DECK OF PLAYING CARDS
The present invention concerns a deck of playing cards (1), whereon one or two signs distinctive of each card are represented, and is characterized in that each card provides one or two hollowed areas (41, 42) to thereupon facilitate placement of the fingertips when fanning out said cards as a playing hand, with said zone or zones positioned in an identical fashion on each card of the
Playing cards are usually made of thin, rectangular card stock, bearing on one side one or several distinctive marks, such as one of several faces, icons, and/or colored numbers, and with which various games are played.
At the beginning of a card game, each player receives from a set of cards (pack of cards) a hand typically made up of 5 to 20 cards, depending on the rules of the game. In order to facilitate the sequence of the game, he generally classifies the cards received by color, then in order of increasing value, and arranges them in a fan in his hand in such a way as to make apparent, for each of the cards, the icon that identifies it best, generally the one positioned in the upper left corner of the card. In the course of play, he will successively search for the cards in this fan with the other hand, in the order the rules and skill in the game require.
Making up the fan and keeping it in order may turn out to be hard for children, elderly people, or anyone with reduced dexterity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention has the aim of facilitating composing and keeping this in a fan in order.
To do this, the invention has as its objective a set of playing cards, upon which are depicted one or several marks distinctive of each card, characterized by the fact that each card exhibits one of several incised areas intended for locally pinching the card between the thumb and the index finger of an adult player to facilitate holding in a fan the said cards, the dimensions of said incised area or areas being adapted to pinching the card between the thumb and index finger of an adult player, and thereby the said incised area or areas being positioned in an identical manner on each of the cards in the set.
According to one embodiment, the cards being essentially rectangular in shape, the incised area or areas are two in number, positioned symmetrically with respect to the card's center of symmetry.
According to one embodiment, the said incised area or areas are formed of holes or bosses.
According to one embodiment, the said holes or bosses are of an essentially circular shape.
According to one embodiment, an incised area is positioned in a lower left region of the card.
According to one embodiment, each card exhibits two incised areas positioned in the lower left and upper right regions of the card.
According to one embodiment, the cards are of an essentially rectangular shape, cut out in their lower right portion.
According to one embodiment, the said incised area or areas are formed of notches.
According to one embodiment, the cards are of an essentially rectangular shape, and a notch is executed at the level of the lower side of the card, essentially centered between the two (lateral) sides.
According to one embodiment, the cards are cut out in their upper right portion.
According to one embodiment, the cards exhibit a main body of essentially circular shape with a protuberance on which appears a mark distinctive of the card, each card exhibiting the said incised area.
According to one embodiment, the said incised area is formed of hole or a boss, essentially positioned at the center of the card.
According to one embodiment, the said incised area is formed of a notch, positioned essentially in a manner diametrically opposed to the protuberance.
These objects, both characteristic and advantageous, as well as others of the present invention, are stated in detail in the following description of particular embodiments, in a non-restrictive manner in relation to the attached figures, among which are:
For purposes of clarity, identical elements have been designated by the same reference numbers on the different figures.
The invention concerns a set of cards (pack of cards) in which each card exhibits one or several incised areas intended for locally pinching the card in order to facilitate holding the cards in a fan, the said incised area or areas being positioned in an identical manner on each of the cards.
In order to have a playing card be symmetrical, it is also possible to provide an incised area positioned at the center of the card, for instance in the shape of a hole such as is illustrated in
The card illustrated in the example of
It may be noted that other shapes of incised areas are possible in order to attain the objective of the invention. For instance, the incised area may be composed of a boss such as is illustrated on
A large number of devices for facilitating the holding of cards according to the invention may be conceived of, and
According to the example, the device 120 for holding the fan consists of a flexible card 121 provided with two holes through which a crosspiece 122 passes. On the crosspiece is mounted a disk 123, made of transparent plastic, for instance. The crosspiece allows the flexible card to be bent in a arc, as is illustrated in
Although described by some number of examples of detailed embodiments, the invention includes different variants, modifications, and improvements which will appear obvious to the expert, it being understood that these different variants, modifications, and improvements are part of the spirit and the scope of the invention.
In particular, the invention applies to playing cards executed in all types of material, for instance, cardstock or plasticized cards.
By this fact, the description is only given by way of example and should not be interpreted in a restrictive manner. The invention is only limited by the definition which is given for it in the claims which follow, and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A set of playing cards (1), on which are represented one or several marks distinctive of each card, characterized by the fact that each card exhibits one or several incised areas (20, 21, 30, 41, 42, 51, 52, 92, 93) intended for locally pinching the card between the thumb and index finger of an adult player in order to facilitate holding the said cards in a fan, the dimensions of the said incised area or areas being adapted to pinching the card between the thumb and index finger of an adult player, and by the said incised area or areas being positioned in an identical manner on each of the cards of the set.
2. A set of playing cards according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that, the cards being of essentially rectangular shape, the incised areas are two in number, positioned symmetrically relative to the card's center of symmetry.
3. A set of playing cards according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the incised area or areas are formed of holes or of bosses.
4. A set of playing cards according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that the said holes or bosses are of an essentially circular shape.
5. A set of playing cards according to one of claims 3 or 4, characterized by the fact that an incised area is positioned in a lower left region of the card.
6. A set of playing cards according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that, each card exhibiting two incised areas, the said areas are positioned in the lower left and upper right regions of the card.
7. A set of playing cards according to one of claims 5 or 6, characterized by the fact that the cards are cards with an essentially rectangular shape, cut out at their lower right portion.
8. A set of playing cards according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized by the fact that the said incised area or areas are formed of notches.
9. A set of playing cards according to claim 8, characterized by the fact that, the cards being of essentially rectangular shape, a notch is executed in the region of the lower side (11A) of the card, essentially centered between the two lateral sides (11C, 11D).
10. A set of playing cards according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that the cards are cut out at their upper right portion.
11. A set of playing cards according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the cards exhibit a main body (90) of essentially circular shape, with a protuberance (91) on which appears a mark distinctive of the card, each card exhibiting the said incised area.
12. A set of playing cards according to claim 11, characterized by the fact that the incised area is formed of a hole or a boss (92), positioned essentially in the center of the card.
13. A set of playing cards according to claim 11, characterized by the fact that the said incised area is formed of a notch (93), essentially in a position diametrically opposed to the protuberance.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 15, 2007
Publication Date: Dec 10, 2009
Inventor: Pierre Brice (Boulogne-Billancourt)
Application Number: 12/306,846
International Classification: A63F 1/02 (20060101);