Playing cards with distinctive suits

A playing card deck with fifty-two cards divided equally into four suits, being hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs. The thirteen cards of each suit are sequentially numbered face cards, two through ten, a jack, a queen, a king and an ace with the following distinctive color arrangement: a first suit, hearts, with all markings, heart shapes and numbers being a red color; a second suit, diamonds, with all markings, diamond shapes and numbers being a red color with a pink screened background, whether partial or whole; a third suit, spades, with all markings, spade shapes and numbers being a black color; and a fourth suit, clubs, with all markings, club shapes and numbers being a black color with a grey screened background, whether partial or whole.

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Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of playing cards and more specifically to playing cards with suits made distinctive by background screening.

The use of playing cards has been around for hundreds of years, and the concept of four suits, with colors being two red and two black, has likewise been conventional for hundreds of years. The use of suits with two through ten sequentially numbered face cards, with three picture cards, jack, queen and king, and with an ace, is, and has been standard for poker, black jack and many other card games.

All card players, using standard two color decks, will from time to time experience errors trying to read their hand or the board when playing card games. While such errors may only injure one's pride in a friendly home game, the same errors in a casino cash game could be financially very costly.

These errors tend to be approximately ninety-five percent suit based, which is to say, the player will mistake one suit for another. Hearts and diamonds have always, since the first card design, been red markings, shapes and numbers with a completely white background. Likewise, spades and clubs have always been black markings, shapes and numbers with a completely white background. Thus it can be seen that a player may mistake a heart for a diamond or vice-versa, and likewise mistake a spade for a club and vice-versa.

Over the years, no one has been successful in solving this problem with suit color likeness and still maintaining the same two age-old acceptable colors, red and black. There have been attempts to use four colors instead of just red and black as well as suit-based color tones, but these attempts are generally not acceptable to card players.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

For the first time in the long history of the playing card deck of fifty two cards, the present invention will eliminate card playing errors due to suit color likeness and still maintain the acceptable colors of red and black and be a help to all players, especially those with poor visibility.

The present invention is a playing card deck with fifty-two cards divided equally into four suits, being hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs. The thirteen cards of each suit are sequentially numbered face cards, two through ten, a jack, a queen, a king and an ace with the following distinctive color arrangement:

    • a) A first suit, hearts, with all markings, heart shapes and numbers being a red color;
    • b) A second suit, diamonds, with all markings, diamond shapes and numbers being a red color with a background, whether partial or whole, screened or tinted a pink color;
    • c) A third suit, spades, with all markings, spade shapes and numbers being a black color; and
    • d) A fourth suit, clubs, with all markings, club shapes and numbers being a black color with a background, whether partial or whole, screened or tinted a grey color.

A further embodiment of the present invention is a playing card deck with fifty-two cards divided equally into four suits, being hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs. The thirteen cards of each suit are sequentially numbered face cards, two through ten, a jack, a queen, a king and an ace with the following distinctive color arrangement:

    • e) A first suit, hearts, with all markings, heart shapes and numbers being a red color with a background, whether partial or whole, screened or tinted a pink color;
    • f) A second suit, diamonds, with all markings, diamond shapes and numbers being a red color;
    • g) A third suit, spades, with all markings, spade shapes and numbers being a black color with a background, whether partial or whole, screened or tinted a grey color; and
    • h) A fourth suit, clubs, with all markings, club shapes and numbers being a black color.

It is understood that the pink screened background as applied either to the heart suit or the diamond suit will not obscure the markings, suit shapes or numbers on any card but only serve as a quick visual identification of suit to the player. Thus the player will not mistake a heart for a diamond and vice-versa.

Likewise, it is understood that the grey-screened background as applied either to the spade suit or the club suit will not obscure the markings, suit shapes or numbers on any card but only serve as a quick visual identification of suit to the player. Thus the player will not mistake a spade for a club and vice-versa.

It is an object of this invention that the inventive deck and color arrangement be applicable to electronic depictions of playing card decks as common in video and computer games and on the internet as well as to manual playing card decks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the heart suit of the present invention with all markings, heart shapes and numbers being a red color having a white background.

FIG. 2 illustrates the diamond suit of the present invention with all markings, diamond shapes and numbers being a red color but having a pink background.

