COMBINATION DISCARD RACK AND MULTI-DECK CARD LOADER FOR USE WITH AN AUTOMATIC CARD SHUFFLING MACHINE

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE

This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 63/690,186 filed on Sep. 3, 2024 and which is incorporated herein for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The embodiments of the present invention relate to discard rack designed to serve as a card loader for an automatic card shuffling machine.

BACKGROUND

Automatic card shuffling machines have been used by casinos for decades and have helped revolutionize the gaming industry. Automatic card shuffling machines speed up play of casino games and reduce cheating and advantage play. Automated card shuffling machines may be configured to sit on a casino table or be incorporated therein.

One drawback of automatic multi-deck automatic card shuffling machines is the time it takes to load cards from the discard rack into the automatic multi-deck card shuffling machines. The downtime needed to remove the cards from the discard rack, hand shuffle them, allow them to be cut by a player and placed into the automatic multi-deck automatic card shuffling machine is time lost playing the subject card game.

It would be advantageous to develop a discard rack that doubles as a card loader for efficient loading of the cards into an automatic multi-deck card shuffling machine.

SUMMARY

A first embodiment of the present invention is a card loader including a top member with a handle; a pair of spaced gripper members attached to, and extending from, said top member, said gripper members able to separate and contract, said pair of spaced gripper members each having a ledge near a bottom thereof for supporting a stack of cards; a card-stack rear support attached to, and extending from said top member; and wherein said pair of spaced gripper members and card-stack rear support define a card-holding space.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a card discard rack comprising: a top member with a handle; a bottom member; a central receptacle comprising a rear wall and two side walls; a pair of spaced gripper members attached to, and extending from, said top member to removable attachment with said bottom member, said gripper members able to separate and contract, said pair of spaced gripper members each having a ledge near a bottom thereof for supporting a stack of cards; a card-stack rear support attached to, and extending from said top member, said pair of spaced gripper members and card-stack rear support defining a card-holding space.

In one embodiment, the bottom member of the discard rack is configured to removably attach to a base when being used. An easy to use release using magnets allows the discard rack to be removed from the base.

Other variations, embodiments and features of the present invention will become evident from the following detailed description, drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A through 1C illustrate a card loading apparatus removed from a discard rack according to the embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective front view of a discard rack according to the embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates perspective upper view of the discard rack according to the embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the discard rack according to the embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate the discard rack being disconnected from a base according to the embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates the discard rack placed angularly on the gaming table according to the embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 7A through 7D illustrate the discard rack placed horizontally on the gaming table as the cards are cut according to the embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 8A through 8C illustrate the top member of the discard rack being disconnected from the bottom member so that the discards may be loaded into an automatic card shuffling machine according to the embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 9A through 9C illustrate the card loader moving cards from the discard rack to an automatic card shuffling machine according to the embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates an upper rear perspective view (transparent) illustrating the top member of the discard rack according to the embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 11 illustrates an upper perspective view illustrating an alternative top member of the discard rack according to the embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 12 illustrates a front view of the card loader according to the embodiments of the present invention; and

FIGS. 13A and 13B illustrate gripper members in open and closed positions according to the embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 14 illustrates the card loader with a mesh cover according to the embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive feature illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated herein, which would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention claimed.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the discard rack designed to serve as a card loader for an automatic card shuffling machine of the embodiments of the present invention may be fabricated using any suitable materials (e.g., plastics, composites, alloys, metals, etc.) and methods (e.g., injection molding, casting, additive manufacturing, etc.). The discard rack and card loader detailed herein may be used with any properly configured automatic card shuffling machine including, for example, applicant's own automatic card shuffling machines described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,573,047, 10,092,820, 10,603,572 and 11,097,183 which are incorporated herein for all purposes.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the discard rack 100 broadly comprises a top member 105 with a handle 110, a pair of gripper members 115-1, 115-2, a card-stack rear support member 117, bottom member 120 and central receptacle 125. Depending on the gripping strength of the pair of gripper members 115-1, 115-2, the card-stack rear support member 117 may not be necessary. The gripper members 115-1, 115-2 connect the top member 105 and extend through the central receptacle to removably attach to the bottom member 120. Fig. When used as card loader, the pair of gripper members 115-1, 115-2 and the card-stack rear support member 117 define a card-holding space. As shown in FIG. 3, notches 106, 121 in the top member 105 and bottom member 120, respectively, provide space for a dealer to manipulate and handle the discards while the discards are in the central receptacle 125.

