U.S. patent application number 12/156802 was filed with the patent office on 2009-12-10 for multiple-inlet shuffling machine.
This patent application is currently assigned to Taiwan Fulgent Enterprise Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Cai-Shiang Ho.
Application Number | 20090302535 12/156802 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41399597 |
Filed Date | 2009-12-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090302535 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ho; Cai-Shiang |
December 10, 2009 |
Multiple-inlet shuffling machine
Abstract
The multiple-inlet shuffling machine has a shuffler and at least
two card inputs. The shuffler has a base, a shuffling wheel mounted
rotatably on the base and has multiple card slots formed radially
around which, and a controller having at least one random number
generator (RNG) that generates at least one random number. The card
inputs are mounted oppositely on the base of the shuffler adjacent
to the shuffling wheel and are controlled by the at least one
random number generator (RNG) of the controller to randomly place
cards into a same wheel further raising a randomness of the cards.
relative to a number of compartments to number of cards ratio.
Furthermore, operations are made via gears, so the multiple-inlet
shuffling machine has improved precision of movement.
Inventors: |
Ho; Cai-Shiang; (Taipei,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JACKSON WALKER, L.L.P.
112 E. PECAN, SUITE 2400
SAN ANTONIO
TX
78205
US
|
Assignee: |
Taiwan Fulgent Enterprise Co.,
Ltd.
|
Family ID: |
41399597 |
Appl. No.: |
12/156802 |
Filed: |
June 5, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/149R |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 1/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
273/149.R |
International
Class: |
A63F 1/12 20060101
A63F001/12 |
Claims
1. A multiple-inlet shuffling machine comprising a shuffler having
a base having a drive gear; a rotary driver being mounted on the
base and driving the drive gear; a controller comprising at least
one random number generator (RNG) and being connected to and
controlling the rotary driver; a shuffling wheel being mounted
rotatably on the base, engaging the drive gear and being driven to
rotate in a random direction by a random number of preset degrees
and comprising multiple card slots; and a discharging device having
a discharging rod comprising an arm selectively aligning with one
of the card slots to push at least one card out of a corresponding
card slot; and at least two card inputs being mounted on the base
adjacent to the shuffling wheel, selectively aligning with one of
the card slots and each card input comprising a conveyer having
input rollers being connected to the at least one RNG of the
controller and being controlled to selectively transfer a card into
a corresponding card slot by predetermined selection rules to
perform card inputting.
2. The multiple-inlet shuffling machine as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the discharging device further has a discharging rod being
mounted pivotally on the base, being mounted adjacent to the
shuffling wheel and having an elongated slot being formed
longitudinally through the discharging rod; and a rod driver having
a rotating disk; and a pin being eccentrically mounted securely on
the rotating disk and mounted slidably in the elongated slot of the
discharging rod, wherein the arm protrudes transversely from the
discharging rod and selectively aligns with one of the card
slots.
3. The multiple-inlet shuffling machine as claimed in claim 1
further comprises at least two wedges being movably arranged
respectively in the card inputs ensuring cards are sequentially
drawn.
4. The multiple-inlet shuffling machine as claimed in claim 1
further comprises two insertion panels, each insertion panel being
securely mounted on the base between one of the card inputs and the
shuffling wheel and having at least one tangent surface being
formed on the insertion panel adjacent to the shuffling wheel; and
a bottom portion.
5. The multiple-inlet shuffling machine as claimed in claim 1,
wherein one of the input rollers of the conveyer of each card input
is connected to and rotated by a second driving device via gears of
a second separator.
6. The multiple-inlet shuffling machine as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the shuffling wheel further has multiple resilient elements
and multiple retainers being mounted respectively in the card
slots, each retainer is pushed by a corresponding resilient element
to abut an inner surface of the card slot.
7. A multiple-inlet shuffling machine comprising a shuffler having
a base comprising a drive gear being mounted rotatably on the base;
a rotary driver driving the drive gear; and a controller being
mounted securely on the base, controlling the rotary driver to
drive the drive gear to rotate in a random direction by a random
number of preset degrees; and a shuffling wheel being mounted
rotatably on the base, engaging and being driven by the rotary
driver and having multiple teeth being formed around the shuffling
wheel and engaging the drive gear of the rotary driver of the base;
multiple card slots being formed radially around the shuffling
wheel, and each card slot selectively storing at least one card;
two card inputs being mounted on the base of the shuffler adjacent
to the shuffling wheel, each card input having a slope being
defined slantwise in the card input for placing a deck of cards
thereon and having an upper end; and a lower end selectively
aligning with one slot of the shuffling wheel; two side walls being
oppositely formed beside the slope; a drawing roller being mounted
rotatably between the side walls of the card input and being
connected to and being rotated by a first driving device via gears
of a first separator; and a conveyer having at least two conveying
assemblies being mounted in the card input adjacent to each other
along the slope, each conveying assembly comprising two input
rollers being mounted rotatably between the side walls of the card
input and an input gap being formed between the input rollers.