FIG. 3 illustrates the heart and diamond suits of the present invention with an alternative face arrangement and the distinctive contrast between these two suits with hearts having a white background and diamonds having a pink background.

FIG. 4 illustrates the spade suit of the present invention with all markings, spade shapes and numbers being a black color having a white background.

FIG. 5 illustrates the club suit of the present invention with all markings, club shapes and numbers being a black color but having a grey background.

FIG. 6 illustrates the spade and club suits of the present invention with an alternative face arrangement and the distinctive contrast between these two suits with spades having a white background and clubs having a grey background.

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates all thirteen cards of the heart suit 1 with sequentially numbered face cards, two through ten, a jack, a queen, a king and an ace. All markings 2, heart shapes 3 and numbers 4 are a red color as commonly and traditionally used in playing card decks. In this embodiment, the background 5 of each card of the heart suit 1 is a white color as commonly and traditionally used in playing card decks.

FIG. 2 illustrates all thirteen cards of the diamond suit 6 with sequentially numbered face cards, two through ten, a jack, a queen, a king and an ace. All markings 7, diamonds shapes 8 and numbers 9 are a red color as commonly and traditionally used in playing card decks. In this embodiment, the background 10 of each card of the diamond suit 6 is screened or tinted a pink color.

It is understood that in this embodiment, the diamond suit 6 would have the background 10 screened or tinted a pink color while the background 5 of the heart suit would be a white color. However, in an alternative embodiment, the heart suit 6 would have the background 5 screened or tinted a pink color while the background 10 of the diamond suit 6 would be a white color.

FIG. 3 illustrates four numbered cards from the heart suit 1 and diamond suit 6 of the present invention with an alternative face arrangement and the distinctive contrast between these two suits with hearts 1 having a white background and diamonds 6 having a pink background.

The embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, as in FIGS. 1 and 2, shows the diamond suit 6 with the background 10 screened or tinted a pink color while the background 5 of the heart suit is a white color. However, in an alternative embodiment, the heart suit 1 would have the background 5 screened or tinted a pink color while the background 10 of the diamond suit 6 would be a white color.

In FIG. 3, the alternative face arrangement depicts a boxed outline 11 around the number of suit shapes pertaining to the card number. In an alternative embodiment the background of the suit, whether it be hearts 1 or diamonds 6, which is to be screened or tinted a pink color, be only screened or tinted within the boxed outline 11, with the remainder of the background a white color.

FIG. 4 illustrates all thirteen cards of the spade suit 12 with sequentially numbered face cards, two through ten, a jack, a queen, a king and an ace. All markings 13, spade shapes 14 and numbers 15 are a black color as commonly and traditionally used in playing card decks. The background 16 of each card of the spade suit 12 is a white color as commonly and traditionally used in playing card decks.

FIG. 5 illustrates all thirteen cards of the club suit 17 with sequentially numbered face cards, two through ten, a jack, a queen, a king and an ace. All markings 18, club shapes 19 and numbers 20 are a black color as commonly and traditionally used in playing card decks. In this embodiment, the background 21 of each card of the clubs suit 17 is screened or tinted a grey color.

It is understood that in this embodiment, the club suit 17 would have the background 21 screened or tinted a grey color while the background 16 of the spade suit would be a white color. However, in an alternative embodiment, the spade suit 12 would have the background 16 screened or tinted a grey color while the background 21 of the club suit 17 would be a white color.

FIG. 6 illustrates four numbered cards from the spade suit 12 and club suit 17 of the present invention with an alternative face arrangement and the distinctive contrast between these two suits with spades 12 having a white background and clubs 17 having a grey background.

The embodiment depicted in FIG. 6, as in FIGS. 4 and 5, shows the club suit 17 with the background 21 screened or tinted a grey color while the background 16 of the spade suit 12 is a white color. However, in an alternative embodiment, the spade suit 12 would have the background 16 screened or tinted a grey color while the background 21 of the club suit 17 would be a white color.

In FIG. 6, the alternative face arrangement depicts a boxed outline 11 around the number of suit shapes pertaining to the card number. In an alternative embodiment the background of the suit, whether it be spades 12 or diamonds 17, which is to be screened or tinted a grey color, be only screened or tinted within the boxed outline 11, with the remainder of the background a white color.

