Card shuffling device

The invention relates to a card shuffler according to the preamble of claim 1.

A card shuffler has been known, for example, from U.S. Patent 4,659,082. In this known mixer, the mixing container is formed by a horizontally arranged drivable drum which has radially extending shafts for receiving one card each. An input station for receiving a stack of played cards is provided, via which the individual shafts of the drum are loaded. The storage container for the mixed cards is fed from the drum, with the individual cards being ejected into the storage container according to a random principle due to the activation of a card ejector.

A similar card mixer in which the drum is arranged vertically was also known from US Pat. No. 4,586,712.

A very high degree of intermixing is achieved with such card shufflers, with the card sequence in the shuffled stack of cards being virtually unpredictable even when using electronic aids for a third party.

In these known solutions, card stores are provided for removing the mixed cards one at a time. However, this results in the disadvantage that such card shufflers can only be used for certain games, but not for games in which the mixed cards are to be removed in packets.

US Pat. No. 5,683,085 A describes a card shuffler with an output device for removing cards which, by appropriate control from the shuffling store, can be loaded not only with individual cards but also with several cards, so that a whole package of cards can be delivered can be removed from the dispenser.

A card mixer is known from US Pat. No. 5,989,122, which also conveys entire card packages into a provided output device.

The different output of the cards is achieved by different control of the mixed memory. The output devices as such remain the same and therefore cannot be adapted to the different card games.

The aim of the invention is to avoid this disadvantage and to propose a card shuffler of the type mentioned, which can be used for both types of games.

According to the invention, this is achieved in a card shuffler of the type mentioned at the outset by the characterizing features of claim 1.

The proposed measures result in a modular structure of the card shuffler, with an exchange of the card memory for the mixed cards being possible in a simple manner. For example, a card memory for individual removal of cards can very easily be replaced by one for removal of cards in packets and vice versa.

The features of claim 2 have the advantage of a very precise positioning of the exchangeable card memory. The fixation of the same can be done in a simple manner by means of a screw.

In principle, however, the receptacle can be designed in any way and, for example, have tongue and groove-like formations with which on the one hand the card memory and the base body interlock, whereby the fixation can take place, for example, by means of a fixable dowel pin. But it is also possible as a recording for the card memory clip connections or notches, for example Provide spring-loaded balls or pins which engage in corresponding latching recesses of the card memory or the base body of the mixer.

The features of claims 3 and 4 result in structurally very simple solutions for the different card memories for the mixed cards.

The features of claim 5 have the advantage that the contents of each compartment of the mixed memory are pushed safely into a nip between two rollers when they are dispensed, which convey them into the card memory for mixed cards.

This also makes it possible to mix more than just one card into one compartment of the shuffler and thus keep the card shuffler relatively small. This makes it possible to operate such a mixer at a gaming table, even if a large number of decks of cards, for example six or eight decks of cards, are in play and have to be managed. The pinch rollers can either be provided with an elastically deformable coating, or they can be resiliently pressed against each other

AT 409 222 B can be, is enabled.

The features of claim 6 ensure an essentially slip-free drive which is controlled by a random generator and possibly also causes oscillating movements.

It is particularly advantageous to provide the features of claim 7 or 8. These measures ensure that the cards are held in the individual compartments and cannot slip outwards due to the centrifugal force and thus contact of the cards with a housing surrounding the drum is avoided. This results in a very extensive protection of the cards.

In addition, when a drum is prone to be replaced, it is not necessary to remove the cards from the compartments of the same, but rather the drum can be replaced together with the cards it contains.

The features of claim 9 make it possible to check the cards in play in a simple manner, with a check not only with regard to their number but also with regard to the card image, whereby a possible exchange of a card can be recognized.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. Show:

1 schematically shows a card mixer according to the invention, in which a cover has been removed,

2 shows a plan view of the input device,

3 shows a detail of an output device,

4 shows a card memory for the individual issue of mixed cards,

FIG. 4A is a plan view of the card memory according to FIG. 4,

Fig. 5 and 5A details of variants of the design of compartments of the mixed storage,

6 shows an axonometric representation of the mixing store,

7 shows a safety container with a mixed storage tank.

Sitting on a base plate 1 on a console formed from two legs 9 is a mixing reservoir 2 ′, which is formed by a rotatably mounted drum 2. This drum 2 is connected to two disks 3 via spacers 62 (FIG. 6). The flanges 2 of the drum 2 are provided with slot-shaped compartments 69 which are provided for receiving cards.

These disks 3 are each provided with a circumferential toothing 70. The mixing accumulator 2 'can be driven via a pinion 4 and a toothed belt pulley 5 firmly connected to it, which are rotatably mounted together in plates, and a toothed belt 6 via a second toothed belt pulley 7 and a motor 8. This motor 8 is controlled by a random generator and moves the mixing store 2 'if necessary also in mutually opposite directions, so that an oscillating movement of the mixing store 2' can occur.

