A PLAYING CARD CARTRIDGE

Abstract

A playing card cartridge includes a container adapted to couple to a card dispensing shoe, the container defining a volume. The container has a set of playing cards in the volume, and the volume of the container is sealed by one or more seals. The container has a top wall, a front wall and side walls, the top wall being slidingly connected to the side walls and being adapted to slide towards the front wall. The top wall is prevented from sliding by at least a first seal.

Claims

1.-23. (canceled)

24. A playing card cartridge comprising a container adapted to couple to a card dispensing shoe, the container defining a volume, said container comprising a set of playing cards in said volume, said volume of said container is sealed by one or more seals, wherein said container comprises a top wall, a front wall and side walls, the top wall being slidingly connected to the side walls and being adapted to slide towards the front wall, the top wall is prevented from sliding by at least a first seal.

25. The playing card cartridge according to claim 24, wherein the lower rim of the top wall is oriented towards the front wall, the upper rim of the front wall is oriented towards the top wall, the lower rim of the top wall extends over the upper rim of the front wall.

26. The playing card cartridge according to according to claim 24, wherein the upper rim of the top wall is oriented away from the front wall, a pushing means to push the playing cards towards the front end of the container is provided in the volume of the container, the cartridge comprises a stopping means to prevent the upper rim of the top wall to slide beyond the pushing means.

27. The playing card cartridge according to claim 26, wherein the stopping means comprises a protrusion on the pushing means at the pushing means side oriented towards the top wall, the stopping means further comprises a recess present in the top wall, the recess in the top wall being provided along the length of the top wall and ending before the upper rim of the top wall, said protrusion on the pushing means sliding in said recess present in the top wall.

28. The playing card cartridge according to claim 26, wherein the stopping means comprises a protrusion at the inner side of the top wall, said protrusion protruding inwards the cartridge such that the protrusion extends beyond the upper side of the pushing means.

29. The playing card cartridge according to according to claim 24, wherein said container comprises a top wall and a front wall, the lower rim of the top wall being oriented towards the front wall, the front wall having a card exit means allowing cards to be taken out of the volume of the container when said cartridge being unsealed, at least the part of the inner surface of the top wall next to the lower rim is profiled, preventing a card different than the card being closest to the card exit means to be taken out of the cartridge via the card exit means.

30. The playing card cartridge according to according to claim 24, wherein a pushing means to push the playing cards towards the front end of the container is provided in the volume of the container, the pushing means is forced towards the front wall by means of a spring, preferably said spring is a constant torque spring, preferably the constant torque spring comprises a coil, the coil is housed in the pushing means.

31. The playing card cartridge according to according to claim 24, wherein a pushing means is provided in the volume of the container, the container comprising a bottom wall, the pushing means comprising at least one protrusion at its side contacting the bottom wall, the bottom wall comprising at least one recess along the length of the bottom wall from the front end of the container to the back end of the container, said protrusion of the pushing means at its side contacting the bottom wall sliding in said recess along the length of the bottom wall.

32. The playing card cartridge according to according to claim 24, wherein said container comprises a front wall, the front wall having a card exit means allowing cards to be taken out of the volume of the container when said cartridge being unsealed, the card of the set of playing cards being closest to the card exit means is sealed to the container by at least one seal.

33. The playing card cartridge according to according to claim 24, wherein said container comprises a front wall, the front wall having a card exit means allowing cards to be taken out of the volume of the container, the cartridge comprising a closing lid closing said card exit means, said closing lid being sealed to the container by at least one seal.

34. The playing card cartridge according claim 33, wherein said closing lid is provided from transparent or translucent polymeric material.

35. The playing card cartridge according to according to claim 24, wherein each of the cards have a card identity code, the cartridge comprises a data storage means for storing information on the card identity codes of the cards of the set of playing cards held by the cartridge, preferably said data storage means stores information on the sequence of the cards in the set of playing cards held by the cartridge.

36. The playing card cartridge according to claim 24, wherein said cartridge comprises a track and trace means.

37. The playing card cartridge according to claim 24, wherein said container comprises at least one storage place to store one or more spare seals.

38. The playing card cartridge according to claim 24, wherein said at least one seal comprises an RFID label, which RFID label breaks upon breaking of the seal.

39. The playing card cartridge according to claim 24, wherein said at least one seal has a T-shaped cross section in axial direction, along the body of the T-shaped cross section of the seal, at least one barb is provided having its opening oriented towards the head of the T-shaped cross section.

40. The playing card cartridge according to claim 24, wherein said container is provided from polymeric material.

41. A method to provide a card dealing device, comprising: providing a card dealing device comprising a card dealing shoe, said card dealing device is adapted to receive a playing card cartridge according to claim 24; providing a playing card cartridge; coupling the playing card cartridge to the shoe; and unsealing the cartridge by removing at least one of the one or more seals.

42. The method according to claim 41, wherein the playing card cartridge is a playing card cartridge wherein each of the cards have a card identity code, the cartridge comprises a data storage means for storing information on the card identity codes of the cards of the set of playing cards held by the cartridge, preferably said data storage means stores information on the sequence of the cards in the set of playing cards held by the cartridge, wherein the method further comprises: obtaining the data stored in the data storage means; reading the card identity code from a playing card dealt; comparing the read card identity code with the obtained data being stored in the data storage means.