It is intended that the pink or grey color screened or tinted on the background of the intended cards be of reduced intensity so as not to obscure the markings, suit shapes or numbers of said cards, which markings, suit shapes or numbers should be in distinct contrast to the background.

Claims

1. A playing card deck comprising fifty-two cards divided equally into four suits of thirteen cards each, said suits being hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs, said thirteen cards of each suit each bearing a shape pertaining to its respective suit, and each of said thirteen cards of each suit having sequentially numbered face cards with numbers two through ten, a jack, a queen, a king and an ace, said cards having the following distinctive color arrangement:

a first suit, hearts, with all markings, heart shapes and numbers being a red color;
a second suit, diamonds, with all markings, diamond shapes and numbers being a red color with a pink screened background;
a third suit, spades, with all markings, spade shapes and numbers being a black color, and
a fourth suit, clubs, with all markings, club shapes and numbers being a black color with a grey screened background.

2. A playing card deck comprising fifty-two cards divided equally into four suits of thirteen cards each, said suits being hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs, said thirteen cards of each suit each bearing a shape pertaining to its respective suit, and each of said thirteen cards of each suit having sequentially numbered face cards with numbers two through ten, a jack, a queen, a king and an ace, said cards having the following distinctive color arrangement:

a first suit, hearts, with all markings, heart shapes and numbers being a red color with a pink screened background;
a second suit, diamonds, with all markings, diamond shapes and numbers being a red color;
a third suit, spades, with all markings, spade shapes and numbers being a black color with a grey screened background; and
a fourth suit, clubs, with all markings, club shapes and numbers being a black color.

3. The playing card deck of claim 1 wherein the pink screened background of the second suit covers less than the entire background of the cards in said second suit and the grey screened background of the fourth suit covers less than the entire background of the cards in said fourth suit.

4. The playing card deck of claim 2 wherein the pink screened background of the first suit covers less than the entire background of the cards in said first suit and the grey screened background of the third suit covers less than the entire background of the cards in said third suit.

5. The playing card deck of claim 1 wherein the playing card deck is provided as an electronic depiction or simulation of a playing card deck.

6. The playing card deck of claim 2 wherein the playing card deck is provided as an electronic depiction or simulation of a playing card deck.

7. The playing card deck of claim 3 wherein the playing card deck is provided as an electronic depiction or simulation of a playing card deck.

8. The playing card deck of claim 4 wherein the playing card deck is provided as an electronic depiction or simulation of a playing card deck.

9. A plurality of playing cards forming a deck, said plurality of cards including four suits, said suits being hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs, comprising:

a first group of heart-suited cards with all markings, heart shapes and numbers being a red color on a white background;
a second group of diamond-suited cards with all markings, diamond shapes and numbers being a red color on a non-white background;
a third group of spade-suited cards with all markings, spade shapes and numbers being a black color on a white background; and
a fourth group of club-suited cards with all markings, club shapes and numbers being a black color on a non-white background.

10. The plurality of cards of claim 9 wherein said second group of diamond-suited cards is on a pink background.

11. The plurality of cards of claim 9 wherein said fourth group of club-suited cards is on a grey background.

12. A plurality of playing cards forming a deck, said plurality of cards including four suits, said suits being hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs, comprising:

a first group of diamond-suited cards with all markings, diamond shapes and numbers being a red color on a white background;
a second group of heart-suited cards with all markings, heart shapes and numbers being a red color on a non-white background;
a third group of club-suited cards with all markings, club shapes and numbers being a black color on a white background; and
a fourth group of spade-suited cards with all markings, spade shapes and numbers being a black color on a non-white background.

13. The plurality of cards of claim 12 wherein said second group of heart-suited cards is on a pink background.

14. The plurality of cards of claim 9 wherein said fourth group of spade-suited cards is on a grey background.

Patent History
Publication number: 20090108531
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 29, 2007
Publication Date: Apr 30, 2009
Inventor: Fred Berger (Slidell, LA)
Application Number: 11/978,383
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: With Supplementary Indicia (273/304)
International Classification: A63F 1/02 (20060101);