Coin-receiving device

Details Coin-receiving device Coin-receiving device

2000-03-22

2001-11-06

Harrison, Jessica J. (Department: 3713)

Amusement devices: games

Including means for processing electronic data

In a chance application

C453S012000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06312331

ABSTRACT:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coin-receiving device which is applied in various types of game machines (such as a “Pachinko” type of slot machine called and romanized as “Patisuro” and having rotatable reels, and the conventional slot machines and Pachinko machines, etc.),various vending machines provided everywhere, automatic money-transfer machines and coin-discrimination machines used for example in banks, or the like, so that coins (including special metal discs called “medals” and usual coins usable in those machines) inserted in a lump into the machines are received by the coin-receiving device.
2. Prior Art
A most typical and normal type of coin slot J of the Pachinko type of slot machine P is, as disclosed in Examined Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 6-73563(1994) and as shown in
FIG. 40
annexed hereto, provided in the form of a slit-shaped opening into which each of coins M can be put one by one, so that players place coins into the slot one by one by their hands.
Players usually do, for each one play, first insert any of one to three coins one by one and then operate a start lever. Otherwise, players first set the machine to a credit mode and cause the machine to memorise a predetermined number of coins on assumption of a plurality of plays, and operate a bet switch and a start lever for each one play to proceed the game.
To mitigate the trouble of players inserting coins one by one, some machines given attention use a wide tray W for inserting coins in one lump, so that players can place a number of coins M all together into the machine at a time. The lump-insertion part W exemplified in
FIG. 40
showing the aforesaid Japanese publication is formed on the reels panel K and used jointly together with the. coin slot J that is for inserting coins one by one. It is expected that the lump-insertion type enables, upon use of credit mode, operation of initially inserting coins to be reduced or lightened, so that players, such as aged people or game fan playing for many hours feel less fatigue.
In
FIG. 40
, F is a hopper type coin-sending device sequentially sending coins received from the coins-lump insertion part W and taking them into the inside of the game machine. S is a control switch with which players can freely drive the coin-sending device F, the control switch arranged on a switches-mounting part R under the reels panel K. S
1
, S
2
are coin-selectors in association with coin sensors N
1
and N
2
, and H a coin payout hopper, O a coin payout port, and E a payout tray.
In the above feature, the coins-lump insertion part W and the control switch S are arranged at the separate positions, so that players need to first finish inserting coins into the lump-insertion part W and then shift to operation of the control switch S, resulting in such problems of uncontinuous operational motions and operation with one hand. Moreover, the game machine body needs to mount the lump-insertion part W and the control switch S at separate positions respectively, leading to such problem of poor workability in assembly and upon exchanging parts.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a coin-receiving device for a slot machine wherein operations of inserting coins in a lump and taking coins for practical use are carried out in a continuous series of motions with an excellent controllability and also having an improved workability in assembly and upon exchanging parts.
According to a preferred embodiment, the invention achieves the aforesaid object, as exemplified in
FIGS. 4
to
9
, by providing a coin-receiving device provided with a coin-lump insertion part A for receiving a plurality of coins at a time, and also with a coin-sending device C for sequentially sending coins received at the insertion part A and taking them into the inside of a game machine, wherein there is further integrally provided at an assembly mounting the coins-lump insertion part A a control switch AS for driving the coin-sending device C, and wherein the control switch is arranged to cause the coin-sending device to take a number of said coins into the inside of the slot machine until either:
a. a number of coins already taken-in reaches an upper limit corresponding to a maximum number of slot machine credits that a player is permitted to accumulate, or
b. if said upper limit has not been reached, all of said coins have been taken-in.
The invention further allows a single switch operation to cause sending by the coin-sending device C and capturing foreign objects before the coin-sending device while ensuring an excellent operation, by providing between the coins-lump insertion part A and the coin-sending device C as shown in
FIG. 3
a foreign objects separator which is driven according to operation of the control switch AS to catch foreign objects among inserted things and remove them from the coin-passage.
Still further, the invention provides a control switch AS, which has a structure including a movable control member A
1
adjoining to an opening A
0
of the coins-lump insertion part A as shown in
FIGS. 4 and 7
, in order to enable an easy inserting and taking-in operation by one hand.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the movable control member A
1
comprises an elongate member extending lengthwise of the opening A
0
of the coins-lump insertion part A as shown in
FIGS. 6
,
7
and
9
, in order to excellently dispose various habits of players in operating the switch.
The invention further includes a guide means A
2
for guiding both longitudinal ends of the movable control member A
1
in sliding movement as shown in
FIGS. 6
,
8
and
9
in order to achieve improvement of controllability and smoothness of operation.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, for providing flexibility in directions of operation of the switch, the guide means A
2
is structured as including a pin A
21
and an elongate pin-receiving hole A
22
formed on either the movable control member A
1
or a guide member A
3
guiding sliding of the movable control member A
1
, as shown in FIG.
8
.
Finally, the invention provides for keeping sureness in operation of the switch and returning of the switching, a swing member A
4
swingable following sliding of the movable control member A
1
, the movable control member A
1
being rotatably connected to a part of the swing member A
4
away from a swing axis A
40
, and a detection path A
50
in a detection means A
5
being arranged in a swing course of the swing member A
4
, as shown in FIG.
8
.
Next, the functional effects of those inventions will be detailed.
As shown in
FIG. 4
, the control switch AS is integrally formed in the assembly provided with the coin-lump insertion part A, so that inserting coins in a lump and taking them into the inside can be performed in a continuous series of actions, thereby improving controllability. Besides, the coins-lump insertion part A and the control switch AS are handled as a single assembly, thereby improving workability in assembly and upon exchanging parts.
As seen in
FIG. 3
, the foreign objects separator B interposed between the lump-insertion part A and coin-sending device C as well as the coin-sending device C are driven in accordance with operation of the control switch AS. Hence, foreign objects other than coins among the things inserted in a lump at the lump-insertion part A are captured and removed from the coin-passage before the process of sending by the coin-sending device. Thus, such foreign objects are prevented from reaching the coin-sending device C together with the properly transferred coins, thereby enabling excellent operation to be ensured.
As shown in
FIGS. 4 and 7
, following or after inserting coins in a lump from the opening A
0
at the coins-lump insertion part A, the movable control member A
1
adjoining the opening A
0
can be operated by one hand, thereby further improving controllability.
As shown in
FIGS. 6
,
7
and
9
, the movable control member A
1
comprises an

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