PLAYING CARD SHUFFLER

• US 20110272881A1
• Filed: 05/05/2011
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SHFL Entertainment Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Sines, Randy D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,469,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 273/149.R
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/12 Card shufflers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/14 Card dealers

Abstract

An apparatus is for shuffling a plurality of playing cards used in gaming. The apparatus includes a support adapted to support the unshuffled cards on-edge. An exciter is also included, and is adapted to impart vibrational action to the supported cards. Cards drop in a random fashion such as by controlling the relative position of the cards and passage through one or more slots in the supporting rest. In some of the apparatuses a medial receiver is adapted to receive at least one card dropped from the support and to retain the at least one received card to substantially block the slot to prevent further cards from dropping. A positioner is preferably included to change the relative position of the unshuffled deck and slots though which the cards drop.

Claims

1. A card shuffler apparatus, comprising:

a card support in which cards to be shuffled are directly placed by a user of the card shuffler apparatus; and

a card collector for collecting cards released from the card support and from which shuffled cards may be removed from the card shuffler apparatus by a user of the card shuffler apparatus;

wherein the card shuffler apparatus is configured to sequentially release cards from the card support in a randomized order, and to sequentially pass the released cards into the card collector in the randomized order.

2. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a card support surface, wherein the card support is configured to support cards to be shuffled in an upstanding on-edge orientation over the card support surface.

3. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a card aperture extending through the card support surface.

4. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 3, wherein the card aperture is adapted to allow passage therethrough of only one card at a time.

5. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a positioner adapted to randomly reposition cards to be shuffled in the card support relative to the card aperture.

6. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an exciter adapted to impart vibratory action to cards to be shuffled in the card support.

7. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a positioner adapted to randomly reposition cards to be shuffled in the card support.

8. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for moving cards sequentially released from the card support in a randomized order into the card collector in the randomized order.

9. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 8, wherein the means for moving cards sequentially released from the card support in a randomized order into the card collector in the randomized order comprise one of a guide wheel having vanes, a jet pulser, and a link coupled to a solenoid.

10. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a receiver that defines a card space adapted to temporarily receive cards released from the card support in a randomized order prior to their passage into the card collector in the randomized order.

11. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 10, wherein the receiver is adapted such that a card temporarily received within the receiver prevents release of any additional cards from the card support until the card temporarily received within the receiver is passed into the card collector.

12. A card shuffler apparatus, comprising:

a card support surface having a card aperture extending therethrough; and

a card support adapted to support cards to be shuffled in an upstanding on-edge orientation over the card support surface;

wherein the card shuffler apparatus is configured to sequentially drop cards from the card support through the card aperture extending through the card support surface in a randomized order.

13. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 12, wherein the cards drop from the card support due to gravity alone.

14. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 12, wherein the card aperture is adapted to allow passage therethrough of only one card at a time.

15. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a positioner adapted to randomly reposition cards to be shuffled in the card support relative to the card aperture.

16. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 12, further comprising an exciter adapted to impart vibratory action to cards to be shuffled in the card support.

17. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a positioner adapted to randomly reposition cards to be shuffled in the card support.

18. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 12, wherein the card support at least partially defines a receptacle in which cards to be shuffled are directly placed by a user of the card shuffler apparatus.

19. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a card collector for collecting cards dropped from the card support through the card aperture extending through the card support surface, and from which shuffled cards are removed from the card shuffler apparatus by a user of the card shuffler apparatus.

20. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 19, wherein the card shuffler apparatus is adapted to pass cards sequentially dropped from the card support into the card collector in a randomized order.

21. A card shuffler apparatus, comprising:

a card support surface having a card aperture extending therethrough;

a card support adapted to support cards to be shuffled in an upstanding on-edge orientation over the card support surface;

a positioner adapted to randomly reposition cards to be shuffled in the card support relative to the card aperture; and

a gate configured to move relative to the card support surface between a first position in which cards supported in the card support over the card support surface are prevented from passing through the card aperture by the gate and a second position in which a card supported in the card support over the card support surface is allowed to pass through the card aperture.

22. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 21, further comprising an actuator configured to move the gate between the first position and the second position.

23. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 21, wherein the card support at least partially defines a receptacle in which cards to be shuffled are directly placed by a user of the card shuffler apparatus.

24. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a card collector for collecting cards passed through the card aperture, and from which shuffled cards are removed from the card shuffler apparatus by a user of the card shuffler apparatus.

25. The card shuffler apparatus of claim 24, wherein the card shuffler apparatus is adapted to pass cards through the card aperture in a randomized sequential order, and to pass the cards into the card collector in the randomized sequential order.

26. A method of randomly shuffling a plurality of cards, comprising:

supporting a stack of unshuffled cards over a card support surface having a card aperture extending therethrough;

randomly moving the stack of unshuffled cards over the card aperture and sequentially passing cards from the stack of unshuffled cards through the card aperture and into a card collector in a randomized order.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising collecting cards played in a playing card game and placing the cards played in the playing card game directly into a card support to form the stack of unshuffled cards over the card support surface.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising removing cards from the card collector and using the cards removed from the card collector in a playing card game.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein supporting a stack of unshuffled cards over a card support surface comprises supporting the stack of unshuffled cards in an upstanding on-edge orientation over the card support surface.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein sequentially passing cards from the stack of unshuffled cards through the card aperture comprises sequentially passing one card at a time through the card aperture.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising vibrating the stack of unshuffled cards while randomly moving the stack of unshuffled cards over the card aperture and sequentially passing cards from the stack of unshuffled cards through the card aperture.

32. The method of claim 26, further comprising temporarily pausing movement of a card in a position at which an edge of the card plugs the card aperture to prevent passage of additional cards from the stack of unshuffled cards through the card aperture.