Pickup arm for prize game machine

Abstract

The present invention imparts novelty to a closing operation of an arm while reducing the number of actuators for driving.　The present invention comprises a vertically movable lifting member 15. At the lower part of the lifting member 15, a pressing portion 52 is provided to project corresponding to an arm 12, the pressing portion 52 contacting, from above, a portion 25a to be pressed on the base end side of a pivotal portion 21 of the arm 12 to rotate the arm 12 in the opening direction. Meanwhile, a shelf portion 53 having upper and lower spaces is formed at a vertically intermediate region of the lifting member 15 corresponding to the arm 12, and a pin member 54 having a flange part 54a at the upper end is loosely fitted and held in the shelf portion 53. The lower end of the pin member 54 and an adjacent position of the portion 25a to be pressed of the arm 12 are connected by a tension spring 55. The present invention is configured such that, as the arm 12 is rotated in the closing direction by the rise of the lifting member 15, the tension spring 55 extends due to the upward movement of the pin member 54 associated with a further rise of the lifting member 15, so that the holding force of the arm 12 becomes greater than the holding force thereof due to the weight thereof.

Description

Pick-up arm for prize-winning game machines

[0001] The present invention relates to a prize-winning game machine in which prizes housed in a game space of a housing are won by external operation.

[0002] A pickup arm having a plurality of rotating arms is used as a device for operating prizes or objects that support the prizes.

[0003] As disclosed in the following Patent Document 1, the pickup arm is attached to the end of a hanging wire or the like and is movable forward / backward and left / right within the game space, as well as being capable of elevation. The main body case is cylindrical, and the arm is rotatably mounted by an annular mounting base provided at the vertically intermediate portion of the outer periphery of the main body case and an arm mounting portion provided below the main body case so as to be vertically movable. Specifically, the mounting base has the same number of protruding portions as the arms, and rotation support portions are pivotally supported on the protruding portions, with the base end portion of the arm rotatably supported at the lower end of the rotation support portion. The arm mounting portion is attached to the lower end of a cylinder that extends and retracts from the underside of the main body case when driven by a motor housed inside the main body case, and rotatably supports the base of the arm.

[0004] With a pickup arm configured like this, when the motor drives the cylinder to extend and lower the arm attachment part, the arm rotates in the opening direction, and conversely, when the cylinder retracts and raises the arm attachment part, the arm rotates in the closing direction. In other words, the up and down movement of the arm attachment part based on the drive of the motor performs the action of grabbing a prize.

[0005] The arm movement is a grasping movement. However, when grasping, multiple arms start moving at the same time. This is a mechanical movement and not very interesting.

[0006] In response to this, Patent Document 2 listed below discloses a pickup arm that has arms that can be opened and closed independently and that also has an adjustable gripping force.

[0007] This pickup arm is configured with a solenoid for each arm that controls the opening and closing movement of the arm, and a drive source for adjusting the gripping force. Specifically, the drive source is located in the center of the housing that constitutes the pickup arm, and the solenoids are arranged around it. The base end of the arm is connected to an actuator that protrudes from the bottom end of the solenoid via a spring. The position where the lower end of this spring is connected is on the outer periphery of the pivotal support part at the base end of the arm. Meanwhile, a vertical movement nut member is provided on the output shaft of the drive source, and the upper end of a spring separate from the above-mentioned spring is disposed on this vertical movement nut member in correspondence with the arm. The lower end of this spring is connected to the arm on the inner periphery of the pivotal support part at the base end of the arm.

[0008] A pickup arm configured in this way can open and close the arm independently for each solenoid, and the gripping strength of the arm can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of tension of the spring with the drive source.

[0009] However, the independent rotation of the arms is intended to enable a game in which, for example, after multiple arms have been used to grab a prize, the player can open the arm they have selected, ultimately balancing the prize with as few arms as possible, such as two. This is about the type of game, not about adding any novelty to the way the prize is grabbed.

[0010] Moreover, the pickup arm of Patent Document 2 requires a solenoid (drive source) for each arm, and also requires a drive source for adjusting the gripping force, resulting in a large number of required drive sources.

[0011] Patent No. 6925659 Registered Utility Model No. 3095996

[0012] The main object of this invention is to provide a novel closing operation for the arms and to simplify the structure by reducing the number of actuators for driving them.

[0013] To this end, the present invention provides the following pickup arm for a prize acquisition game machine having an arm supported by a pivot portion on the base side and having a tip portion that can rotate in an opening direction and a closing direction.

