Grinding cassette

Abstract

To provide a polishing cassette allowing contamination of a polishing body to be confirmed easily, and a game machine having the same.SOLUTION: In a polishing cassette (1), a delivery port (5) and a winding port (4) are formed, and a polishing body (10) is bridged between the delivery port (5) and the winding port (4). A winding part (20) for winding the polishing body 10 via the winding port and a housing part (30) in which the wound polishing body (10) is folded and is housed are provided in the polishing cassette (1). A case member (11) for forming a case part of the polishing cassette (1) is constituted of a transparent material, and is a transparent part for allowing the internal polishing body (10) to be visible from the outside.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a polishing cassette used in a gaming machine such as a pachinko machine.

Background Art

[0002] There is a gaming machine in which a player fires a game ball (hereinafter referred to as a ball) into a game area by a launching device, and when the launched ball enters a winning area such as a winning hole provided in the game area, a predetermined number of balls are paid out to the player as bonus balls.

[0003] Dirt adheres to the balls while the player touches them or they pass through the inside of the gaming machine. This dirt not only impairs the appearance of the balls but may also cause the balls to jam inside the gaming machine. Therefore, the gaming machine is equipped with a polishing device for polishing the balls in the ball transfer path (for example, Patent Document 1). The gaming machine described in Patent Document 1 polishes the transferred balls by pressing a strip-shaped abrasive against them.

[0004] In addition, some polishing devices are removably incorporated with a polishing cassette that houses a long strip-shaped and annular polishing body (abrasive) (for example, Patent Document 2). A winding section (winding means) is provided inside the polishing cassette. The polishing body is sent out to the outside of the polishing cassette, abutted against the balls transferred in the polishing area, and after passing through the polishing area, is drawn back into the inside of the polishing cassette again. The inside of the cassette serves as a storage section, and the wound strip-shaped polishing body is folded and stored inside the cassette.

[0005] In such a polishing cassette, in order to ensure contact between the polishing body and the ball, it is desirable that the polishing body is supported without overlapping and without slack in the polishing area. That is, the polishing bodies folded inside the cassette need to be in a state without overlap and slack after being sent out of the polishing cassette. Therefore, in the vicinity of the outlet where the polishing body is sent out, there are some provided with a pressing plate or the like for pressing the polishing body. By applying tension between the pressing plate and the winding part, the polishing body can be spanned across the polishing cassette without slack.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] By the way, in such a polishing cassette, if the polishing body gets dirty, the polishing effect deteriorates, so it is necessary to check the dirt of the polishing body and replace it as appropriate. However, in the part (polishing area) where the polishing body is outside the cassette, there is a member for transferring the ball such as a screw. Therefore, in the state where the polishing cassette is attached to the gaming machine, the dirt of the polishing body cannot be confirmed, and in order to confirm the dirt, it was necessary to remove the polishing cassette from the gaming machine each time.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention aims to realize a polishing cassette in which the dirt of the polishing body can be easily confirmed, and a gaming machine equipped with the same.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, a polishing cassette according to one aspect of the present invention adopts the following configuration.

[0010] That is, the polishing cassette according to one aspect of the present invention is a polishing cassette that is attached to a base provided in a gaming machine and polishes a gaming medium used in the game with a strip-shaped polishing body. A delivery port for delivering the polishing body and a winding port for winding up the polishing body are formed. A box body is provided between the delivery port and the winding port, and the polishing body is stretched across the box body. The box body is provided with a winding portion for winding up the polishing body through the winding port and a storage portion for storing the wound polishing body in a folded manner. The box body has a transparent portion that enables visual recognition of the polishing body inside the box body from the outside of the box body.

[0011] According to the above configuration, since the box body is provided with a transparent portion that enables visual recognition of the polishing body inside the box body from the outside of the box body, it is possible to visually recognize the inside of the polishing cassette in a state where the polishing cassette is attached to the gaming machine. As a result, a user such as an employee in a game arcade can confirm the degree of dirt of the polishing body and determine the timing of replacing the polishing body without removing the polishing cassette from the gaming machine.

[0012] In the polishing cassette according to one aspect of the present invention, the transparent portion may be formed on the side opposite to the side where the polishing body of the box body is stretched across.