8. The multiple-inlet shuffling machine as claimed in claim 7,
wherein the shuffler further has a discharging device having a
discharging rod being mounted pivotally on the base, being mounted
adjacent to the shuffling wheel and having an elongated slot being
formed longitudinally through the discharging rod; and an arm
protruding transversely from the discharging rod and selectively
aligning with one of the card slots; and a rod driver having a
rotating disk; and a pin being eccentrically mounted securely on
the rotating disk and mounted slidably in the elongated slot of the
discharging rod.
9. The multiple-inlet shuffling machine as claimed in claim 7
further comprises at least two wedges being movably arranged
respectively in the slopes of the card inputs and selectively move
toward the lower ends of the slopes.
10. The multiple-inlet shuffling machine as claimed in claim 7
further comprises two insertion panels, each insertion panel being
securely mounted on the base between the card input and the
shuffling wheel and having at least one tangent surface being
formed on the insertion panel adjacent to the shuffling wheel; and
a bottom portion of the insertion panel being disposed in a passage
between the input gap of each conveying assembly of the conveyer of
each card input and a corresponding one of the card slots of the
shuffling wheel.
11. The multiple-inlet shuffling machine as claimed in claim 7,
wherein one of the input rollers of each conveying assembly of the
conveyer of each card input is connected to and rotated by a second
driving device via gears of a second separator.
12. The multiple-inlet shuffling machine as claimed in claim 7,
wherein the shuffling wheel further has multiple resilient elements
and multiple retainers corresponding to and being mounted in the
card slots, each retainer being pushed by a corresponding resilient
element to abut an inner surface of the card slot.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to card shufflers, and more
particularly to a multiple-inlet shuffling machine that effectively
improves rate of card inputting, provides improved precision of
movement and improves card randomization.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] A card shuffler comprises a drivable shuffling storage means
and an input apparatus. The shuffling storage means has multiple
compartments to receive and hold cards and is associated with the
input apparatus for inserting cards into the compartments. A drive
device is connected to and drives the shuffling storage means that
is controlled by an electronic control system to input and
randomize cards and ensure cards discharged from the shuffling
wheel are randomized and shuffled.
[0005] However, the card shuffler inputs cards via a single input
apparatus, so card inlet rate is limited. Furthermore, the input
apparatus is driven by pulleys and toothed belts that may form gaps
or elastic deformation when implemented, thus causing movement of
the card shuffler to be less precise causing jams and
mis-shuffles.
[0006] Moreover, shuffling machines, even when using a random
number to redistribute the cards have only a limited redistribution
rate since each compartment, once occupied may only receive a card
above that card, thus creating a false shuffle. Conventionally this
may be solved by increasing a number of compartments, ideally
implementing a compartment for each card being shuffled, this is
however highly costly when using four or more decks and would use
much room.
[0007] The present invention therefore provides a multiple-inlet
shuffling machine to obviate or mitigate the aforementioned
problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The main objective of the present invention is to provide a
multiple-inlet shuffling machine that effectively improves rate of
card inputting, provides improved precision of movement and
improves card randomization.
[0009] To achieve the objective, the multiple-inlet shuffling
machine comprises a shuffler and at least two card inputs.
[0010] The shuffler has a base, a controller, a shuffling wheel and
a discharging rod. The base is set stably on a planar surface and
has a rotary driver attached thereon. The rotary driver is
controlled by the controller and drives the shuffling wheel to
rotate in a random direction by a random number of preset degrees.
The controller comprises at least one random number generator (RNG)
generating at least one random number. The shuffling wheel is
mounted rotatably on the base and has multiple card slots formed
radially around which, each of the card slots stores at least one
card being conveyed by the card input. The discharging rod is
mounted pivotally on the base and is driven by a rod driver to
pivot and has an arm protruding transversely from the discharging
rod and selectively corresponding to one card slot of the shuffling
wheel to discharge cards stored in the corresponding slot.
[0011] The card inputs are mounted oppositely on the base of the
shuffler adjacent to the shuffling wheel, each card input has a
slope and a conveyer. The slope is defined slantwise in the card
input for placing a deck of cards thereon and has an upper end and
a lower end. The lower end of the slope selectively aligns with one
slot of the shuffling wheel. The conveyer has multiple input
rollers arranged adjacent to each other along the slope of the card
input. Furthermore, each card input may have a wedge movably
arranged in the slope, selectively moving toward the lower end of
the slope to press the cards and ensure the cards are drawn
sequentially and conveyed by the input rollers of the conveyer to
be inserted in the card slots of the shuffling wheel.
[0012] Since card inputting is simultaneously performed by multiple
card inputs, the rate of card inputting is effectively improved.