[0014] That is, the pickup arm is provided with a lifting member that moves up and down, and a pressing portion that protrudes from the lower portion of the lifting member and corresponds to the arm, abutting from above against a pressed portion that is located at the base end of the arm, closer to the pivot portion, and rotating the arm in the opening direction. Meanwhile, a shelf portion with spaces above and below the lifting member is formed in the vertically intermediate portion of the lifting member and corresponds to the arm, and a pin member that has a flange that protrudes from the outer periphery at its upper end and is prevented from falling out downward is loosely fitted and held in the shelf portion. A tension spring connects the lower end of the pin member to a position on the arm adjacent to the pressed portion. The arm is configured so that, when the lifting member rises and rotates in the closing direction, the pin member moves upward as the lifting member further rises, thereby extending the tension spring, thereby increasing the gripping force of the arm beyond that due to its own weight.

[0015] In this configuration, the operation for picking up a prize and the application of a gripping force are performed simply by the up and down movement of the lifting member. In other words, the lifting member appropriately presses down the pressed lower portion of the arm, establishing a standby position. The prize pickup operation begins, the lifting member is raised, and, if multiple arms are provided, each arm moves independently to close. From this position, the lifting member is further raised to a predetermined height, hooking the flange of the pin member on the shelf, stretching the tension spring and accumulating gripping force. If a prize is gripped, the arm maintains the accumulated gripping force. If a prize is not gripped, the pin member and tension spring release the arm, causing the arm to rotate and assume a closed position under its own weight. In the closed position under its own weight, the arm lifts the tension spring and pin member, so the pin member separates its flange from the shelf and floats in the air. In either case, the lifting member is lowered at the position where the prize is to be dropped, and the pressing portion presses down the pressed lower portion to fully open the arm. In the former case, if the prize is still in the hand, the prize will fall. After that, the lifting member is raised to a predetermined height and placed in the standby position, and the above-mentioned operation is repeated.

[0016] According to this invention, the flange of the pin member is hooked onto the shelf plate portion during the process of raising the lifting member that closes the arms, stretching the tension spring, so that before the tension spring exerts stress and attempts to close the arms with a gripping force, the arms move according to the situation. When multiple arms are provided, the arms do not necessarily start moving in the closing direction at the same time, but move independently, allowing for a more natural movement to grasp the prize and adding a novelty to the closing movement of the arms.

[0017] The gripping force of the arm is applied by pulling up the pin member and stretching the tension spring during the upward movement of the lifting member that closes the arm, so the application of the gripping force can be performed simultaneously with the closing of the arm during the upward movement of the lifting member. This eliminates the need to provide a separate drive source for applying the gripping force in addition to opening and closing the arm, allowing for a simpler and more compact configuration.

[0018] The drive source only needs to be able to raise and lower the lifting member, so a single motor, for example, is sufficient, which allows the pickup arm to have a very simple structure and is also excellent in terms of miniaturization.

[0019] 3 is a perspective view of the main parts of the pickup arm. A plan view of the pickup arm. A structural explanatory diagram cut at section A-A in FIG. 2. A structural explanatory diagram when the arm is fully opened. A structural explanatory diagram when the arm is left to its own weight. A schematic explanatory diagram showing the change in height of the lifting member at each stage in the operation of the pickup arm. A structural explanatory diagram showing the state of the arm, etc. when on standby. A diagram showing the state of the arm, etc. from standby to the stage when gripping starts. A diagram showing the state of the arm, etc. from the stage when gripping starts to the stage when gripping force is exerted. A diagram showing the operation when gripping is successful. A diagram showing the operation when gripping fails. A structural explanatory diagram showing the pickup arm with the motor position changed.

[0020] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0021] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the main parts of a pickup arm 11 in a prize-winning game machine (not shown). This pickup arm 11 forms the tip of a crane in a so-called crane game machine, and is equipped with multiple arms 12, specifically three arms 12, so that it can directly grab prizes. The bases of the arms 12 are rotatably supported, and the tips can be rotated in an opening direction and a closing direction. In Figure 1, reference numeral 13 denotes a pivot shaft that rotatably supports the bases of the arms 12.

[0022] The three arms 12 are arranged at equal intervals as shown in the plan view of Figure 2. For this reason, it is difficult to grasp the structure when viewed from the front or side, so the following explanation will be given using a diagram in which two arms 12 are arranged symmetrically as shown in Figure 3. The diagrams in which the arms 12 are arranged symmetrically, such as Figure 3, are cut at the A-A position in Figure 2. Hatching indicating cross sections has been omitted to simplify the illustration.