[0013] By providing the transparent portion on the side opposite to the side where the polishing body is stretched across, it is possible to visually recognize the surface of the polishing body that polishes the game ball. Therefore, compared with a configuration in which the folded and stored polishing body is viewed from above, the dirt can be accurately confirmed.

[0014] In the polishing cassette according to one aspect of the present invention, it may have a transport portion that is provided inside the box body and transports the polishing body sent out from the outlet of the storage portion to the transport path leading to the delivery port after once turning it around to the side where the winding portion is located.

[0015] According to the above configuration, inside the box body, a conveying part is provided which conveys the abrasive bodies sent out from the accommodating part to the side where the winding part is located and then conveys them toward the delivery port. By providing such a conveying part, the surface of the game balls in the abrasive bodies that has been polished can be directed toward the side with the transparent part. Even when the abrasive bodies are randomly accommodated in the accommodating part, the degree of dirt of the abrasive bodies can be confirmed. However, by looking at the polished surface of the abrasive bodies in a non-overlapping state, the degree of dirt of the abrasive bodies can be confirmed more clearly.

[0016] In the polishing cassette according to one aspect of the present invention, the conveying part may be configured to have conveying rollers at the corners of the conveying path. According to this, the conveyance of the abrasive bodies conveyed along the conveying path can be made good.

[0017] In the polishing cassette according to one aspect of the present invention, the box body may be configured to have a wall part that partitions the accommodating part and the conveying part.

[0018] By providing a wall part that partitions the accommodating part and the conveying part, it is possible to prevent the part of the abrasive bodies accommodated in the accommodating part and the part conveyed by the conveying part from coming into contact, and to make the feeding operation of the abrasive bodies more stable.

[0019] In the polishing cassette according to one aspect of the present invention, the box body is formed in a rectangular shape that is long in one direction, the abrasive bodies are stretched along the longitudinal direction of the box body, the accommodating part is located on the side of the box body where the abrasive bodies are stretched, and the conveying part has a path for once turning back the abrasive bodies to the side where the winding part is located on the side opposite to the side of the box body where the abrasive bodies are stretched.

[0020] According to the above configuration, it is possible to ensure a long polishing area for polishing the game balls in the transfer direction of the game balls while forming it compactly.

[0021] In order to solve the above problems, a gaming machine according to an aspect of the present invention includes a game board through which a game ball passes through the board surface, a transfer unit that transfers the game ball, and a polishing cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 6 disposed opposite to the transfer unit.

Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to an aspect of the present invention, an aspect of the present invention can realize a polishing cassette in which dirt on the polishing body can be easily confirmed, and a gaming machine including the same.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] Hereinafter, an embodiment according to one aspect of the present disclosure (hereinafter also referred to as "this embodiment") will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, as an aspect of the polishing cassette of the present disclosure, the polishing cassette 1 is exemplified.

[0025] §1 Application Example First, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 and FIG. 6, an example of a scene where the polishing cassette 1 is applied will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the polishing cassette 1 is arranged to face a screw 107 that conveys the ball 60 on a base 103 inside a door 102 of a gaming machine 100 that uses a gaming ball (hereinafter referred to as a "ball"). The polishing cassette 1 abuts on the ball 60 conveyed by the screw 107, polishes the surface of the ball 60, and removes dirt adhering to the ball 60.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the polishing cassette 1 has a delivery port 5 for delivering a long belt-shaped and annular polishing body (polishing cloth) 10 and a take-up port 4 for taking up the polishing body 10 on the back surface, and the polishing body 10 is stretched between the delivery port 5 and the take-up port 4. This portion where the polishing body 10 is stretched is a polishing area that contacts and polishes the ball 60.

[0027] Inside the polishing cassette 1, there are provided a take-up portion 20 that takes up the polishing body through the take-up port 4, a storage portion 30 that stores the wound polishing bodies 10 folded together, and a conveyance portion 40 that conveys the polishing body 10 sent out from the storage portion 30 toward the delivery port 5. The conveyance portion 40 conveys the polishing body 10 sent out from the storage portion 30 after once redirecting it to the side where the take-up portion 20 is located, along a conveyance path toward the delivery port 5.

