 53 and can rotate under the drive of the swing motor 53.

[0091] A driven wheel groove 314 is provided on the card storage plate 31 near the drive wheel 56. The driven wheel 57 is rotatably mounted in the driven wheel groove 314 through a driven wheel shaft 316 and meshes with the drive wheel 56. Therefore, it can be driven by the drive wheel 56 to rotate under the drive of the swing motor 53.

[0092] Figure 17 This is a structural diagram of one side surface of the driven wheel in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0093] like Figure 15-17 As shown, a track groove 572 is provided on one side surface of the driven wheel 57. The track groove 572 is shaped to protrude on one side. The farthest part of the track groove 572 from the center of the driven wheel 57 (rotation center, i.e., the center of the driven wheel shaft 316) is the far end 572A, and the closest part to the center of the driven wheel 57 is the near end 572B.

[0094] Figure 18 This is a structural diagram of the swing linkage of this utility model.

[0095] like Figure 15-16 As shown in Figure 18, each end of the swing link 55 has a straight rod-shaped end. One end is the driven wheel engagement end 551 that engages with the driven wheel 57, and the other end is the swing engagement end 552 that engages with the swing arm 54. In this embodiment, the length directions of the driven wheel engagement end 551 and the swing engagement end 552 are parallel to each other.

[0096] The driven wheel groove 314 has a straight connecting rod mating groove 315 whose size matches the driven wheel mating end 551. The driven wheel mating end 551 is located in the connecting rod mating groove 315, so that the driven wheel mating end 551 is approximately below the driven wheel 57.

[0097] The side surface of the driven wheel 57 with the track groove 572 facing down, and the upper surface of the driven wheel mating end 551 is also provided with a roller 553. The roller 553 is slidably embedded in the track groove 572, so that when the driven wheel 57 rotates, it can drive the swing link 55 to reciprocate along the length direction of the link mating groove 315 through the roller 553.

[0098] like Figure 16 As shown, the lower end of the swing arm 54 is provided with a swing shaft 541, which is provided through the support frame 51, so that the swing arm 54 can rotate around the swing shaft 541 and swing up and down.

[0099] The swing shaft 541 has circumferentially distributed swing shaft teeth 542 on the end exposed outside the support frame 51, and swing mating teeth 554 are distributed along the length direction on the swing mating end 552. The swing shaft teeth 542 and the swing mating teeth 554 mesh with each other. When the swing connecting rod 55 moves back and forth, it can drive the swing arm 54 to swing up and down.

[0100] The lower surface of the receiving end of the bearing plate 52 is provided with a bearing mating groove 521, and the upper end of the swing arm 54 is provided with a swing slider 543 that is slidably engaged in the bearing mating groove 521. When the swing arm 54 swings up and down under the drive of the swing connecting rod 55, it can drive the receiving end of the bearing plate 52 to swing up and down, that is, swing back and forth between the upper swing position and the lower swing position.

[0101] Since the far end 572A and the near end 572B of the track groove 572 correspond to the two ends of the reciprocating translation stroke of the swing link 55, when the roller 553 moves to the far end 572A, the swing arm 54 will rotate away from the swing link 55, and vice versa.

[0102] In this invention, depending on the different meshing states of the swing shaft tooth 542 and the swing mating tooth 554, the relative positions of the swing connecting rod 55 and the swing arm 54 can change. Therefore, the movement of the swing connecting rod 55 can correspond to different lifting and lowering movements of the swing arm 54, as follows:

[0103] When the swing link 55 is in the retracted state (i.e., the roller 553 is located at the proximal end 572B and the swing link 55 is located closer to the driven wheel 57), the swing arm 54 is facing upwards, and the rotational motion of the swing arm 54 away from the swing link 55 will cause its upper end to move downwards; when the swing link 55 is in the retracted state and the swing arm 54 is facing the swing link 55 (at this time the swing arm 54 is in an approximately horizontal state), the rotational motion of the swing arm 54 away from the swing link 55 will cause its upper end to move upwards.

[0104] Therefore, the far end 572A of the track groove 572 corresponds to one of the upper swing position and the lower swing position of the support plate 52, while the near end 572B corresponds to the other of the upper swing position and the lower swing position.

[0105] In this embodiment, the first scenario (i.e., the swing link 55 is in the retracted state and the swing arm 54 is in the vertical state) will be used as an example for specific explanation.

[0106] Figure 19 This is a structural diagram of the other side surface of the driven wheel in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0107] like Figure 15-16 As shown in Figure 19, the other side surface (i.e. the upward-facing surface) of the driven wheel 57 is provided with a first sensing part 58 and a second sensing part 59.