[0023] As shown in these figures, the pickup arm 11 includes a lifting member 15 that moves up and down within a housing 14. To move the lifting member 15 up and down, a screw shaft 16 extending vertically is supported within the housing 14. A sliding screw nut 17 that moves longitudinally (up and down) as the screw shaft 16 rotates forward and backward is held by the screw shaft 16. The lifting member 15 is fixed below the sliding screw nut 17. To rotate the screw shaft 16 forward and backward, a rotating shaft 18a of a motor 18 that rotates forward and backward is connected to the upper end of the screw shaft 16. The motor 18 is composed of a stepping motor, a servo motor, or the like, and is provided coaxially with the screw shaft 16. By arranging the motor 18 coaxially with the screw shaft 16, the diameter of the housing 14 can be minimized. Although not shown, necessary devices such as a sensor for detecting the stop position of the motor 18 and a sensor for detecting the rotation speed of the motor 18 may also be provided.

[0024] The lifting member 15 is formed in a roughly polygonal prism shape, with the screw shaft 16 passing through the center in a plan view. The outer circumferential surface has protrusions 51 at positions every 120 degrees for associating with the arms 12. Each of these protrusions 51 is divided into two sections in the width direction. One is an opening operation section 51a, and the other is a pin holding section 51b. The protrusions 51 having these opening operation sections 51a and pin holding sections 51b are arranged in three equal sections corresponding to the arms 12, and each of the three arms 12 is configured to be able to open and close independently.

[0025] The opening operation portion 51a has a protruding pressing portion 52 at its bottom. The pressing portion 52 is rod-shaped and contacts from above a portion of the arm 12 that is located closer to the base end than the pivot portion 21 supported by the housing 14, thereby rotating the arm 12 in the opening direction.

[0026] Here, the arm 12 will be described.

[0027] Arm 12 has the aforementioned pivotal support part 21 on its base end side, which is rotatably supported, and has an arm tip 24 that extends in a different direction from base end part 22, via a bent part 23, at the end of base end side part 22 having pivotal support part 21. The shape of arm 12 and the position of pivotal support part 21 on arm 12 are configured such that when arm 12 is suspended under its own weight with pivotal support part 21 as a fulcrum, arm tip 24 is close to an imaginary center line C (see FIG. 3) extending in the vertical direction of pickup arm 11.

[0028] Specifically, the arm 12 has a linear base end portion 22. When the base end portion 22 is horizontal, the bent portion 23 has an outer inclined portion 23a that extends diagonally downward outward and an inner inclined portion 23b that extends diagonally downward inward from the tip of the outer inclined portion 23a. The inner inclined portion 23b is shorter than the outer inclined portion 23a and is long enough to form a space inside the arm tip 24 for a prize to be placed in when the base end portion 22 is in a nearly horizontal position. A flat tongue 25 that extends diagonally downward is formed on the base end portion 22, closer to the pivot 21 than the pivot 21. When the base end portion 22 is horizontal, one width of the tongue 25 forms a pressed portion 25a that abuts against a pressing portion 52 provided on the opening operation portion 51a of the lifting member 15. The other end of the tongue piece 25 corresponds to the pin holding portion 51b of the lifting member 15, and has a retaining portion 25b protruding from the upper surface thereof.

[0029] Since the tongue piece 25 constituting the pressed portion 25a of the arm 12 is flat, the lower end of the pressing portion 52 of the lifting member 15 is formed with an arcuate surface 52a that forms a convex arc in the longitudinal direction of the arm 12.

[0030] The pin holding portion 51b of the lifting member 15 has a shelf portion 53 formed in a vertically intermediate position, with spaces above and below the shelf portion 53. A through-hole 53a is formed in the shelf portion 53, penetrating in the thickness direction, and a pin member 54 is loosely fitted and held in the shelf portion 53. A flange portion 54a is formed at the upper end of the pin member 54, with a diameter larger than that of the through-hole 53a and extending outward, and the thickness of the flange portion 54a is thinner than the height of the space above the shelf portion 53. The length of the shaft portion 54b below the flange portion 54a is longer than the thickness of the shelf portion 53, and the shaft portion 54b is formed so that a lower end portion 54c protrudes into the space below the shelf portion 53 when the pin member 54 is raised to its maximum relative to the lifting member 15. In other words, the pin member 54 moves the portion of the shaft 54b above the lower end 54c relative to the through hole 53a of the shelf portion 53, allowing the flange portion 54a to move up and down in the space above the shelf portion 53, thereby preventing it from falling out below the shelf portion 53.