[0028] The polishing cassette 1 has a case portion constituted by a case member 11 and a lid member 12. Among these, since the case member 11 having a front wall is formed transparently, the inside of the polishing cassette 1 can be visually recognized in a state where the polishing cassette 1 is attached to the gaming machine 100. Thereby, a user such as an employee in the game hall can confirm the degree of dirt of the polishing body 10 and determine the timing of replacing the polishing body 10 without removing the polishing cassette 1 from the gaming machine 100.

[0029] §2 Configuration Example (1. Gaming Machine 100) FIGS. 1 and 2 are explanatory diagrams showing the configuration of the gaming machine 100 equipped with the polishing cassette 1 according to the present embodiment and the flow image of the balls 60. FIG. 1 shows the front of the gaming machine 100 with the door 102 open. FIG. 2 shows the back of the gaming machine 100 with the door 102 open.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the gaming machine 100, which is a pachinko machine, includes a game board 101 through which the balls 60 (shown by phantom lines in FIG. 2) pass, and a door 102 into which a glass plate 102a covering the game board 101 is fitted. The board surface on the front side of the game board 101 through which the balls 60 pass is the game area 101a.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, on the front side of the base 103 located below the game board 101, a launching device 104 for launching the balls 60, a rail 105 for guiding the balls 60 to the game board 101, and the polishing cassette 1 are installed. The polishing cassette 1 polishes the balls 60 with a long belt-shaped and annular polishing body 10 to remove dirt, and is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped box shape. Although details will be described later, the polishing cassette 1 is detachably attached to the base 103 such that the back surface where the polishing body 10 (see FIG. 4) extends outside the cassette faces the opening 103a provided in the base 103.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, on the back side of the base 103, a ball path 106 for returning the balls 60 discharged from the game area 101a to the launching device 104 is provided. In the ball path 106, a screw (transfer part) 107 and two path members 108 and 109 are arranged.

[0033] The screw 107 is a conveying device that lifts the balls 60 reaching the lower part of the screw to the upper part of the screw. The screw 107 is arranged to face the polishing cassette 1 facing the opening 103a of the base 103. The balls 60 lifted by the screw 107 come into contact with the abrasive bodies 10 laid across the back surface of the polishing cassette 1.

[0034] As shown by the arrow Y in FIG. 1, the balls 60 launched from the launching device 104 are guided to the game area 101a along the rail 105. The balls 60 guided to the game area 101a are discharged from the ball outlet 101b provided at the lower part of the game area 101a to the back side of the game board 101 along the game area 101a.

[0035] As shown by the arrow Y in FIG. 2, the balls 60 discharged to the back side of the game board 101 are conveyed to the lower part of the screw through the first path member 108 and lifted by the screw 107. During the lifting, the balls 60 come into contact with the abrasive bodies of the polishing cassette 1 and are polished. This part where the screw 107 and the polishing cassette 1 face each other corresponds to the polishing area. The balls 60 reaching the upper part of the screw are returned to the launching device 104 on the front side through the second path member 109 (see FIG. 1).

[0036] In FIGS. 1 and 2, the longitudinal direction of the polishing cassette 1 and the axial direction which is the conveying direction of the screw 107 are arranged in parallel, but the longitudinal direction of the polishing cassette 1 may be arranged to be inclined with respect to the axial direction of the screw 107.

[0037] (2. Configuration of the polishing cassette 1) In this embodiment, as described above, the polishing cassette 1 is attached with its longitudinal direction being the vertical direction. However, the orientation of the longitudinal direction of the polishing cassette 1 is not limited to this, and any direction along the transfer direction by a transfer unit such as a screw may be used. Therefore, hereinafter, starting from the state of FIG. 1, the polishing cassette 1 is rotated 90 degrees to the left, and the longitudinal direction of the polishing cassette 1 will be described as the left-right direction. In that case, the front-rear direction of the polishing cassette 1 is the same as the front-rear direction of the gaming machine 100, but the left direction of the polishing cassette 1 becomes the upward direction of the gaming machine 100, and the right direction of the polishing cassette 1 becomes the downward direction of the gaming machine 100. Similarly, the upward direction of the polishing cassette 1 becomes the right direction of the gaming machine 100, and the downward direction of the polishing cassette 1 becomes the left direction of the gaming machine 100.

