Card shuffling devices and related methods
A card shuffler is disclosed having a card output portion that is easily connectable to either a first output card receiver or a second output card receiver. The first output card receiver enables the dealer to remove cards one at a time from the shuffler. The second output card receiver enables the dealer to remove a group of cards at a time from the shuffler.
Latest Shuffle Master GMBH & CO KG Patents:
- Card-handling devices with defect detection and related methods
- Methods for operating card handling devices and detecting card feed errors
- Devices, systems, and related methods for real-time monitoring and display of related data for casino gaming devices
- Card handling devices and related assemblies and components
- Devices, systems, and related methods for real time monitoring and display of related data for casino gaming devices
Notice: More than one reissue application has been filed for the reissue of U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,460. This reissue application is a continuation reissue application of Reissue application Ser. No. 13/300,733, filed Nov. 21, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. RE44,616, issued Dec. 3, 2013, which is a continuation reissue of Reissue application Ser. No. 11/299,243, filed Dec. 9, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. RE42,944, issued Nov. 22, 2011, each of which is also a reissue application of U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,460, issued Dec. 9, 2003, to Blaha et al.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONSApplicants claim priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of Austrian Application No. A 634/2000 filed Apr. 12, 2000. Applicants also claim priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 of PCT/AT01/00088 filed Mar. 26, 2001. The international application under PCT article 21(2) was not published in English.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe invention relates to a card shuffler.
BACKGROUNDAn example of a shuffling device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,082. In this known shufflering shuffling apparatus the shuffling vessel is formed by a horizontally arranged drivable drum which is provided with radially extending shafts for receiving a card each. An input station for receiving a stack of discarded playing cards is provided through which the individual shafts of the drum are supplied. The storage container for the shuffled cards is supplied by the drum. Following the activation of a card ejector, the individual cards are pushed into the storage container at random.
A similar card shuffler has become known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,712 in which the drum is vertical.
A very high degree of shuffling is achieved with such card shufflers. The foreseeability of the card sequence in the shuffled card stack is virtually impossible for a third party even in the case of using electronic aids.
In these known solutions there are card storage means for retrieving the shuffled cards individually. This leads to the disadvantage, however, that such card shufflers can only be used for certain games, but not for such games where a removal in stacks of the shuffled cards is provided.
A card shuffling apparatus with an output apparatus for retrieving cards is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,085 A which by way of a respective activation can be supplied from the shuffling storage means not only with individual cards, but also with several cards, so that an entire stack of cards can be taken from the output apparatus.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,989,122 A, a card shuffling apparatus is known which also conveys entire playing card stacks to an intended output apparatus.
The differentiation whether or not entire stacks of cards or merely individual cards are conveyed to the output apparatus is solved in the last two documents electronically. The output apparatuses per se remain the same and can thus not be adapted to the different card games.
It is the object of the present invention to avoid this disadvantage and to propose a card shuffler of the kind mentioned above which can be used for both types of games.
The proposed measures lead to a modular arrangement of the card shuffler, with an exchange of the card storage means for the shuffled cards being possible in a simple way. A card storage means for the individual retrieval of cards can be replaced for example very simply by one for the retrieval of cards in stacks and vice-versa.
Principally, the receiving means can be provided with any desired arrangement and can comprise groove- and spring-shaped shapings, for example with which the card storage means and the basic body mutually engage. The fixing can be provided by means of a fixable alignment pin for example. It is also possible, however, to provide connections by clips or snap-in connections such as spring-loaded balls or pins as receiving means for the card storage means which latch into respective latching recesses of the card storage means or the basic body of the shuffler.
In one embodiment, the content of each compartment of the shufflers storage means is securely pushed into a nip line between two rollers during the output which convey the same into the card storage means for the shuffled cards.