[0031] A tension spring 55 is connected between the lower end 54c of the pin member 54 and the position adjacent to the pressed portion 25a on the arm 12, i.e., the retaining portion 25b. The tension spring 55 is made up of a coil spring, and generates a stress (repulsive force) that tends to contract when pulled beyond a certain level.

[0032] The length of the tension spring 55 and its relationship to the surrounding components are set as follows. As shown in Figure 4, when the lifting member 15 is lowered and the base end portion 22 of the arm 12 is horizontally opened to its maximum extent, the tension spring 55 at its natural length pushes up the pin member 54, so that the flange 54a of the pin member 54 is located at the upper end of the space above the shelf portion 53. Also, as shown in Figure 5, when the lifting member 15 is raised and the arm 12 is placed in a natural state where it rotates and hangs down under its own weight, that is, in a free state where it has a gripping force due to its own weight, the tension spring 55 at its natural length pushes up the pin member 54. At this time, the flange 54a is located in the vertical middle of the space above the shelf portion 53. The pickup arm 11 is configured such that the arms 12 rotate in the closing direction as the lifting member 15 rises, and the gripping force of the arms 12 becomes higher than the gripping force due to their own weight as the pin member 54 moves upward as the lifting member 15 further rises, thereby extending the tension spring 55.

[0033] The series of actions from gripping the prize with the pickup arm 11 to releasing it can be conceptually shown in Figure 6, with the vertical position of the lifting member 15 on the vertical axis and time on the horizontal axis. In other words, the gripping and releasing actions and the application of a gripping force are performed during the one-stroke movement from when the lifting member 15 rises to when it falls.

[0034] Specifically, it is as follows (see FIGS. 7 to 11).

[0035] During standby and at the start of a game ([1]), as shown in Figure 7, the lifting member 15 is raised higher than when the arm 12 is fully opened (see imaginary lines) so as to close the arm 12 to a predetermined angle narrower than the fully opened angle of the arm 12. At this time, the pressing portion 52 of the lifting member 15 is in a state of pressing down the pressed portion 25a of the arm 12.

[0036] When the game start switch is operated, as shown in Figure 8, the pickup arm 11 moves horizontally, stops at a position determined by the player, and then descends, starting the gripping operation at that position (prize X position) ([2]). First, the motor 18 drives the screw shaft 16 to rotate a predetermined amount, raising the lifting member 15 (arrow a), and in some cases, as the pickup arm 11 rises, the arms 12 are completely closed (arrow b). At this time, the lifting member 15 rises without stretching the tension spring 55, regardless of the pin member 54. The gripping force of the three arms 12 is due to the weight of the arms 12 themselves, and depending on the condition of the position of the arm tip 24, for example, whether it is hitting prize X, whether it is in contact with another prize X, etc., each arm 12 attempts to rotate in the closing direction with a gentle force. In other words, the lifting member 15 is raised until the shelf board portion 53 approaches or comes into contact with the flange portion 54a of the pin member 54, which does not move due to the lifting member 15. This is a preparation step before the arm 12 exerts a gripping force ([3]).

[0037] Next, as shown in FIG. 9 , the lifting member 15 is further raised a predetermined amount (height) (arrow c). This is the step of exerting the gripping force ([4]). As the lifting member 15 is further raised, the flange portion 54a of the pin member 54 catches on the shelf portion 53, stretching the tension spring 55 and applying a gripping force to the prize X gripped by the arm 12 (arrow d). The gripping force can be changed by the amount of lifting of the lifting member 15. If the prize X is gripped when the gripping force is exerted, the gripping force is maintained during the subsequent lifting of the pickup arm 11 and the horizontal movement after the lifting (FIG. 10(a)).

[0038] On the other hand, if the prize X is not grasped, that is, if the prize X fails to be grasped or is released, the arm 12 rotates under its own weight to the closed position. In other words, as shown in Figure 5, the arm tip 24 approaches the imaginary center line C extending in the vertical direction of the pickup arm 11, resulting in a closed state under its own weight (Figure 11(a)). At this time, the arm 12 lifts the tension spring 55 and the pin member 54, and the pin member 54 separates the flange portion 54a from the shelf portion 53 and floats in the air.

[0039] If the prize X is grasped as in the former case, the grasped state is maintained and the arm 12 moves to the release point, and as shown in FIG. 10(b), the lifting member 15, which has been rising intermittently up until then, is lowered to the lowest position and the arm 12 is opened to the maximum ([5]). As a result, the prize X that was being held falls and is removed from the game machine. If the grasp of the prize X fails as in the latter case, the arm 12 moves to the release point in a closed state due to its own weight as shown in FIG. 11(a), and the lifting member 15 is lowered to the lowest position as shown in FIG. 11(b). As a result, the arm 12 opens to the maximum ([5]), just as when the prize X is grasped.