There is also a storage container 10 for the played cards 13 is provided, which is part of an input device. This comprises a wedge 11 which, by means of a roller 12 rotatably arranged therein, rolls on a sloping bottom of the storage container 10 against two elastic rollers 14 (FIG. 2). The two rollers 14 are rotatably mounted on a common shaft 28 in the two plates 25 and can be driven together with the rollers 15 via two pulleys 26, a toothed belt 29 and a belt pulley 27 via a motor 17. Two rollers 16 touch the two rollers 15 on the circumference, so that they are rotated with the surface friction.

A sensor 24 is provided as a line sensor for recognizing the card symbol of the respectively moving card 13.

The pair of rollers 19 and the pair of rollers 18 which touch the circumference and each sit on a shaft 30 can be driven by the motor 23 in the same way as described above.

The two levers 21 serve to completely insert the respectively moved card into a compartment 69 of the mixing store 2 'and can be driven in an oscillating manner via the rod 22 pivotally connected to one of the levers 21 by the axis 34 via an eccentric disk seated on a motor 23.

There are two variants of card memory 42, 42 'for the mixed cards 13, which can be optionally attached to the base plate 1 and can easily be exchanged for one another.

AT 409 222 B

A receptacle is provided which comprises two dowel pins 100 which are inserted into the base plate 1 and onto which a card memory 42, 42 'for mixed cards 13 can be plugged, which is provided with corresponding bores 102 in the area of ​​its bottom. To fix the respective card memory 42, 42 ', a screw 101 is provided which engages in a threaded hole 103 of the card memory 42, 42'.

The output of cards 13 from the compartments 69 into a card storage 42, 42 'is carried out by means of two pivot arms 35, which are pivotably mounted in the two legs 9 and can be driven in an oscillating manner via the levers 37 and via an eccentric disk 38 seated on a motor. These two swivel arms 35 each have an inwardly extending bar 36 (FIG. 3) at their upper end, which grips the cards located in a compartment 69 and conveys them into a nip between two clamping rollers 40. These pinch rollers 40 are mounted in the plates 45 and can be driven at the same time by a motor 41.

The pinch rollers 40 convey the respectively moved cards 13 either into the card store 42 shown in FIG. 1 for the mixed cards for a package-wise removal of the cards 13, or into a card store 42 'for a single removal of mixed cards.

A card store 42 is essentially formed by a U-shaped table 43 in which the cards 13 are deposited on a stack 44. From this table 43, the croupier can remove the cards upwards, if necessary in packets.

The card memory 42 'according to FIGS. 4 and 4A is provided for removing cards 13 one at a time. The cards 13 emerging from the clamping gap of the clamping rollers 40 enter the card storage 42 ′ via a gap 50, which is delimited by a wall 49 which runs obliquely downwards and a spring-loaded shoe 47. The cards 13, possibly also several at the same time, are inserted between the shoe 47 and the wall 49 or between the cards 13 already located in the card memory 42 ', the shoe 47 being pushed back against the force of the spring 48. The shoe 47 slides over an inclined plane of an L-shaped base body 46. A gap 73 remains between the lower edge of the wall 49 and the L-shaped base body 46, through which the cards 13 can be withdrawn individually.

As can be seen from FIG. 4A, the inclined wall 49 has a centrally arranged open-edged recess 72 on its lower edge, which makes it easier to pull off the individual cards. The card memory 42 ′ is delimited laterally by walls 50. The shuffled cards can be individually removed by the croupier in that the foremost of the playing cards 13 is grasped by the finger through the recess 72 in the wall 49 and pulled out through the gap 73.

As can be seen from FIGS. 5 and 5A, springs 51, 52 are arranged in the compartments 69 of the mixing store 2 ′, which clamp the card (s) 13 inserted into the respective compartment 69.

A spring 52 has an angled portion 55 which covers the radially outer openings of the compartments 69 and reliably prevents cards from being thrown outward by the centrifugal force when the mixing storage unit 2 'is rotated.

The springs 51 according to FIG. 5A are designed as bent or angled leaf springs and are inserted in a slot 53 of one wall of the compartment 69 and press against the opposite wall of the compartment 69. The card inserted into the respective compartment 69 is therefore between this spring 51 and the opposite wall of the compartment 69 clamped and held in this way in the relevant compartment 69.

The cards of a compartment 69 are issued in such a way that the card 13 or a package of up to nine cards, for example, is ejected with force. This is done by means of the swivel arms 35 and the strips 36, as already described above. The springs 51, 52 are deformed when the card (s) 13 are ejected.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 6, the drum 2 rests with stub axles 57 in receptacles in the legs 9 and can easily be removed from them or lifted off. Since the compartments 69 are provided with springs 51, 52, the cards 13 can remain in their compartments when the drum 2 is removed.

The drum 2 can be placed in a safety container 63 (FIG. 7) and transported with it, the container 63 being closable with a cover 64. For this purpose, flanges 65, 66 are attached to the container 63 and the cover 64. This enables the container 63 with

AT 409 222 B to connect or lock the cover 64 in a tamper-proof manner.