[0038] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are perspective views showing the configuration of the polishing cassette 1. FIG. 3 is a front-side perspective view of the polishing cassette 1 facing the front side of the gaming machine 100 in a state of being attached to the gaming machine 100. FIG. 4 is a rear-side perspective view of the polishing cassette 1 facing the rear side of the gaming machine 100 in a state of being attached to the gaming machine 100.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the polishing cassette 1 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped box shape that is long in the left-right direction, and the polishing body 10 is spanned in the longitudinal direction (left-right direction) on the back surface (rear surface).

[0040] As shown in FIG. 4, guide edges 1a protruding rearward are formed at both edges in the short-side direction of the back surface of the polishing cassette 1. The polishing body 10 is guided at both ends in the width direction by these guide edges 1a.

[0041] At the corner between the right side surface on the right side of the back surface of the polishing cassette 1, a winding port 4 for winding the polishing body 10 is formed. Also, at the corner between the left side surface on the left side of the back surface of the polishing cassette 1, a feeding port 5 for feeding out the polishing body 10 is formed.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 3, a winding portion 20 is provided inside the polishing cassette 1. The polishing body 10 is drawn out from the delivery port 5 by the winding portion 20 and wound up from the winding port 4. The wound-up polishing body 10 is randomly accommodated so as to overlap inside the polishing cassette 1 (see FIG. 5).

[0043] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the polishing cassette 1 disassembled. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the inside of the polishing cassette 1 viewed from above with the lid member 12 of the polishing cassette 1 removed. In FIGS. 5 and 6, a state where the polishing bodies 10 are overlapped in a ninety-fold manner is shown, but the polishing bodies 10 are cloths without stiffness and are actually randomly overlapped haphazardly.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 5, the case portion (box body) of the polishing cassette 1 is constituted by combining a case member 11 and a lid member 12. The case member 11 and the lid member 12 are assembled by screws or the like through mounting holes 1b formed at the four corners of their respective joint surfaces.

[0045] The case member 11 has walls constituting the front, back, left, right, and bottom (bottom surface) of the polishing cassette 1, and the lid member 12 constitutes the upper wall of the polishing cassette 1. In this embodiment, the case member (transparent portion) 11 is formed of a transparent resin material or the like, and the inside of the polishing cassette 1 can be visually recognized.

[0046] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, at the delivery port 5, a part of the wall constituting the back surface of the polishing cassette 1 extends into the inside of the polishing cassette 1. The space between the back surface and the part extending inside is connected by an inclined surface formed at an obtuse angle with the back surface. Thereby, the polishing body 10 is smoothly sent out (drawn out) at an obtuse angle from the delivery port 5.

[0047] Near the delivery port 5 inside the polishing cassette 1, a pressing plate 9 for pressing the abrasive bodies 10 delivered from the delivery port 5 is provided. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the pressing plate 9 is attached by screws or the like inside the wall constituting the left side surface of the polishing cassette 1. The pressing plate 9 is formed in a shape extending rearward (rear surface side) and rightward from the attachment position, and the tip side contacts the abrasive body 10 at an acute angle in front of the delivery port 5.

[0048] The tip of the pressing plate 9 is bent in a direction away from the pressed abrasive body 10, and the abrasive body 10 is sandwiched and pressed between the rounded corner portion formed by this bending and the fourth conveying roller 41D located near the delivery port 5. The fourth conveying roller 41D is one of a plurality of conveying rollers provided inside the polishing cassette 1, which will be described later.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 5, on the lid member 12 that serves as the upper wall of the polishing cassette 1, there are formed a shaft support hole 12a, 12b for pivotally supporting the winding portion 20, and fixing holes 12c, 12d for attaching the cover member 25. Further, on the lid member 12, there are formed shaft support holes 12e to 12h for pivotally supporting the four conveying rollers 41A to 41D from the first to the fourth.