This also allows shuffling more than one card into a compartment of the shuffling storage means and thus keeping the card shuffler relatively small. This allows operating such a shuffler on a game table even when a larger number of card stacks, such as six or eight, are in the game and need to be managed. The nip rollers can either be provided with an elastically deformable coating or be pressed in a resilient way against one another which also allows an adjustment to the thickness of the content of the compartment to be ejected which can also hold several cards, e.g. a card stack with nine cards.
In one embodiment, the card shuffling storage means is a drum having radially arranged compartments. The cards are held in the individual compartments and cannot slip outwardly by centrifugal force and thus prevent any contact of the cards with a housing enclosing the drum. This leads to a very substantial protection of the cards.
Moreover, in the case of any required exchange of a drum, it is not necessary to remove the cards from the compartment of the same. Instead, the drum including the cards contained in the same can be exchanged.
In one embodiment, a card sensor is provided to detect the cards used in a game. It is not only possible to check their number, but also the card picture, as a result of which any changes to the cards can be recognized.
The invention is now explained in closer detail by reference to the enclosed drawings, wherein:
On a base plate 1 (FIG. 1), a shuffling storage means 2′ is disposed on a console formed by two legs 9, which shuffling storage means is formed by a rotatably held drum 2. Said drum 2 is connected to two disks 3 via spacers 62 (
Said disks 3 are each provided with a circumferential toothing 70. The shuffling storage means 2′ can be driven via a pinion 4 and a toothed pulley 5 which is rigidly connected to the same and are jointly held rotatably in plates 25, and a toothed belt 6 via a second toothed pulley 7 and a motor 8. This motor 8 is triggered via a randomizer and optionally also moves the shuffling storage means 2′ in mutually opposite directions, so that an oscillating movement of the shuffling storage means 2′ can occur.
A reservoir 10 for the for discarded cards 13 is provided which is part of an input apparatus. It comprises a wedge 11 which is rolled off by a roller 12 which is arranged rotatably within the same on an inclined floor of the reservoir 10 against two elastic rollers 14 (
A sensor 24 is provided as a line sensor for recognizing the card symbol of the respectively moved card 13.
The pair of rollers 19 and the pair of rollers 18 which touch the same on the circumference and are each situated on shaft 30 can be driven in the same manner as described above by motor 23.
The two levers 21 are used for the complete insertion of the respectively moved card into a compartment 69 of the shuffling storage means 2′ and are oscillatingly drivable by way of a rod 22 which is swivelably connected with the lever 21 by the axle 34 by way of an eccentric disk 23 disposed on the motor.
Two variants are provided for the card storage means 42, 42′ (FIG. 1, FIG. 4) for the shuffled cards 13, which storage means can optionally be fastened to the base plate 1 and can easily be mutually exchanged.
A receiving means is provided which comprises two alignment pins 100 which are inserted in the base plate 1 and on which a card storage means 42, 42′ for shuffled cards can be inserted. The card storage means 42, 42′ is provided with respective bores 102 in its base. In order to fix the respective card storage means 42, 42′, a screw 101 is provided which engages in a threaded bore 103 of the card storage means 42, 42′.
A receiving means for the card storage means 42, 42′ can also use clip connectors to connect to the card storage means 42, 42′, or a recess can be formed in the base plate 1 into which the card storage means 42, 42′ can be inserted.
The output of cards 13 from the compartments 69 into a card storage means 42, 42′ is performed by means of two swivel arms 35 which are swivelably held in the two legs 9 and are oscillatingly drivable by way of levers 37 and by way of an eccentric disk 38 situated on a motor. Said two swivel arms 35 each carry at their upper ends an inwardly positioned rail 36 (
The grip rollers 40 convey the respectively moved cards 13 either into the card storage means 42 for the shuffled cards as shown in
A card storage means 42 is substantially formed by a U-shaped table 43 in which the cards 13 are deposited in a stack 44. The cards can be removed upwardly by the croupier stack-by-stack if necessary.
The reservoir 42′ according to
As is shown in
As is shown in
The spring 52 is provided with a bending 55 which covers the radially outer openings of the compartments 69 and prevents securely that cards are ejected outwardly by centrifugal force during the rotation of the shuffling storage means 2′.