When used to receive discards, the discard rack is removably attached to a base 123 and rests vertically on the gaming table. The central receptacle 125 is formed of a red, translucent plastic. The red, translucent plastic (or other material) permits cards improperly marked with inks to be seen by security personnel wearing tinted sunglasses or special contact lenses. As best shown in FIG. 4, the central receptacle 125 also includes a pair of spaced supports 127-1, 127-2 which permit the discard rack 100, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7A through 7E, to be placed at an angle on the gaming table, after being removed from the base 123, for players and the dealer to cut the discards before they are moved to the automatic card shuffling machine. More specifically, FIG. 7B shows the player cutting the discards with a cut card 103 and FIGS. 7C through 7E show the dealer completing the deck cutting operation by performing the actual cut of the discards.

The top member 105 connects to the bottom member 120 using the gripper members 115-1, 115-2. In one embodiment, the gripper members 115-1, 115-2 insert and snap into openings 122-1, 122-2 in an upper surface of said bottom member 120 to removably attach said top member 105 to said bottom member 120. Each of the gripper members 115-1, 115-2 may include cushions 118-1, 118-2 and ledges 119-1, 119-2 on which the discards rest when placed into the card holding space 130. With this configuration, as shown in FIGS. 8A to 8C, when the top member 105 is disconnected from the bottom member 120 and lifted upward out of the central receptacle 125 becoming a card loader, the discards remain held by the gripper members 115-1, 115-2, the card-stack rear support member 117 and ledges 119-1, 119-2.

The handle 110 serves to easily move the discards to an automatic card shuffling machine 150 for loading therein. In one embodiment, as best shown in FIGS. 8C and 9A through 9C, the automatic card shuffling machine 150 is configured to receive the gripper members 115-1, 115-2 and support member 117 such that the discards may be loaded into the automatic card shuffling machine 150 for shuffling.

In one embodiment, the discard rack 100 is held in the base 123 using magnets placed in the bottom member 120 and base 123. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other means may be used to removably attach the discard rack 100 to the base 123 such as clips, latches, etc. In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, removing the discard rack 100 from the base 123 is accomplished by angling the top member 105 (as identified by arrow A) using the handle 110 causing the discard rack 100 to lean rearward such that the magnetic attraction between the magnets in the top member 105 and bottom member 120 is overcome. The discard rack 100 may then be placed on its supports 127-1, 127-2 and slid to a player to cut the discards. Once the player cut occurs and the dealer conducts the actual cut, the top member 105 is released from attachment to bottom member 120 by lifting the top member 105 with sufficient force to overcome frictional attachment of the top member 105 to the bottom member 120. The top member 105 with the gripper members 115-1, 115-2 and the card-stack rear support member 117 act as the card loader. Next, as best shown in FIGS. 8C and 9A through 9C, the gripper members 115-1, 115-2, card-stack rear support member 117 and discards are inserted into the automatic card shuffling machine 150 and released into the automatic card shuffling machine 150.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the discards 131 are released into the automatic card shuffling machine via ramp mechanisms 140-1, 140-2 which physically interact with structures in the automatic card shuffling machine 150 causing the gripper members 115-1, 115-2 to separate such that the discards are released into the automatic card shuffling machine 150. In other words, the structures in the automatic card shuffling machine 150 apply an outward force on the ramp mechanisms 140-1, 140-2 thereby causing the gripper members 115-1, 115-2 to separate as shown in FIG. 13A (closed) and 13B (open). In one embodiment, ramp members 141-1, 141-2 physically interact with structures in the automatic card shuffling machine 150 when the card loader is removed from the automatic card shuffling machine 150 to return the gripper members 115-1, 115-2 to a home closed position. Movement the gripper members 115-1, 115-2 is facilitated by upper gripper members 116-1, 116-2 (shown in FIG. 10) in the top member 110 which may traverse within the top member 110 to open and close the gripper members 115-1, 115-2.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the gripper members 115-1, 115-2 may be manually separated and contracted (Arrows A) by a user via a lever 143 built in the top member 105. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the handle 100 may control the movement of the gripper members 115-1, 115-2. For example, by turning the handle 110 (as shown by Arrow A), the gripper members 115-1, 115-2 may separate to release the discards.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, a mesh cover 150 or similar article may assist with maintaining the cards in place while they are moved to the automatic card shuffling machine. In one embodiment, the mesh cover 150 may attach to the gripper members 115-1, 115-2 using hook and loop fasteners or similar means. Alternatively, the mesh cover 150 may be integral with the gripper members 115-1, 115-2 or other components of the discard rack 100.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that discard rack may be removably attached to the base, the top member may be removably attached to the bottom member and the cards may be released from the extension members using any suitable mechanical means.

Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to several embodiments, additional variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of the invention as described and defined in the following claims.