[0050] Similarly, on the lower surface of the case member 11 that serves as the lower wall (bottom) of the polishing cassette 1, there are formed a shaft support hole 11a, 11b for pivotally supporting the winding portion 20, and fixing holes 11c, 11d for attaching the cover members 22, 23. Further, on the lower surface of the case member 11, there are formed shaft support holes 11e to 11h for pivotally supporting the four conveying rollers 41A to 41D from the first to the fourth (see FIG. 6). The take-up unit 20 has two rollers 21A and 21B pivotally supported by the case member 11 and the lid member 12 of the polishing cassette 1, and winds up and updates the polishing body 10 spanned across the back surface of the polishing cassette 1. In the present embodiment, each of the two rollers 21A and 21B is configured by attaching a plurality of gear members to a rotating shaft. Each of the plurality of gear members has gear-shaped irregularities formed on its outer peripheral surface. The polishing body 10 is inserted between the two rollers 21A and 21B, and is fed into the interior of the polishing cassette 1 as the two rollers 21A and 21B rotate.

[0051] The two rollers 21A and 21B of the take-up unit 20 are pivotally supported by the polishing cassette 1 with their respective rotating shafts inserted through the pivot holes 12a and 12b of the lid member 12 and the pivot holes 11a and 11b of the case member 11. The rotating shafts of the two rollers 21A and 21 are arranged parallel to each other. Of the two rollers 21A and 21B, a driving force is transmitted from outside the polishing cassette 1 to the rotating shaft of the roller 21A on the rear side (the side of the take-up port 4) through the pivot hole 11a of the case member 11.

[0052] The cover members 22 and 23 are housed inside the polishing cassette 1 and prevent the polishing body 10 from being wound around the take-up unit 20. The cover members 22 and 23 are two members corresponding to the two rollers 21A and 21B of the take-up unit 20, and are attached to the back surface side and the front surface side inside the polishing cassette 1. Note that the cover members 22 and 23 are not limited to being attached to the polishing cassette 1, and may be integrally formed with, for example, the case member 11 or the lid member 12.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 6, inside the polishing cassette 1, a storage unit 30, a conveyance unit 40, and an overlap elimination unit (first conveyance roller 41A) are provided. The storage unit 30 stores the polishing body 10 wound up by the take-up unit 20. The wound-up polishing bodies 10 are folded and stored while randomly overlapping in the storage unit 30, and move from the right side where the take-up unit 20 is located toward the left side where the storage unit exit 31 is located.

[0054] The conveying unit 40 conveys the abrasive bodies 10 sent out from the accommodating unit outlet 31 along a conveying path leading to the outlet 5 after first moving them around to the side where the winding unit 20 is located. The overlapping elimination unit comes into contact with the abrasive bodies 10 in front of the accommodating unit outlet 31 to eliminate the overlap of the abrasive bodies 10. In the present embodiment, the first conveying roller 41A has this function.

[0055] Both the accommodating unit 30 and the conveying unit 40 are formed along the longitudinal direction. The accommodating unit 30 is located on the back side of the polishing cassette 1, and the conveying unit 40 is located on the front side of the polishing cassette 1. The space between the accommodating unit 30 and the conveying unit 40 is partitioned by a first wall (wall portion) 15a that extends in the longitudinal direction of the polishing cassette 1 and is erected on the inner surface of the lower surface (bottom surface) of the case member 11. The first wall 15a is inclined so as to approach the back side from the right side where the winding unit 20 is located toward the left side. Also, the first wall 15a is formed in an inverted L shape in top view, and the right side extends forward (front) in parallel with the right side surface of the polishing cassette 1 and reaches the front of the polishing cassette 1.

[0056] The accommodating unit outlet 31 is provided on the left side of the first wall 15a. The abrasive bodies 10 that have moved leftward inside the accommodating unit 30 are sent out from the accommodating unit outlet 31 to the conveying unit 40.

[0057] The conveying unit 40 conveys the abrasive bodies 10 sent out from the accommodating unit outlet 31 along a prescribed conveying path that first moves them around to the side where the winding unit 20 is located and directs them toward the outlet 5. By first moving them around to the side where the winding unit 20 is located, the surface of the abrasive body 10 that has passed through the polishing region can be directed toward the front side of the polishing cassette 1.