The springs 51 according to
The output of the cards of a compartment 69 is carried out in such a way that the card 13 or a stack of up to nine cards for example is ejected by force. This is carried out by means of the swivel arms 35 and rails 36, as already explained above. The springs 51, 52 are deformed during the ejection of the card(s) 13.
As is shown in
The drum 2 can be placed in a security container 63 (
Claims
1. A playing card shuffling device comprising:
- a card input portion for receiving cards to be shuffled;
- a card shuffling portion for receiving cards from the card input portion and outputting shuffled cards to a card outlet portion; and
- the card outlet portion being adapted for coupling to a first output card receiver when it is desired to remove shuffled cards one at a time from the shuffling device, and the card outlet portion being adapted for coupling to a second output card receiver when it is desired to remove a group of shuffled cards at a time from the shuffling device.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the card outlet portion comprises first alignment features for aligning with corresponding second alignment features on the first output card receiver and the second output card receiver.
3. The device of claim 2 wherein the first alignment features on the card outlet portion comprise alignment pins.
4. The device of claim 1 further comprising the second output card receiver coupled to the card outlet portion, the second output card receiver comprising a U-shaped table for receiving shuffled cards from the card outlet portion to facilitate grasping of a group of cards on the U-shaped table.
5. The device of claim 1 further comprising the first output card receiver coupled to the card outlet portion, the first output card receiver having an output gap for exposing a portion of a single card for removal of cards one at a time from the output gap.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein the card outlet portion comprises grip rollers for forwarding one or more cards from the card shuffling portion to the first output card receiver or the second output card receiver coupled to the card outlet portion.
7. The device of claim 1 wherein the card shuffling portion comprises movable card compartments, each compartment having an open end, the card shuffling portion further comprising a drivable lever for ejecting one or more cards from a compartment for being forwarded to the first output card receiver or the second output card receiver coupled to the card outlet portion.
8. The device of claim 1 wherein the card shuffling portion comprises a a rotatable drum having radially arranged compartments.
9. The device of claim 8 wherein the drum is provided with gear teeth around its periphery engaged with the drivable pinion for rotating the drum.
10. The device of claim 8 wherein each compartment comprises a spring with a bend at a free end of the spring to help retain cards within a compartment.
11. The device of claim 8 wherein each compartment comprises opposing walls and an open end, each compartment comprising a retainer spring that is pre-tensioned against one of the walls of the compartments to retain cards within the compartment.
12. The device of claim 1 further comprising a sensor for recognizing identities of cards.
13. The device of claim 1 wherein the card output portion includes clip connectors for connecting the first output card receiver or the second output card receiver to the card outlet portion.
14. The device of claim 1 wherein the card outlet portion includes a recess for the first output card receiver or the second output card receiver.
15. The device of claim 1 wherein the card outlet portion includes one of alignment pins and holes, and the first output card receiver and second card receiver includes one of alignment pins and holes for coupling to the card outlet portion.
16. The device of claim 1 wherein the card outlet portion is secured to the first output card receiver or the second output card receiver by means of a screw.
17. The device of claim 1 further comprising the first output card receiver, the first output card receiver comprising a spring loaded plate urging cards against a wall, the first card receiver further comprising an output gap for removal of one card at a time from the output gap.
18. The device of claim 1 further comprising the first output card receiver coupled to the card outlet portion.
19. The device of claim 1 further comprising the second output card receiver coupled to the card outlet portion.
20. A method performed on a shuffling device, comprising the steps of: providing a shuffling device comprising a card input portion for receiving cards to be shuffled; providing a card shuffling portion for receiving cards from the card input portion and outputting shuffled cards to a card outlet portion; providing a first output card receiver wherein the card outlet portion is adapted for coupling to the first output card receiver when it is desired to remove shuffled cards one at a time from the shuffling device and providing a second output card receive wherein the card outlet portion is adapted for coupling to the second output card receiver it is desired to remove a group of shuffled cards at a time from the shuffling device; and
- coupling either the first output card receiver or the second card output receiver to a coupling mechanism on the card outlet portion depending on whether it is desired to remove shuffled cards one at a time from the shuffling device or remove a group of shuffled cards at a time from the shuffling device.