43. The method according to claim 41, wherein the playing card cartridge is a playing card cartridge wherein the upper rim of the top wall is oriented away from the front wall, a pushing means to push the playing cards towards the front end of the container is provided in the volume of the container, the cartridge comprises a stopping means to prevent the upper rim of the top wall to slide beyond the pushing means, the method further comprises: collecting the dealt cards during a game played; at the end of the game played, slide the top wall towards the front wall, thereby opening a part of the container beyond the pushing means; placing the dealt cards in the open part of the container after the pushing means.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0101] FIG. 1 is a schematically view of a playing card cartridge according to the invention. FIG. 1B is the longitudinal section according to a plane AA, as shown in FIG. 1A.

[0102] FIG. 2 is a schematically view of a front view of the cartridge in unsealed condition.

[0103] FIG. 3 is a schematically view of a seal used in a playing card cartridge according to the invention.

[0104] FIG. 4 is a schematically view of a card dealing device provided with a playing card cartridge.

[0105] FIG. 5 shows a schematically an embodiment of a seal which can be used in combination with the cartridges according to the invention.

[0106] FIG. 6 is a schematically view of a playing card cartridge according to the invention.

[0107] FIG. 7 is a cross section of the playing card cartridge of FIG. 6.

[0108] The same reference signs refer to the same, similar or analogous elements in the different figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT(S)

[0109] The present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments. It is to be noticed that the term “comprising”, used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being restricted to the means listed thereafter; it does not exclude other elements or steps. It is thus to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, steps or components as referred to, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the scope of the expression “a device comprising means A and B” should not be limited to devices consisting only of components A and B. It means that with respect to the present invention, the only relevant components of the device are A and B.

[0110] Throughout this specification, reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” are made. Such references indicate that a particular feature, described in relation to the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, 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, though they could.

[0111] Furthermore, the particular features or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0112] FIG. 1A shows a front view of a playing card cartridge 100 according to the invention. FIG. 1B is the longitudinal section of the playing card cartridge 100 according to a plane AA, as shown in FIG. 1A. FIG. 2 shows a front view of the cartridge 100 in unsealed condition.

[0113] The playing cartridge comprises a container 101 adapted to couple to a card dispensing shoe. The container 101 defines a volume 102 in which a set of playing cards 103 is provided. The volume 102 of the container 101 is sealed by a seal 104.

[0114] The container 101 comprises a top wall 110, a front wall 111 and side walls 112 and 113. The top wall 110 is slidingly connected to the side walls. The container further comprises a back wall 114 and a bottom wall 115. Behind the set of playing cards, a pushing means 120 is provided. The cartridge 100 comprises a stopping means 130 to prevent the upper rim 121 of the top wall 110 to slide beyond the pushing means 120. In the top wall 110, a recess 122 is provided, which ends near the upper rim 121. To the pushing means 120, a protrusion 123 is provided, which slides in the recess 122. In unsealed condition, if the top wall 110 is slid towards the front wall 111, the upper rim 121 will hit the protrusion and will be prevented to slide further towards the front wall 111. The top wall 110 cannot slide beyond the pushing means 120.

[0115] The pushing means 120 is forced towards the front wall 111 by means of a constant torque spring 140, which coil is located in the pushing means itself. The tip of the coil is anchored to the front side of the cartridge, near the front wall 111. The unwound part of the coil is located in a recess in the bottom wall 115. The coil of the spring 140 cause the pushing means 120 to press with constant pressure to the backside of the set of playing cards 103 in a direction towards the front wall 111.

[0116] To seal the cartridge 100, one or two seals 104 are provided, the seals being rectangular plates with at both long sides, near the outer end of the sides, having a barb 144. The front wall 111 of the cartridge 100 is covered with a closing lid 150 which edges having protrusions which clip into recesses in the side walls 112 and 113. The closing lid is provided from transparent polymeric material. At the bottom of the lid 150, two fingers 171 and 172 will close the opening 170 in the front wall 111 which is present to allow cards to be drawn out of the volume 101. The fingers will prevent cards to be able to be drawn out of the volume. The closing lid also extends beyond the lower rim 122 of the top wall 110 and hooks into small openings at the lower rim of the top wall. As such the top wall cannot be slid towards the front wall 111 nor towards the back wall 114.

[0117] In FIG. 3, a seal 104 is shown. The seal has a body 141 and a head (not shown). Symmetrically to the axis 142 of the seal's body 141, two barbs 144 are provided. In the lid 150, there are two slits 151 and 152. As shown in FIG. 3, the closing lid 150 being provided over the front wall 111, is sealed to the front wall 111 of the cartridge 100 by introducing one or two seals 104 into one or both the slits 151 and 152 in the closing lid 150. The barbs also protrude through two slits 161 and 162 at the upper rim of the front wall 111, and the barbs clip behind the front wall 111. The seal is made from rigid polymeric material and the barbs 144 will break when the seal is pulled out from the openings. In this sealed condition, the complete inner volume 102 cannot be reached. The volume 101 is sealed, and nothing can enter or taken out of the volume without breaking the seal. To unseal the volume 101 of the cartridge 100, the one or two seals 104 are pulled out of the slits 151 and 161, and/or 152 and 162. The barbs 144 will break during pulling out, so the seals when introduced back in the slits after having been pulled out, will no longer function, and will sit loosely inserted in the slits. The fact the seal has been taken out therefore is detectable.