[0058] In the present embodiment, four conveying rollers 41A to 41D with curved outer peripheral surfaces that come into contact with the abrasive bodies 10 are arranged at the corners of the conveying path. In the present embodiment, the four conveying rollers 41A to 41D from the first to the fourth are made of POM (polyacetal resin).

[0059] The first conveying roller 41A is arranged at the outlet 31 of the accommodating part, and is arranged immediately to the left of the left end of the first wall 15a. More specifically, the first conveying roller 41A is located at the corner of the path between the accommodating part 30 and the conveying part 40 at the outlet 31 of the accommodating part.

[0060] The second conveying roller 41B is at the right end of the conveying part 40 and is arranged on the front side of the first conveying roller 41A. The third conveying roller 41C is at the left end of the conveying part 40 and is arranged on the left side of the first conveying roller 41A and on the front side of the second conveying roller 41B. The fourth conveying roller 41D is arranged near the outlet 5 inside the polishing cassette 1 as described above, and is arranged on the left side of the third conveying roller 41C and in front of the outlet 5 of the polishing cassette 1.

[0061] The abrasive body 10 sent out from the outlet 31 of the accommodating part is conveyed in the conveying part between the second conveying roller 41B and the third conveying roller 41C with the surface that has passed through the polishing area facing the front side of the polishing cassette 1.

[0062] By arranging the four conveying rollers 41A to 41D from the first to the fourth in such a manner, the space required for the conveying part 40 can be reduced, and a wider space for the accommodating part 30 can be secured.

[0063] Among the four conveying rollers 41A to 41D from the first to the fourth, the three conveying rollers 41B to 41D from the second to the fourth are rotatable rotating rollers. In contrast, the first conveying roller 41A located at the outlet 31 of the accommodating part is installed non-rotatably and is a support part that does not rotate. By installing the first conveying roller 41A non-rotatably, it can function as a overlapping elimination part that contacts the abrasive body 10 in front of the outlet 31 of the accommodating part and eliminates the overlap of the abrasive bodies 10.

[0064] Moreover, by configuring the overlap elimination section using the same roller members as the three conveyance rollers 41B to 41D from the second to the fourth, the sharing of members can be achieved. However, as long as it is a configuration that functions as an overlap elimination section, it is not necessarily required to be in the shape of a roller. For example, it may be a support column with a D-shaped cross-sectional shape in the axial direction, where the side facing the left end of the first wall 15a is formed flat. Also, it may be formed integrally with the first wall 15a, that is, integrally with the case member 11, at the left end of the first wall 15a.

[0065] Also, on the front side of the first wall 15a in the conveyance section 40, a second wall 15b extending in the longitudinal direction of the polishing cassette 1 is provided. The second wall 15b partitions the conveyance sections between the first conveyance roller 41A and the second conveyance roller 41B, and between the second conveyance roller 41B and the third conveyance roller 41C. In the present embodiment, the second wall 15b is inclined so as to approach the surface side from the right side toward the left side, contrary to the first wall 15a.

[0066] On the left side of the second wall 15a in the conveyance section 40, a third wall 15c extending from the front side toward the back side is provided. The third wall 15c partitions the storage section 30 and the path leading to the delivery port 5 in the conveyance section 40. The space between the first conveyance roller 41A and the third wall 15c serves as the storage section outlet 31.

[0067] (3. Operation of the Polishing Cassette 1) Using FIG. 6, the operation of the polishing cassette 1 configured as described above will be explained. When the winding section 20 rotates, the polishing body 10 stretched across the back surface of the polishing cassette 1 is wound into the interior of the polishing cassette 1 from the winding port 4 and stored in the storage section 30, and at the same time, the polishing body 10 is sent out from the delivery port 5 of the polishing cassette 1.

[0068] The wound polishing bodies 10 are randomly stacked and stored inside the storage section 30, and the storage section 30 is moved to the left so as to be pushed by the newly wound polishing bodies 10. The polishing bodies 10 that have reached the storage section outlet 31 are sent out from the storage section outlet 31 and conveyed in the conveyance section 40 toward the delivery port 5 of the polishing cassette 1.

