Patent Application
20190321716
This application relates to an apparatus and method for adapting a electromechanical shuffling apparatus for mounting to a table.
Various games are played using playing cards, where a typical game may use one or more decks, which may have 52 cards of various values and suits. Other card games may use different numbers of cards, and some games may be played with multiple decks of cards. Examples of such games are poker, blackjack, bridge, canasta, preference, pinochle and the like. Players of such games have an interest in ensuring that the playing cards are dispensed for the playing of a game in a random manner, giving no one player an unfair advantage. Generically this is termed shuffling a deck of cards. Preparing a deck of cards may be accomplished either manually or automatically. Various mechanical means of performing operations which may have the effect of randomizing the deck of cards are known as card shufflers.
In professional use of a card shuffler for hand-pitched card games such as poker where a single deck of cards is used for the occurrence of a play of each defined game of cards, the game comprising the steps from distributing the shuffled cards to players to resolving the payments to players depending on the outcome of the game there are a variety of shuffler products, each of which of which may have different mounting arrangements with respect to the table on which the game is played by dispensing the shuffled cards in accordance with the rules of the game. The table may be covered by a felt, fabric or other similar material and may be underlain by a resilient material, which may be a closed-cell polyethylene foam or other material having a similar modulus of resilience. Card shufflers of this type may also be designed to use multiple decks of cards.
The shuffler apparatus may be an device that is placed on the table top, or recessed therein, and have an aperture for accepting a deck to be shuffled by the apparatus and an aperture for presenting the shuffled deck either as a whole deck of cards or as formed hands of cards for distributing to the players and the dealer, or by the dealer to the players. The two apertures may be combined into a single aperture, covered by a door or other closure so as to regulate access to the apparatus during various phases of operation. Such shufflers may be configured to be insertable in an aperture in the table top so that a plate covering the aperture in the table top and attached to the remainder of the shuffler supports the shuffler by overlapping the edges of the table top aperture. The apertures in the shuffler are accessible through the top plate and have openings that are nominally flush with the table top. A hinged door covering the apertures in the shuffle may be recessed into the plate. When the door is closed, the upper surface of the plate and the upper surface of the door may substantially flush with the exposed surface of the table covering so that the cards being retrieved or “mucked” by the dealer at the conclusion of a hand of cards may be quickly gathered without snagging on the edge of the plate or the door.
At present there are several configurations of the aperture in the table top which have resulted from the prior installation of specific card shuffler devices sold under the trademark of DECKMATE and DECKMATE2, available from Scientific Games Corporation, Las Vegas, Nev. Thus, an existing table is often particularized to a specific product and owners of the table desire that any new or replacement product such as the card shuffler device sold under the trademark DEXS, available from AGS, LLC, Las Vegas, Nev. be compatible with the existing dimensions of the aperture so that existing tables are usable with a new configuration or old configuration of card shuffler device. The DECKMATE and the DECKMATE2 each require a different size aperture and this invention allows for a card shuffler device to fit in both apertures. Manufacturers of tables may also desire a similar conformance with existing dimensions so as to reduce the number of variants of the table top that need to be produced. Optionally, new tables may be produced which conform the mounting requirements of the new shuffler device. Where the outline planar dimensions of the enclosure of a shuffler device may compatible with the table aperture, and the shuffler may designed to have a to have a top plate with a lip extending horizontally outward from the top plate and surrounding the periphery of the top plate, the shuffler may be lowered into the aperture so that the lip of the plate rests on the table top covering surrounding the aperture. Thus the remainder of the shuffler may be hung from the top plate and the lower housing of the shuffler device is concealed beneath the table top. The top surface of the plate is substantially flush with the top surface of the table top covering when the shuffler is installed in the table aperture. The aperture will have been sized so that a clearance between the sides of the shuffler enclosure and the corresponding walls of the aperture is sufficient to install the shuffler in the aperture once the table has been placed in a desired location, while restricting the horizontal motion of the installed shuffler.
Where the outline planar dimensions of the enclosure or the lip of a shuffler device are smaller in one or more corresponding dimensions than that of the table aperture, the lip of the top plate of the shuffler may not extend sufficiently far from the periphery of the shuffler housing to cover the aperture in the one or more dimensions. Even if the aperture is covered when the shuffler is centered between the sides of the aperture, the shuffler may tend to move around in the aperture over a period of time after installation and expose a portion of the aperture such that cards may enter the aperture and fall beneath the table. Installation of the shuffler in a centered position may pose difficulties in quality assurance. Further, the exact position of the card receiving aperture with respect to the table top may be important consideration for user satisfaction as many of the card handling procedures used by the dealers are of a muscle-memory type and depend on feel and repetitive performance of the task rather than sight to perform the task at acceptable speeds.
Aperture 500 is sized and dimensioned to accept an existing shuffler device 550 whereas aperture 105 is sized to accept another shuffler device 100 shown in
The dimension of body the shuffler device 100 in a second horizontal dimension is 10.825 in. which is shorter than a long horizontal dimension of the aperture 500, of 11.88 in., providing a clearance of 0.5 in. on either side of the body when the shuffler device 100 is inserted symmetrically in the aperture 500. A lip L1 in the top surface 110 extends 0.81 in. from the side surface of the shuffler body in either direction. The lip L1 would then overlap the top surface of the table top 10 by 0.31 in. However, if the shuffler device 100 has been installed so that one side of the body of the shuffler device, corresponding the side orthogonal to the long dimension, is installed in contact with a side of the aperture 500, the lip L1 on the opposite side of the top surface would fail to overlap the table top 10 by 0.29 in., whereas the lip L2 on the contact side of the shuffler device would overlap the table top 10 by 0.81 in. In this circumstance, a gap would exist between the lip L2 and the aperture edge and cards may be lost through the opening. Further, the loading on the resilient material forming the surface of the table top 10 would be substantially changed from that where the shuffler device were centered in the aperture. Even if the position of the shuffler device 100 in the aperture 500 were sufficiently centered to prevent a gap from forming, the difference in surface loading may result in asymmetrical compression of the resilient surface of the table top 10 and a corresponding lack of a smooth and substantially continuous transition between the table top 10 and the shuffler top plate 110.
The dimensions used in the examples are approximate and are used for illustrative purposes only, without intending such dimensions to be a limitation on the description, as would be understood by a person of skill in the art. The use of inches rather than the metric system in this description subject is not intended to be limiting on the disclosed subject matter or on the claims and a person of skill in the art would be able to convert between the systems, including estimating tolerances and the like. In practice, the metric system is not often used for carpentry measurements in the United States. Where needed, the conversion between feet and meters is 1 foot equals 0.3048 meters.
Adapter or bezel plates are known as in U.S. Pat. No. 8,480,088 to H. Toyama et al., issued on Jul. 9, 2013, where the adapter plate provides a smooth transition between the table top and the surface of the shuffler. This adapter plate was used so as avoid a discontinuity between the edges of the aperture in the table top and the surface of the shuffler. However, the aperture in the table top is sized and dimensioned so as conform with the portion of the shuffler body inserted therein and shaped so that the shuffler device is supported from beneath the table top and the adapter plate serves as a transition surface specifically designed to interface with the exposed top of the shuffler device. The shuffler device is closely aligned with the aperture and the adapter plate provides little load to the table top. In an alternative, the shuffler is suspended from the adapter bezel using fasteners, so that the bezel in contact with the table top supports the weight of the shuffler device. The aperture may be sized and dimensioned to accommodate insertion of the shuffler device in the table top while restricting the horizontal motion thereof.
A shuffler apparatus for flush mounting in an aperture in a table top is disclosed, including an enclosure with a bottom portion, a top portion having a horizontal lip of the top portion surrounding the periphery thereof and vertical sides joining the top portion and the bottom portion. A pair of a pair of spacers is attachable to the enclosure at opposing sides of the underside of the lip or to opposing sides of the enclosure proximal to the underside of the lip and the spacers are sized and dimensioned such that, when attached to the enclosure and the enclosure is inserted in an aperture table top, the aperture having planar dimensions greater than a horizontal width of two opposing sides of the bottom portion of the enclosure in at least one horizontal dimension, the enclosure is approximately centered in the aperture such that the lip covers the aperture and the lip is in contact with an upper surface of the table top.
Where the table is covered with a surface treatment including a resilient pad underlayment, the dimension of the lip extension of the shuffler top surface plate may be sized so that the force applied to the resilient pad compresses the pad so as to create a depression that accommodates the thickness of the top plate at the periphery of the plate and provides for a smooth transition between the table top and the top plate.
In another aspect, a shuffler apparatus system includes a shuffler apparatus having an rectangular cross-section enclosure having pairs of opposed sides and a bottom portion; a table having an aperture in a top thereof, the aperture having planar dimensions greater than a horizontal width two opposing sides of the bottom portion of the enclosure in at least one horizontal dimension; a top surface plate of the enclosure orthogonal to the opposing sides of the of the enclosure and extending a horizontal distance from side surfaces of the enclosure to form a lip, the width of the top surface including the lip being greater than a width of the aperture in a corresponding direction. A pair of spacers is disposed on an underside of the lip on opposing sides of the enclosure or on the opposing side faces so as to face the thickness dimension of the table top. The spacers are sized so that that the shuffler apparatus enclosure is sufficiently centered in the aperture such that the lip covers the aperture when the shuffler apparatus is inserted in the aperture, when the shuffler apparatus enclosure is inserted into the table top through the aperture.
In another aspect, a method for flush mounting a shuffler apparatus in an aperture in a table top is disclosed, the aperture having planar dimensions greater than a horizontal width between two opposing sides of the shuffler apparatus, the shuffler apparatus comprising an enclosure accessible to a user through a top surface thereof, a portion of the top surface of the shuffler apparatus extending a horizontal distance from side surfaces of the shuffler apparatus to form a lip comprising the steps of: providing a pair of spacers attachable to an underside of the lip or to the side surfaces of the shuffler apparatus and sized such that the shuffler apparatus is sufficiently centered in the aperture such that the lip covers the aperture when the shuffler apparatus is inserted in the aperture; attaching the pair of spacers to the underside of the lip or to the side surfaces; and lowering the shuffler apparatus into the aperture.
In a yet a further aspect, a kit is disclosed, comprising a shuffler enclosure with a bottom portion, a top plate portion having a horizontal lip extending outward therefrom and opposing vertically disposed sides joining the top portion and the bottom portion; and, at least one pair of spacers, attachable to the enclosure at opposing sides of the underside of the lip or to opposing sides of the enclosure and proximal to the underside of the lip, so as to face the thickness dimension of the table top. The spacers are sized and dimensioned such that, when attached to the enclosure or the underside of the top plate portion and the is enclosure inserted in a table top having an aperture with planar dimensions greater than a horizontal distance of two opposing sides of the bottom portion of the enclosure, the enclosure is sufficiently centered in the aperture such that the lip covers the aperture and the lip is in contact with an upper surface of the table top.
Exemplary embodiments may be better understood with reference to the drawings, but these examples are not intended to be of a limiting nature. Like numbered elements in the same or different drawings perform equivalent functions. The drawings are meant to be illustrative and are not to scale, even where dimensions are given in an example.
When a specific feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an example, it will be understood that one skilled in the art may effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other examples, whether or not explicitly stated herein.
While the methods disclosed herein have been described and shown with reference to particular steps performed in a particular order, it will be understood that these steps may be combined, sub-divided, or reordered to from an equivalent method without departing from the teachings of the present invention. Accordingly, unless a specific order of the steps is explicitly required in the claims the order and grouping of steps in the claims is not intended to be a limitation of the claimed scope.
A electromechanical (automatic) shuffler device 100 as shown in a vertical cross-section view in one horizontal dimension in
The table top 10 may be one that is specifically designed for the playing of games of card and the surface may be covered by a baize, felt or other fabric, fabric-like material which may be a woven polyester, or plastic material and is often underlain by a resilient foam pad. The surface of table top covering 14 may be printed with indicia (not shown) that are used in the playing of the game for purposes of defining areas on the table top 10 where the cards may be displayed and where bets may be placed by players. The pad may be typically a ¼″ thick closed-cell foam, although other materials or thicknesses may be used. For purposes of description, the table covering 14 may be considered as a layered combination of the surface material and the underlying pad An example of surface covering material are the gaming table layouts sold under the trademark BRAVO, available from Genesis Gaming, Spring, Tex. An example of foam padding is sold under the trademark VOLTARA, available from Casino Supply, Dallas, Tex.
In describing the embodiments, a single cross-sectional dimension of the shuffler is described in detail as the description is equally applicable to one or two dimensions having different values. Similarly, the dimension of the lip as an extension of the top surface 110 is generalized as L, where it is understood that the dimension of the lip may have different values in the orthogonal horizontal dimensions. The combination of the table top covering 14 and the underlying body of the table 15 is often referred to as the table top 10, except where specific features are described in detail, as would be understood by a person of skill in the art. The body of the table 15 may be fabricated of any suitable engineering material which may be wood, plywood composite, or other composite material.
In this example, a typical gap between the side of the shuffler device 100 opposing the inner surface of the aperture 500 and the inner surface of the aperture of 0.5 in. is used for illustrative purposes.
The shuffler device 100 is shown as being symmetrically disposed with respect to the surfaces of the aperture 500 so that the lip L of the shuffler device 100 overlaps the surface of the table top 10 and compresses the resilient surface 14 so as to form a region of reduced thickness 12, thus reducing a height discontinuity in the transition between the table top 10 and the top surface 110 of the shuffler device 100. However, the shuffler device 100 is unconstrained in horizontal motion within the aperture 500 and when being installed in the table top 10 may be difficult to center the shuffler device 100 in the aperture 500 or to be securely maintain the shuffler device 100 in a desired location after installation, as lowering the shuffler 100 into the aperture 500 is often performed after the table top 10 has been positioned in its use location.