[0108] Figure 19 Different circumferences of the driven wheel 57 are shown in dashed circular frames. For example... Figure 19 As shown, with the center of the driven wheel shaft 316 as the center, the first sensing part 58 and the second sensing part 59 are distributed on both sides of the driven wheel shaft 316, and the two are located on the same diameter of the driven wheel 57, but on different circumferences of the driven wheel 57 (that is, the distance between the two and the rotation center of the driven wheel 57 is different).

[0109] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the distal end 572A and the proximal end 572B are also on the same diameter line of the driven wheel 57.

[0110] The swing unit also includes a sensing component mounted above the driven wheel 57, which includes a first sensor 61 that cooperates with the first sensing part 58 and a second sensor 62 that cooperates with the second sensing part 58.

[0111] In this embodiment, the first sensing part 58 and the second sensing part 59 are both magnets, and the first sensor 61 and the second sensor 62 are both magnetic induction sensors.

[0112] In this embodiment, the first sensor 61 and the second sensor 62 are both located at specific positions, such that when the roller 553 reaches the proximal end 572B, the first sensing part 58 is exactly below the first sensor 61, and at the same time, when the roller 553 reaches the distal end 572A, the second sensing part 59 is exactly below the second sensor 62.

[0113] Thus, when the roller 553 reaches the proximal end 572B, causing the swing arm 54 to be in a vertical state and the support plate 52 to be in an upward swinging position, the first sensor 61 just senses the first sensing part 58 and outputs a sensing signal; when the roller 553 reaches the distal end 572A, causing the swing arm 54 to swing from a vertical state to a horizontal state and the support plate 52 to be in a downward swinging position, the second sensor 62 just senses the second sensing part 59 and outputs a sensing signal.

[0114] Furthermore, when the roller 553 is neither at the near end 572B nor at the far end 572A, neither the first sensor 61 nor the second sensor 62 outputs a sensing signal, indicating that the bearing plate 52 is at a position between the upper swing position and the lower swing position.

[0115] Therefore, in this embodiment, the first sensing unit 58 corresponds to the upward swing position of the support plate 52, and the second sensing unit 59 corresponds to the downward swing position of the support plate 52. By observing the sensing signals output in real time by the first sensor 61 and the second sensor 62, it is possible to accurately determine whether the support plate 52 is currently in the downward swing position, the upward swing position, or a position between the two.

[0116] Functions and effects of the embodiments

[0117] According to the swing unit provided in this embodiment, as well as the card-raising device, card-adding mechanism, and mahjong machine containing the swing unit, since the sensing unit includes a first sensor 61 and a second sensor 62 disposed near the driven wheel 57, and the driven wheel 57 is provided with a first sensing part 58 that cooperates with the first sensor 61 and corresponds to the upward swing position of the support plate 52, and a second sensing part 59 that cooperates with the second sensor 62 and corresponds to the downward swing position of the support plate 52, the current position state of the support plate 52 can be accurately determined by the sensing signal output by the two sensors, which facilitates the setting of the working actions of each component according to the position state during the automation control process.

[0118] Furthermore, since the first sensing part 58 and the second sensing part 59 are located on different circumferences of the driven wheel 57, during the rotation of the driven wheel 57, the first sensor 61 will not sense the second sensing part 59, and the second sensor 62 will not sense the first sensing part 58. That is, the first sensing part 58 and the second sensing part 59 will not interfere with each other, and the position of the current support plate 52 can be determined reliably and accurately.

[0119] Those skilled in the art should understand that this utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are only illustrative of the principles of this utility model. Various changes and improvements can be made to the technical solution without departing from the spirit and scope of this utility model, and all such changes and improvements fall within the scope of protection claimed by this utility model.

[0120] For example, in the embodiment, both the first sensing part 58 and the second sensing part 59 are magnets, and the first sensor 61 and the second sensor 62 are corresponding magnetic induction sensors. In this utility model, as long as the corresponding cooperation between the first sensor 61 and the first sensing part 58 and the corresponding cooperation between the second sensor 62 and the second sensing part 59 can be achieved, other sensors and sensing parts can also be used. For example, the first sensing part 58 and the second sensing part 59 can be set as concave holes and / or protruding pillars with a specific depth or height, and the first sensor 61 and the second sensor 62 can both be set as distance sensors. The distance signal sensed is used to determine whether the sensing part has reached the bottom.