[0069] At this time, if the first conveying roller 41A located at the accommodating part outlet 31 is not installed in a non-rotatable manner, the stacked abrasive bodies 10 will be smoothly fed into the accommodating part outlet 31 as they are, and a sliding load will be applied when trying to pass through the accommodating part outlet 31. If the sliding load is small, there is no problem, but if the sliding load is large, the abrasive bodies 10 cannot be fed out, and the abrasive cassette 1 will malfunction in the feeding operation.

[0070] In contrast, in the above configuration, the first conveying roller 41A located at the accommodating part outlet 31 is installed in a non-rotatable manner and serves as a non-rotating support column. Therefore, the stacked abrasive bodies 10 come into contact with the first conveying roller 41A, and the overlap is eliminated in front of the accommodating part outlet 31. More specifically, the stacked abrasive bodies 10 come into contact with the first conveying roller 41A, and only the cloth at the leading part of the overlapping abrasive bodies 10 to which the pulling force is applied is fed out from the accommodating part outlet 31.

[0071] The abrasive bodies 10 fed out from the accommodating part outlet 31 go toward the discharge port 5 via the second conveying roller 41B, the third conveying roller 41C, and the fourth conveying roller 41D. Tension is applied when being pressed by the pressing plate 9 when passing through the fourth conveying roller 41D. The abrasive bodies 10 fed out from the discharge port 5 pass through the polishing area and then are wound up by the winding part 20 via the winding port 4 again and accommodated in the accommodating part 30.

[0072] Such winding of the abrasive bodies 10 can be performed intermittently, for example, every time a certain number of balls 60 pass through the screw 107 or at regular time intervals. The abrasive bodies 10 are removed from the abrasive cassette 1 and replaced when they get dirty.

[0073] (4. Effects) In this embodiment, since the case member 11 having the front wall of the polishing cassette 1 is formed transparently, the inside of the polishing cassette 1 can be visually recognized in a state where the polishing cassette 1 is attached to the gaming machine 100. As a result, a user such as an employee in the game arcade can check the degree of dirt on the polishing body 10 and determine the timing for replacing the polishing body 10 without removing the polishing cassette 1 from the gaming machine 100.

[0074] Moreover, in the above configuration, the conveyance unit 40 first diverts the polishing body 10 sent out from the storage unit exit 31 to the side where the winding unit 20 is located, and then directs it toward the delivery port 5. By adopting such a path, the surface of the polishing body 10 that has passed through the polishing region can be directed toward the front side of the polishing cassette 1. Even when the polishing bodies 10 are randomly stored in the storage unit 30, the degree of dirt on the polishing bodies 10 can be confirmed. However, by looking at the surface of the polishing body 10 that has passed through the polishing region without overlapping, the degree of dirt on the polishing body 10 can be confirmed more clearly.

[0075] In this embodiment, the case member 11 is made of a transparent material. Therefore, except for the upper surface of the polishing cassette 1 formed by the lid member 12, the respective walls constituting the front, back, left, right, and lower (bottom) surfaces of the polishing cassette 1 are formed transparently. As a result, the internal polishing body 10 can be visually recognized from the front, back, left, right, and lower (bottom) surfaces of the polishing cassette 1, and the degree of dirt thereon can be confirmed.

[0076] However, it is sufficient that the case portion (case member 11 and lid member 12) of the polishing cassette 1 has a transparent portion that enables visual recognition of the polishing body 10 inside the polishing cassette from the outside of the polishing cassette 1. Therefore, the transparent portion may be an opening formed in the case portion, or a transparent material may be fitted into the opening.

[0077] When a transparent part is provided in a part of the case portion, it is preferable to provide the transparent part on the front side, which is the side opposite to the side where the polishing body 10 is stretched. Thereby, the surface where the polishing body 10 polishes the game ball can be visually recognized. When the transparent part is formed on the upper surface or the bottom surface of the polishing cassette 1, since the polishing bodies accommodated in the accommodating part 30 in a folded manner can be seen from above, it is not possible to accurately confirm the dirt as much as in the configuration where the transparent part is on the front side.

[0078] In particular, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the configuration where it is arranged facing the front side of the polishing cassette 1 on the front side of the gaming machine 100, just by opening the door 102 of the gaming machine 100, the dirt of the polishing body 10 can be grasped from the transparent part located in the front.