21. A card-shuffling device, comprising:
- a base comprising an attachment feature;
- a card input configured to receive cards and input the cards into the card-shuffling device, the card input being supported by the base;
- a card-shuffling mechanism configured to receive cards from the card input and randomize the cards, the card-shuffling mechanism being supported by the base; and
- a card output receiver module configured to receive cards from the card-shuffling mechanism and to position the cards for manual removal, the card output receiver module comprising an attachment feature, the attachment feature of the card output receiver module being configured to secure the card output receiver module to the base by mating with the attachment feature of the base.
22. The card-shuffling device of claim 21, wherein the attachment feature of the base and the attachment feature of the card output receiver module jointly form a quick-release attachment mechanism.
23. The card-shuffling device of claim 21, wherein the attachment features of the base and the card output receiver module comprise at least one of a receiving ledge and a latch, clip connectors, a receiving bore and a spring-loaded pin, and a snap-in connection.
24. The card-shuffling device of claim 23, wherein the attachment features of the base and the card output receiver comprise a receiving ledge and a latch.
25. The card-shuffling device of claim 21, further comprising an alignment feature on the base and an alignment feature on the card output receiver module, the alignment feature of the card output receiver module being configured to mate with the alignment feature of the base to orient the card output receiver module for attachment to the base.
26. The card-shuffling device of claim 25, wherein the alignment features of the base and the card output receiver module comprise at least one of a bore and a pin and a snap-in connection.
27. The card-shuffling device of claim 21, further comprising another card output receiver module configured to be interchanged with the card output receiver module, the other card output receiver module being configured to receive cards from the card-shuffling mechanism and to position the cards for manual removal, the other card output receiver module comprising another attachment feature, the other attachment feature being configured to secure the other card output receiver module to the base by mating with the attachment feature of the base.
28. The card-shuffling device of claim 27, wherein one of the card output receiver module and the other card output receiver module is configured to present a stack of cards for withdrawal and the other of the card output receiver module and the other card output receiver module is configured to present one card at a time for withdrawal.
29. The card-shuffling device of claim 21, wherein the card-shuffling mechanism comprises:
- compartments, at least one of the compartments being sized and configured to receive at least one card at least partially into the at least one of the compartments; and
- a spring configured and positioned to prevent the at least one card from exiting the at least one of the compartments during movement of the card-shuffling mechanism.
30. The card-shuffling device of claim 29, wherein the spring comprises a bent distal end at least partially covering an opening of the at least one compartment.
31. The card-shuffling device of claim 29, wherein the spring comprises a leaf spring pressing against a wall of the at least one of the compartments to clamp the at least one card between the leaf spring and the wall.
32. The card-shuffling device of claim 21, further comprising a sensor configured to detect a presence of each card, the sensor being located between the card input and the card-shuffling mechanism.
33. A method of configuring a card-shuffling device, comprising:
- providing a base comprising an attachment feature;
- supporting a card input utilizing the base, the card input being configured to receive cards and input the cards into a card-shuffling mechanism;
- supporting the card-shuffling mechanism utilizing the base, the card-shuffling mechanism being configured to receive cards from the card input and randomize the cards; and
- securing a card output receiver module to the base by mutually engaging an attachment feature of the card output receiver module with the attachment feature of the base, the card output receiver module being configured to receive cards from the card-shuffling mechanism and to position the cards for manual removal.
34. The method of claim 33, wherein securing the card output receiver module to the base comprises at least one of engaging a latch with a receiving ledge, clipping together clip connectors, positioning a spring-loaded pin to extend into a receiving bore, and snapping together a snap-in connection.