[0040] Thereafter, the lifting member 15 with the arm 12 fully opened is slightly raised as shown by the solid line in FIG. 7, and the machine enters the standby state ([1]) described above, waiting for the start of the next game.

[0041] As described above, the operation for picking up prizes and the application of gripping force are performed simply by the up and down movement of the lifting member 15. This allows for a simple configuration, allows for miniaturization, and makes it easy to apply and control the gripping force. Furthermore, the lifting member 15 is made up of a screw shaft 16 and a single motor 18 that rotates it forward and backward, so the configuration is extremely simple and allows for reliable control.

[0042] The shape of the arm 12 and the position of the pivot 21 on the arm 12 are such that when the arm 12 is supported by its own weight with the pivot 21 as a fulcrum, the tip of the arm 12 is close to the imaginary center line C of the pickup arm 11. This allows the arm 12 to be effectively closed by its own weight, allowing for the grasping action to be performed, which also simplifies the configuration. Moreover, if the prize is not grasped, the arm 12 immediately closes by its own weight, which does not give the player the impression that the game is being artificial and increases their interest in the game.

[0043] Regarding the gripping action of the arms 12, a pin member 54 is loosely fitted and held in the lifting member 15, and the base end of the arm 12 is connected to this pin member 54 via a tension spring 55, allowing the tension spring 55 to switch between a stretched and unstretched state. As a result, the multiple arms 12 do not begin to close simultaneously before stress is generated in the tension spring 55, but rather each moves independently depending on the situation. When the tension spring 55 is activated to exert a gripping force, the arms 12 actively close. As a result, natural gripping actions are possible through independent movements, which adds a novelty to the closing action of the arms 12 and stimulates the player's interest in the game.

[0044] The above configuration is one embodiment for carrying out the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to only the above configuration, and other configurations can be adopted.

[0045] For example, as shown in Figure 12, the motor 18 may be arranged parallel to the screw shaft 16. The motor 18 is housed between the protrusions 51. This configuration is convenient when a low height is desired or when a large diameter is acceptable. In Figure 12, the same components as those in the above configuration are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0046] The arm 12 may be configured as a single arm.

[0047] The shape of the arm 12 may be other than the above, for example, an L-shape or a C-shape when viewed from the side.

[0048] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 pickup arm 12 arm 15 lifting member 16 screw shaft 18 motor 21 pivot portion 25a pressed portion 51 protrusion 51a opening operation portion 51b pin holding portion 52 pressing portion 53 shelf portion 54 pin member 54a flange portion 54c lower end portion 55 tension spring

Claims

1. A pick-up arm for a prize-winning game machine, comprising an arm supported by a pivot part on the base side and having a tip which rotates in an opening direction and a closing direction, the pick-up arm being provided with a lifting member which moves up and down, a pressing part which protrudes from the lower part of the lifting member and corresponds to the arm and hits from above a pressed part which is at the base end of the arm further than the pivot part and rotates the arm in the opening direction, a shelf part which has spaces above and below the lifting member and corresponds to the arm at a vertically intermediate part of the lifting member, the shelf part being formed with a space above and below the lifting member, a pin member which has a flange which protrudes outwards at its upper end and is prevented from falling out downwardly is loosely fitted into the shelf part, a tension spring connects the lower end of the pin member to a position on the arm adjacent to the pressed part, and the arm is configured such that when the lifting member is raised and the arm rotates in the closing direction, the tension spring is extended by the upward movement of the pin member as the lifting member further rises, thereby increasing the gripping force of the arm beyond the gripping force due to its own weight.

2. A pick-up arm for a prize-winning game machine as described in claim 1, wherein the shape of the arm and the position of the pivot part on the arm are configured such that when the arm is hung under its own weight with the pivot part as a fulcrum, the tip of the arm is close to an imaginary center line extending in the vertical direction of the pick-up arm.

3. A pick-up arm for a prize-winning game machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lifting member is provided on a screw shaft extending in the vertical direction, and a motor that rotates forward and backward is connected to the screw shaft.

4. The pick-up arm of the prize-winning game machine according to claim 3, wherein the motor is provided coaxially with the screw shaft.

5. The pick-up arm of the prize-winning game machine according to claim 3, wherein the motor is arranged in parallel with the screw shaft.

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