[0118] An alternative seal 104 is shown in FIG. 5. Also here the seal has a body 141 or stem and a head 145, which is wider than the body 141. To the body 141, one barb 144 is provided having its opening oriented towards the head 145 of the seal 104. The radial cross section of the seal (a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the body) is polygonal. The width of the head 145 of the seal extends beyond the outmost points of the at least one barb.

[0119] The head 145 of the seal 104 may be inclined in view of the axis 142 of the body 141, forming an angle different from 90°. The outer point 146 of the head 145 may be more remote from the axis 142 of the body 141 as compared to the outer point 147 of the barb 144, when the barb is plied against the body of the seal. The seals cross section according to a plane parallel to the axis of the body, the barb being coplanar with said plane, has a T-shaped cross section.

[0120] Once the cartridge 100 is inserted in a card dealing shoe and used, behind the pushing means 120, a new empty volume is created because gradually the pushing means 120 slides towards the front wall 111. The small volume 180, present behind the pushing means 120 when the cartridge is in sealed condition, increases in volume. When the game is finished, the cartridge 100 is taken from the card dealing shoe, and the top wall 110 can be slid towards the front wall 111. As such, the volume 180, is opened. The top wall 110 will not slide beyond the pushing means 120 due to the presence of the stopping means 130. The dealt cards can be inserted in the volume 180, and the top wall 110 can be slid backwards towards the back wall 114. Optionally, the closing lid 150 can be places again over the front wall 111 and a new seal can be inserted in the slits 151 and 161, and/or 152 and 162. As such a used, resealed cartridge can be provided.

[0121] At the backside of the cartridge, a memory card is present in the volume 180 (not shown in FIG. 1B). This memory card can be read by the card dealing device once the cartridge is inserted in the card dealing device.

[0122] To be able to distinguish the fresh sealed cartridges and the used and resealed cartridges, the seals used can have a different colour in order to make the distinction.

[0123] In FIG. 4, a card dealing device 1000 is provided, comprising a card dealing shoe 1001 which may have a holding means 1010 to receive and hold the cartridge 100 when inserted in the card dealing shoe 1001. The card dealing device 1000 further comprises a mouthpiece 1002 which can be mount on the card dealing shoe 1001 once the cartridge 100 is inserted in the card dealing shoe 1001. The mouthpiece 1002 will cover the front wall 111 of the cartridge and comprise an opening 1011 to allow cards to be drawn from the cartridge 100 via the front wall 111 and through the mouthpiece 1002. The mouthpiece will prevent the top wall to slide to the front wall. The holding means will prevent the top wall to slide towards the back wall.

[0124] The card dealing shoe 1001 has a top surface 1020 which is provided with a recess 1021 to receive the bottom wall 115 of the cartridge 100. In this embodiment, the recess 1022 has two different zones with different depths, the deepest is to receive the part of the bottom wall 115 in which the uncoiled end of the coil of the spring is located. The circumference of the recess 1021 match the bottom wall 115 of the cartridge 100. As such the cartridge 100 snuggly falls in the recess 1021 and remain sunken along the depth of the recess during use. The cartridge 100 cannot slide out of the card dealing shoe 1001 during use.

[0125] The card dealing shoe 1001 is provided with sensors, cameras and alike, which are located at two ridges 1030 adjacent the front end of the cartridge when placed in the card reading shoe 1001 and covered by the mouthpiece 1002 during use.

[0126] A second embodiment of a cartridge 2000 is shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7. The same references refer to the same features as applicable for the cartridge 100 in the FIGS. 1A and 1B. the cartridge 2000 has a pushing means 120 has two protrusions 2001 which slides in two recesses 2002 in the bottom wall 115. The top wall 110 has a protrusion which protrudes in the volume of the container 101. The protrusion prevents the upper rim 121 of the top wall 115 to pass beyond the pushing means 120.

[0127] In the cartridge, a SIM card 2100 is provided comprising data on the card identity codes and the sequence of the cards in the cartridge 2000. This SIM card also comprises the cartridge identity code. At the inner side of the container a storage place, like a pocket, is provided to carry a spare seal, which can be used to seal the cartridge when it is used and is to return to the back office of the casino, once the dealt cards were inserted in the volume between the pushing means 120 and the back wall 114 of the cartridge, while the top wall was slide away from the back wall 114. A snap click system 153 is provided in the closing lid 150 to click the closing lid 150 on the front wall 111.

[0128] It is to be understood that although preferred embodiments and/or materials have been discussed for providing embodiments according to the present invention, various modifications or changes may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention.