Patent Application
20050236771
1. Field of the Invention
The present description generally relates to casino gaming table covers, methods of producing these covers, and methods of installing these covers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Casino gaming table surfaces have been traditionally covered with a felt-type, rubber-backed material that is stretched and adhered onto an upper surface of the gaming table. The gaming table covers are usually made from a combination of wool and nylon provided on a backing of rubber or similar material. The covers include playing surface features placed on the fabric-side of the cover with silkscreen or dye printing techniques. The playing surface features can be, for example, betting circles that identify where a player's wagers must be placed during a game of Blackjack, numbered squares that correspond to a given number on a Roulette wheel and further identify the location for the placement of a player's wagers; and other like features for the same or other casino games such as Craps, Baccarat, Poker, etc.
The gaming table covers are subject to a substantial amount of wear due to patron interaction, for example, sliding wagering chips across the surface of the gaming table cover, leaning on the cover, or even spilling a drink on the cover. Hence, the gaming table covers often require routine and frequent replacement.
Replacing a gaming table cover can be a fairly time and labor-intensive process. Because the covers are usually glued onto the gaming table surface, removal of the worn cover can be difficult. In addition, once the worn cover is removed and the table surface is prepped to receive a new cover, the new cover must be carefully stretched over the surface and glued, stapled or otherwise fastened thereto. Improper stretching can result in betting circles having an elliptical (egg) shape or squares having a rectangular shape or skewed appearance, for example. Therefore, the cover must be simultaneously stretched along at least two orthogonal, planar axes during the installation process. This usually requires the labor of two workers for about an hour to re-cover one gaming table. A quality control person may also be needed to verify that the features of the cover are presentable and in proper relationship with the gaming table shape.
In addition to the labor required to install a new playing surface cover onto a gaming table, other adjustments may also be necessary, which can further add to the replacement time and labor expenses. For instance, an automated gaming table can have an optical reader that reads a player's wagers (i.e., stack of gaming chips). The wagers must be placed within a defined bet circle, for example during the game of Blackjack, in order for the optical reader to accurately capture an optical image of the wager. Thus, when the gaming table cover is replaced, the existing method of stretching the cover over the gaming table may result in at least some of the features of the cover being disproportionate or out of alignment with respect to those same features on the previously removed cover. The inability to consistently re-configure the features in the same physical location on the gaming table requires that the optical reader be re-calibrated, adjusted, re-programmed, or any combination of the above, in order to accommodate the new locations of the playing surface features. Alternatively, the gaming table cover can be incrementally manipulated e.g., stretched, in an attempt to re-position the features of the playing surface such that the optical reader does not require re-calibration or adjustment. However, even if this latter approach is successful, it increases the cost and the time to complete the installation of the gaming table cover.
In one aspect, a cover for a casino gaming table includes a fabric sheet; a second sheet coupled to the fabric sheet in a fixed manner to form a laminated cover; and an alignment perimeter continually formed around the laminated cover to define a shape corresponding to a shape of a gaming table playing surface.
In another aspect, a casino gaming table includes a gaming table playing surface having a perimeter; and a gaming table cover having a fabric sheet coupled to a second sheet in a fixed manner, the cover further having an alignment perimeter to define a shape corresponding to a shape of the perimeter of the gaming table playing surface, the fabric sheet having a layout of printed features on an upper surface thereof such that at least some of the printed features are registered with respect to a reference datum, and at least a portion of the alignment perimeter of the cover closely corresponds to the shape of the perimeter of the gaming table playing surface.
In yet another aspect, a method for manufacturing a cover for a gaming table includes selecting a fabric sheet; selecting a backing member; adhering the fabric sheet to the backing member to form a laminated cover; forming the laminated cover to substantially correspond to dimensions of a gaming table playing surface shape; and printing a layout of features on the fabric of the laminated cover such that at least some of the features are registered with respect to a reference datum.
In yet another aspect, a method for installing a laminated gaming table cover onto a gaming table includes orienting the laminated cover such that a shape of the cover corresponds to a shape of the gaming table; placing the laminated cover onto the gaming table such that a side of the laminated cover having printed features faces upward; and verifying that a reference datum on the laminated cover is aligned with a selected feature on the gaming table.
In yet another aspect, a device for a gaming table includes means for attaching a fabric sheet to a backing member; means for forming the attached fabric sheet and backing member into a laminated cover having a desired shape; means for printing a layout of features onto a fabric side of the laminated cover; and means for registering at least some of the features with respect to a reference datum located in relationship to the laminated cover.