[0079] By the way, by providing the conveying part 40, the space of the accommodating part 30 becomes smaller, and the polishing bodies 10 are likely to overlap. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the first conveying roller 41A installed at the corner of the accommodating part outlet 31 is installed so as not to rotate and is used as a columnar support part (overlap elimination part). Thereby, it is possible to contact the polishing body 10 in front of the accommodating part outlet 31 and eliminate the overlap of the polishing bodies 10.

[0080] Thereby, even when the long polishing body 10 is accommodated in the limited space of the accommodating part 30, it is possible to prevent or effectively suppress the polishing body 10 from passing through the accommodating part outlet 31 in a state where the polishing bodies 10 overlap, and the feeding operation of the polishing body 10 can be made good. And it is also possible to meet the demand of making the total length of the polishing body 10 as long as possible in order to suppress the replacement frequency of the polishing body 10.

[0081] Also, by partitioning the accommodating part 30 and the conveying part 40 with the first wall part 15a, it is possible to prevent the part of the polishing body 10 accommodated in the accommodating part 30 and the part conveyed by the conveying part 40 from coming into contact with each other, and the feeding operation of the polishing body 10 can be further stabilized.

[0082] Further, the second wall portion 15b partitions between the first conveying roller 41A and the second conveying roller 41B, and between the second conveying roller 41B and the third conveying roller 41C, preventing contact even if the abrasive bodies conveyed through the respective paths are bent, and enabling the feeding operation of the abrasive bodies 10 to be more stabilized.

[0083] Further, the polishing cassette 1 is formed in a rectangular shape that is long in one direction, and the abrasive bodies 10 are spanned along the longitudinal direction of the polishing cassette 1. The accommodating portion 30 is located on the side where the abrasive bodies 10 are spanned, and the conveying portion 40 has a path for once deflecting the abrasive bodies 10 to the side opposite to the side where the abrasive bodies 10 are spanned and on the side where the winding portion 20 is located. With such a configuration, it is possible to form the polishing cassette 1 compactly while securing a long polishing region for polishing the balls 60 in the transfer direction of the balls 60.

[0084] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0085] 1 Polishing cassette 4 Winding port 5 Delivery port 10 Abrasive body 11 Case member (box body, transparent portion) 12 Lid member (box body) 15a First wall portion 15b Second wall portion 20 Winding portion 30 Accommodating portion 31 Outlet of the accommodating portion 40 Conveying portion 41A First conveying roller 41B Second conveying roller 41C Third conveying roller 41D Fourth conveying roller 100 Gaming machine 101 Gaming board 103 Base Opening 103a Launcher 104 Rail 105 Ball path 106 Screw (transfer section) 107

Claims

1. A polishing cassette attached to a base provided in a gaming machine for polishing a gaming medium used in the game with a strip-shaped polishing body, a box body formed with a delivery port for delivering the polishing body and a take-up port for taking up the polishing body, the polishing body which is stretched between the delivery port and the take-up port outside the box body, and the portion where it is stretched is a polishing area, provided inside the box body, a take-up part for taking up the polishing body through the take-up port, a storage part for storing the wound-up polishing body in a folded manner, and a conveyance part for conveying the polishing body sent out from the outlet of the storage part, once around to the side where the take-up part is located, and then in a conveyance path leading to the delivery port, and having, the box body has a transparent part enabling visual recognition of the polishing body inside the box body from the outside of the box body, the transparent part is a polishing cassette formed on the side opposite to the side where the polishing body of the box body is stretched.

2. The polishing cassette according to claim 1, wherein the conveyance part has a conveyance roller at a corner of the conveyance path.

3. The polishing cassette according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the box body has a wall part partitioning the storage part and the conveyance part.

4. The box body is formed in a rectangular shape long in one direction, the polishing body is stretched along the longitudinal direction of the box body, the storage part is located on the side where the polishing body of the box body is stretched, The polishing cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the conveyance part has a path for once turning the polishing body to the side where the take-up part is located on the side opposite to the side where the polishing body of the box body is stretched.

5. A gaming machine including a game board through which a game ball as the gaming medium passes, a transfer part for transferring the game ball, and the polishing cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 4 disposed opposite to the transfer part.

Images