[0121] Based on the above changes, further modifications can be made. Specifically, the first sensing part 58 can be configured as either a protruding post or a concave hole, and the second sensing part 59 can be configured as either a protruding post or a concave hole, with both positioned on the same circumference. The circumference, except for the first and second sensing parts 58 and 59, has a uniform overall height. In this case, the sensing unit can contain only one distance sensor. When the sensor detects a signal at a longer distance, it indicates that the concave hole is below it; when it detects a signal at a shorter distance, it indicates that the protruding post is below it; and when it detects a signal at a distance between the two, it indicates that neither the concave hole nor the protruding post is below it. Thus, a single sensor can detect both sensing parts and achieve the corresponding upward and downward swing positions.

[0122] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first sensing part 58 and the second sensing part 59 are located on the same diameter. However, in other embodiments, they may not be located on the same diameter. As long as the positions of the two sensors are adjusted accordingly, the first sensor 61 can sense the first sensing part 58 and the second sensor 62 can sense the second sensing part 59.

Claims

1. A swing unit provided in a tile lifting device of a mahjong machine, which lifts a carrying plate for carrying a tile tower by swinging, thereby lifting the carrying plate to serve tiles to the tile tower or lowering the carrying plate to receive a new tile tower, characterized in that, The swing unit comprises: a swing motor; a swing gear assembly comprising a driven wheel rotating under the drive of the swing motor, one side of the driven wheel being provided with a track groove; a swing link having one end provided with a roller slidingly fitted in the track groove and being capable of reciprocating translation with the rotation of the driven wheel; a swing arm having one end fitted with the other end of the swing link and the other end fitted with the carrying plate and being capable of swinging up and down with the translation of the swing link, so as to make the carrying plate ascend and descend; and a sensing unit comprising at least one sensor provided near the driven wheel, wherein the driven wheel is provided with a first sensing part cooperating with the sensor and corresponding to the upper swing position of the carrying plate and a second sensing part cooperating with the sensor and corresponding to the lower swing position of the carrying plate.

2. The swing unit according to claim 1, wherein: wherein the sensor comprises a first sensor cooperating with the first sensing part and a second sensor cooperating with the second sensing part, the first sensing part and the second sensing part are located on different circumferences of the driven wheel.

3. The swing unit according to claim 2, wherein: wherein the first sensing part and the second sensing part are both magnets, the first sensor and the second sensor are both magnetic induction sensors.

4. The swing unit according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: wherein the first sensing part and the second sensing part are located on the same diameter of the driven wheel.

5. The swing unit according to claim 2, wherein: wherein the track groove has a far end farthest from the center of rotation of the driven wheel and a near end closest to the center of rotation of the driven wheel, when the roller is located at one of the far end and the near end, the carrying plate reaches the upper swing position and the first sensor is opposite to the first sensing part, and when the roller is located at the other of the far end and the near end, the carrying plate reaches the lower swing position and the second sensor is opposite to the second sensing part.

6. The swing unit according to claim 1, wherein: wherein the sensor comprises a sensor capable of cooperating with the first sensing part and the second sensing part respectively, the sensor being a distance sensor, the first sensing part is one of a convex column and a concave hole, the second sensing part is the other of the convex column and the concave hole, and the first sensing part and the second sensing part are located on the same circumference of the driven wheel.

7. The swing unit according to claim 1, wherein: wherein the other end of the swing link is provided with driving teeth arranged in a straight line, the one end of the swing arm is provided with a swing shaft portion for rotational installation, the swing shaft portion being provided with swing shaft teeth matching the driving teeth and distributed along the circumference of the swing shaft portion, the swing gear assembly further comprises a driving wheel installed on the output end of the swing motor, the driven wheel is engaged with the driving wheel, so that the driven wheel can be driven to rotate by the swing motor.

8. A tile lifting device, which is arranged in a mahjong machine and used for lifting a tile stack delivered to a table top, characterized in that, The carrying unit has a carrying plate carrying the tiles, and the receiving end edge of the carrying plate is provided with a tile sensing sensor. ​ ​ The swing unit lifts or lowers the carrier plate by swinging, so as to lift the carrier plate to put the tile or lower the carrier plate to receive a new tile, The swing unit is the swing unit as claimed in any one of claims 1-7.

9. A tile feeding mechanism provided in a mahjong machine, characterized in that, It comprises: A tile feeding device for sucking and feeding mahjong tiles from a tile shuffling mechanism; A tile stacking device for stacking the mahjong tiles fed by the tile feeding device to form a tile stack; A tile storage device for storing the tile stack; A tile pushing device for pushing and conveying the tile stack; and A tile lifting device for lifting the conveyed tile stack to the table surface, The tile lifting device is the tile lifting device as claimed in claim 8.

10. A mahjong machine, characterized by, It comprises: A tile shuffling mechanism for shuffling mahjong tiles; A plurality of tile feeding mechanisms for feeding the shuffled mahjong tiles, The tile feeding mechanism is the tile feeding mechanism as claimed in claim 9.

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