In yet another aspect, a gaming table cover comprising a fabric member having a fixed, non-stretchable backing and a plurality of printed features provided on an upper surface of the fabric member, at least one of the printed features being positioned in a selected, fixed location relative to a perimeter of the cover.
In the drawings, identical reference numbers identify similar elements or acts. The size and relative positions of elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the shapes of various elements are not drawn to scale, and some of these elements are arbitrarily enlarged and positioned to improve drawing legibility. Further, the particular shapes and the elements are not intended to convey any information regarding the actual shape of the particular elements, and have been solely selected for their ease and recognition in the drawings.
In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the invention. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without these details. In other instances, well-known structures associated with cameras, imagers, scanners, optics, computers, computer networks, data structures, databases, and networks such as the Internet, have not been describe in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the descriptions of the embodiments of the invention.
Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims which follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense, that is as “including but not limited to.”
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
The headings provided herein are for convenience only and do not interpret the scope or meaning of the claimed invention.
The use throughout this specification of the terms “dealer,” “player” and “participant” is merely for reference purposes to identify the respective parties. The term “participant” as used herein may include the player as well as the dealer, if in fact the particular card game has a dealer. For example, in the game of Blackjack, the dealer may be considered to be a participant because the dealer actively receives and makes decisions based on the present value of the dealer's hand.
In one embodiment, the backing member 24 is made from a foam-type material, such as a low-grade open cell neoprene/CS blend of foam or other similar foam, to include closed cell foam products. The backing member 24 may be bendable or rollable, but otherwise relatively non-stretchable or inextensible with respect to the plane of the backing member. A typical thickness of the backing member 24 is in the range of about 1/16 to ½ inches. In addition, the backing member 24 may be made from rubber-like products as long as the properties of the backing member 24 permit the fabric sheet 22 to be securely adhered to the backing member 24 and allow the laminated cover 12 to retain the bendable, but non-stretchable properties of the backing material 24. Both the fabric and backing materials may initially be available in roll form for efficient manufacturing.
The cover 12 is provided with layout elements or printed features 26, for example, betting circles, insurance bars, and double down wagering regions, and others if used for a Blackjack gaming table. Similarly, the cover 12 can have other printed features 26 if used for a different casino game. For example, the cover 12 may have the various betting regions commonly found in the game of Craps or Roulette. Although the illustrated embodiment is that of a Blackjack gaming table, one of ordinary skill will understand that the printed features or graphics can be of any variety, shape, or form depending on the end use of the cover 12. In one embodiment, the printed features 26 are registered to allow consistent placement of the features in a desired position on the gaming table. The process of registering the printed features 26 during printing is discussed in detail below.
By coupling the fabric sheet to a bendable, yet non-stretchable backing member, the cover 12 may be installed on the gaming table by simply aligning and placing the cover on the table, as discussed in greater detail below. The need to stretch the fabric onto the table as is conventionally done is eliminated, as are the associated problems.
Referring to
Step 210 attaches the fabric sheet 22 to the backing member 24 by a lamination process, such as the use of an adhesive. As discussed above, one of ordinary skill in the art, after reading this description, will recognize that there are a variety of ways to adhere the fabric sheet 22 to the backing member 24. Step 212 involves pre-cutting the laminated cover 12 to either the approximate or final shape of the gaming table playing surface 20. As illustrated in
Step 214 includes printing the various features 26 onto the cover 12. The illustrated embodiment indicates that the printing step 214 is done after the laminated cover is formed and pre-cut. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the printing step 214 may be done prior to pre-cutting the laminated cover 12 or even prior to the lamination step 210. Regardless of the order of these steps, the fabric layer is coupled to the backing member in a fixed manner, without the need to stretch the fabric. By eliminating the need to stretch the fabric, the problems associated therewith are avoided. If, however, a method of affixing the fabric to the backing is selected that will result in the stretching of the fabric, it is desirable to print the layout elements onto the fabric after it is affixed to the backing.
A variety of known printing processes may be used to print the features 26 onto the laminated cover 12. For example, printing processes such as inkjet printing, thermal transfer, electro-static transfer, dye sublimation, or silk screening may be used to produce sharp detail with bright color tones and consistent color blending and gradations. In addition, it is desirable that the ink used during the printing process 214 be resistant to fading, smudging, or streaking.