35. The method of claim 33, further comprising orienting the card output receiver module with respect to the base before securing the card output receiver module to the base by mating an alignment feature on the base with an alignment feature on the card output receiver module.
36. The method of claim 35, wherein orienting the card output receiver module with respect to the base comprises at least one of inserting a pin into a bore and snapping together a snap-in connection.
37. The method of claim 33, further comprising detaching the card output receiver module from the base and securing another card output receiver module to the base by mating another attachment feature of the other card output receiver module with the attachment feature of the base, the other card output receiver module being configured to receive cards from the card-shuffling mechanism and to position the cards for manual removal.
38. The method of claim 37, further comprising selecting one of the card output receiver module and the other card output receiver module to present a stack of cards for withdrawal and selecting the other of the card output receiver module and the other card output receiver module to present one card at a time for withdrawal.
39. The method of claim 33, wherein supporting the card-shuffling mechanism utilizing the base comprises supporting a card-shuffling mechanism comprising compartments, at least one of the compartments being sized and configured to receive at least one card at least partially into the at least one of the compartments; and a spring configured and positioned to prevent the at least one card from exiting the at least one of the compartments during movement of the card-shuffling mechanism utilizing the base.
40. The method of claim 33, further comprising supporting a sensor configured to detect a presence of each card utilizing the base, the sensor being positioned between the card input and the card-shuffling mechanism.
4497488 | February 5, 1985 | Plevyak et al. |
4512580 | April 23, 1985 | Matviak |
4515367 | May 7, 1985 | Howard |
4586712 | May 6, 1986 | Lorber et al. |
4659082 | April 21, 1987 | Greenberg |
4667959 | May 26, 1987 | Pfeiffer et al. |
4770421 | September 13, 1988 | Hoffman |
4832342 | May 23, 1989 | Plevyak et al. |
5240140 | August 31, 1993 | Huen |
5275411 | January 4, 1994 | Breeding |
5431399 | July 11, 1995 | Kelley |
5575475 | November 19, 1996 | Steinbach |
5683085 | November 4, 1997 | Johnson et al. |
5695189 | December 9, 1997 | Breeding et al. |
5944310 | August 31, 1999 | Johnson et al. |
5989122 | November 23, 1999 | Roblejo |
6019368 | February 1, 2000 | Sines et al. |
6068258 | May 30, 2000 | Breeding et al. |
6139014 | October 31, 2000 | Breeding et al. |
6149154 | November 21, 2000 | Grauzer et al. |
6165069 | December 26, 2000 | Sines et al. |
6254096 | July 3, 2001 | Grauzer et al. |
6267248 | July 31, 2001 | Johnson et al. |
6270404 | August 7, 2001 | Sines et al. |
6299534 | October 9, 2001 | Breeding et al. |
6325373 | December 4, 2001 | Breeding et al. |
6454266 | September 24, 2002 | Breeding et al. |
6588750 | July 8, 2003 | Grauzer et al. |
6588751 | July 8, 2003 | Grauzer et al. |
6629889 | October 7, 2003 | Mothwurf |
6651985 | November 25, 2003 | Sines et al. |
6663490 | December 16, 2003 | Soltys et al. |
6688979 | February 10, 2004 | Soltys et al. |
6712696 | March 30, 2004 | Soltys et al. |
6722974 | April 20, 2004 | Sines et al. |
6758751 | July 6, 2004 | Soltys et al. |
20020063389 | May 30, 2002 | Breeding et al. |
0777514 | February 2000 | EP |
99/52611 | October 1999 | WO |
Type: Grant
Filed: Dec 2, 2013
Date of Patent: Jun 16, 2015
Assignee: Shuffle Master GMBH & CO KG (Vienna)
Inventors: Ernst Blaha (Tullnerbach), Peter Krenn (Neufeld)
Primary Examiner: Benjamin Layno
Application Number: 14/094,706
International Classification: A63F 1/12 (20060101); A63F 1/14 (20060101);