An example of a shuffler 100 adapted for mounting in an aperture in a table top where the linear width of the shuffler side 140 is commensurate with that of the aperture 50 in a first dimension and a linear width of the shuffler side 130 is less than that of the aperture in a second dimension is shown in plan view in
In
In a cross-section elevation view in an orthogonal dimension shown in
Depending on the actual size of the aperture with respect to the shuffler, a gap G may exist in each of the principal horizontal dimensions of the shuffler device shown and may be of different dimensions. In such a case, spacers 200 may be used in each horizontal direction, with the dimensions of the spacers 200 selected accordingly.
In other examples, where the table top covering is not resilient a slight difference in height between the top plate 110 and the table top surface 14 may exist, as would have been the case as well with another shuffler device sized to have a tolerance fit in the hole.
The spacer 200 may not be subject to significant force, as the weight of the shuffler is supported by the table top 10 in contact with the lip L, and may be fabricated of a variety of engineering materials such as plastic, wood, metal, composite material, or the like. While a solid form of the spacer 200 is shown, the shape may a U-channel, box beam, L-bracket or the like oriented to perform the same spacing function with respect to surrounding surfaces of the aperture 500 as the as the spacer 200 may be used. While a single continuous spacer is shown, the spacer may be comprised of a plurality of shorter-length spacers which provide for a substantially similar alignment of the shuffler 100 with respect to the aperture 500.
In a further aspect, the spacer 200 may comprise a plurality of spacers of a same width in the gap dimension, each spacer of the plurality of attached to the side of the apparatus or to the underside of the top plate of the apparatus so that the spacers are oriented in substantially the same position as a single spacer previously described. A different means of attaching the spacer to the shuffler device may be used in each instance.
A method of installing a shuffler 100 in an oversized aperture 500 may include measuring orthogonal dimensions of the body of the shuffler 100 and measuring the corresponding orthogonal dimensions of the aperture. Where the difference in dimension in either of the of the orthogonal dimensions is greater than about 1/16 in. to about ¼ in., a spacer is selected so that the width of two spacers reduces the overall difference in the overall dimension of the shuffler body with the spacers installed and the corresponding dimension of the aperture. The spacers are affixed to the opposing sides or the underside of the top surface of the shuffler corresponding to the dimension to be extended. Depending on the availability of information regarding the dimensions of the aperture, spacers may be affixed to the shuffler body during a manufacturing process. Alternatively the shuffler device may be supplied as a kit with one or more spacers and the means to affix the spacers to the shuffler prior to installation based on measuring or confirming the aperture dimensions. The shuffler lowered into the aperture with the spacers providing tactile guidance as to proper insertion in the aperture so that the shuffler may be lowered so that the lip contacts the table surface. When the shuffler is fully inserted into the aperture the shuffler is substantially centered in the aperture and the horizontal range of motion or rotation of the shuffler is limited by the spacers.
The amount of tolerance in the fit between the shuffler body and the aperture may at least be sufficient to constrain the motion of the shuffler with respect to the table top so that a gap cannot be formed between an edge of a lip of the shuffler device and any side of the aperture. This prevents a card from falling through such a gap in the table top and compromising the integrity of a deck of cards by changing the number of cards in the deck arising from the card that has exited through the gap. The amount of horizontal motion permitted may also take into consideration the downward force applied to the table top covering 14 of the table 10 by the lip portion L of the shuffler device to so as to more evenly distribute the downward force around the periphery of the aperture. This results in a more uniform compression of the thickness of the resilient portion of the table top covering 14 so the thickness of the edge of the top surface 110 is subsumed in the depression caused by the applied force and the discontinuity is minimized. These dimensions and tolerances may depend on the specific type of table covering used and the weight of the shuffler device when compared with the shuffler device originally intended to fit in the aperture that is oversized for the replacement shuffler. The amount of force to be applied to the table top covering 14 to achieve the desired result may depend on the modulus of resilience of the pad. In an aspect, the lip dimensions of the shuffler device for installation in the oversized aperture 500 may be selected so as to provide approximately the same downforce per unit area of the table top covering as the device being replaced.
Although the present invention has been explained by way of the examples described above, it would be understood by the ordinary skilled person in the art that scope the invention is not limited to the embodiments, but rather that various changes or modifications of embodiments thereof are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention shall be determined only by the appended claims and their equivalents.