One advantage of the embodiments disclosed herein is that the printed features may be registered with respect to the laminated cover 12. The term “register” as understood in the printing context and used herein, means to correctly align or position. Thus, in one embodiment, an advantage of pre-cutting the laminated cover 12 is to provide a means to align the laminated cover 12 with respect to a printing device. If the laminated cover 12 is properly aligned, then the printed features 26 will consistently be in the same location (within a tolerance range) on all laminated covers 12 manufactured for a given gaming table shape. Therefore, registering the printed features 26 provides the further advantage that the location of the printed features 26 with respect to one or more selected features on the gaming table 10, after installation, will either not vary or only insignificantly vary. For example, the registered printed features 26 on a replacement laminated cover 12 will, after installation of the cover, be automatically aligned with an optical reader 18 located on the gaming table 10 due to the fact that the printed features 26 are registered from one manufactured laminated cover 12 to the next. This continued alignment of at least some of the printed features 26 with the optical reader 18 makes it unnecessary to re-calibrate or re-adjust the optical reader 18. As previously discussed, this eliminates the cost and time of hiring a skilled technician to re-calibrate the optical reader 18.
Alternately, if the laminated cover 12 is printed prior to being cut, a selected datum on the front cover may be used to align the cover in a cutting device resulting in the printed features being consistently located in a desired position relative to a periphery of the cover and to the table when the cover is installed.
After printing, step 216 provides for an optional step of finalizing the shape of the laminated cover 12. As mentioned above, the final forming process 216 can be removing the removable tabs 220 (
Step 312 places the laminated cover 12 onto the gaming table surface 20 such that the printed features 26 located on the fabric sheet 22 faces upward. Step 314 provides for the alignment of the laminated cover 12 with respect to the gaming surface 20. The various ways of aligning the laminated cover 12 are discussed above. Once the laminated cover 12 is aligned, step 316 re-installs the padded railing, if necessary.
The installation or replacement process 300 described above requires substantially less time and effort than current techniques. In addition, the alignment of the laminated cover 12 with some feature of the gaming table 10 permits the registered, printed features 26 to be consistently located on the gaming table 10 regardless of how many times the laminated cover 12 is replaced. The alignment of the laminated cover 12 with a selected feature of the gaming table 10 can be done, for example, by aligning the respective perimeters of the cover 12 with the gaming table surface 20, or aligning a reference datum on the cover 12 with a reference datum located on the gaming table 10, such as the location of a optical reader 18. Regardless of the alignment procedure used, the end result is that the optical reader 18 does not require re-calibration or re-adjustment because at least some of the printed features 26 are consistently located, for example the betting circles on an automated gaming table where the betting circles must be aligned with the optical reader in order for the reader to properly read, image, or scan the wagers.
In addition to the advantages of installation discussed above, the laminated cover 12 discussed herein can be manufactured inexpensively at a cost comparable to existing table coverings. Further, the systems discussed herein allow for the features 26 to be in registration and also permit a customer to customize its laminated covers 12 with design logos, advertisements, additional features (to include various reference datum points for installation purposes), and a variety of other graphics that can be printed onto the laminated cover 12.
All of the above U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications and non-patent publications referred to in this specification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet, including but not limited to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/457,053, filed on Jun. 5, 2003, entitled “METHOD, APPARATUS AND ARTICLE FOR READING IDENTIFYING INFORMATION FROM, FOR EXAMPLE, STACKS OF CHIPS;” U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/500,898, filed on Sep. 5, 2003, entitled “SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND DEVICES FOR MONITORING CARD GAMES, SUCH AS BACCARAT,” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/517,297, filed on Nov. 3, 2003 entitled “COVERS FOR CASINO GAMING TABLE PLAYING SURFACES AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING AND INSTALLING THE SAME” are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety.
Although specific embodiments, and examples for, the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the relevant art. The teachings of the invention provided herein may be applied to other casino games, and are not limited to the specific casino games mentioned herein. The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. For example, the steps in the illustrated methods can be combined, or performed successively. The illustrated methods can also omit some acts, can add other acts, and can execute the acts in a different order than that illustrated to achieve the advantages of the invention.
These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of the above detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the invention to specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, but should be construed to include all computers, networks, and optical readers that operate in accordance with the claims. Accordingly, the invention is not limited by the disclosure, but instead its scope is to be determined entirely by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60517297 | Nov 2003 | US |