Since operation of the card inputs and the shuffling wheel are made
via gears the multiple-inlet shuffling machine has improved
precision of movement. Furthermore, having at least two card inputs
controlled by the at least one random number generator (RNG) of the
controller to randomly place cards into a same wheel further raises
a randomness of the cards relative to a number of compartments to
number of cards ratio.
[0013] Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the
invention will become more apparent from the following detailed
description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multiple-inlet shuffling
machine in accordance with the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the
multiple-inlet shuffling machine in FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional side view of the multiple-inlet
shuffling machine in FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a side view in partial section of the
multiple-inlet shuffling machine in FIG. 1; and
[0018] FIG. 5 is an operational side view of the multiple-inlet
shuffling machine in FIG. 1 showing cards being inputted.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0019] With reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, a multiple-inlet
shuffling machine in accordance with the present invention
comprises a shuffler, at least two card inputs (20), at least two
optional wedges (40) and two optional insertion panels (30).
[0020] The shuffler has a base (11), a controller (13), a shuffling
wheel (10) and a discharging device (14).
[0021] The base (11) can be placed on a planar surface and
comprises a drive gear (150) and a rotary driver (15). The drive
gear (150) is mounted rotatably on the base (11). The rotary driver
(15) drives the drive gear (150) of the base (11).
[0022] The controller (13) comprises at least one random number
generator (RNG), is mounted securely on the base (11), is connected
to and controls the rotary driver (15) to drive the drive gear
(150) to rotate in a random direction by a random number of preset
degrees as generated by the at least one RNG. The at least one RNG
generates at least one random number.
[0023] The shuffling wheel (10) is mounted rotatably on the base
(11), engages and is driven by the rotary driver (15) and has
multiple teeth, multiple card slots (12), multiple resilient
elements (121) and multiple retainers (120). The teeth are formed
around the shuffling wheel (10) and engage the drive gear (150) of
the rotary driver (15) of the base (11). Rotation of the shuffling
wheel (10) is controlled by the rotary driver (15) to rotate the
shuffling wheel (10) in a random direction by a random number of
preset degrees. The card slots (12) are formed radially around the
shuffling wheel (10), and each card slot (12) selectively stores at
least one card. The retainers (120) and the resilient elements
(121) correspond to and are mounted in the card slots (12), each
retainer (120) is pushed by a corresponding resilient element (121)
to abut an inner surface of the corresponding card slot (12) to
stably hold the at least one card stored in the card slot (12).
[0024] The discharging device (14) has a discharging rod (140) and
a rod driver (141).
[0025] The discharging rod (140) is mounted pivotally on the base
(11), is mounted adjacent to the shuffling wheel (10) and has an
elongated slot and an arm (142). The elongated slot is formed
longitudinally through the discharging rod (140). The arm (142)
protrudes transversely from the discharging rod (140) and
selectively aligns with a corresponding card slot (12) to push at
least one card out of the corresponding card slot (12).
[0026] The rod driver (141) has a rotating disk and a pin. The pin
is eccentrically mounted securely on the rotating disk and mounted
slidably in the elongated slot of the discharging rod (140).
[0027] When the shuffling wheel (10) is stopped, the rotating disk
of the rod driver (141) is rotated, the pin reciprocatorily slides
along the elongated slot of the discharging rod (140) to make the
discharging rod (140) pivot. The arm (142) aligns with the
corresponding card slot (12) of the shuffling wheel (10) and
discharges the at least one card stored in the corresponding card
slot (12). Since the shuffling wheel (10) is held in one of many
pre-determined angles, the cards discharged from the shuffling
wheel (10) will be in a random sequence, therefore completing
shuffling of the cards.
[0028] The card inputs (20) are mounted on the base (11) of the
shuffler adjacent to the shuffling wheel (10), selectively aligning
with a corresponding card slot, may be disposed adjacent to each
other to ensure cards are placed in a same orientation, or may be
disposed oppositely meaning cards must be alternatively placed in
different orientations, namely face up and face down, each card
input (20) has a slope (21), two side walls (22), a drawing roller
(23) and a conveyer.
[0029] The slope (21) is defined slantwise in the card input (20)
for placing a deck of cards thereon and has an upper end and a
lower end. The lower end of the slope (21) selectively aligns with
one slot of the shuffling wheel (10).
[0030] The side walls (22) are oppositely formed beside the slope
(21).
[0031] The drawing roller (23) is mounted rotatably between the
side walls (22) of the card input (20) and is connected to and is
rotated by a first driving device (231) via gears of a first
separator (230). Such that the drawing roller (23) is driven by the
first driving device (231) and draws the cards of the deck of cards
on the slope (21) one by one into the conveyer.
[0032] The conveyer has at least two conveying assemblies (24). The
conveying assemblies (24) are mounted in the card input (20)
adjacent to each other along the slope (21). Each conveying
assembly (24) comprises two input rollers (240)(241) that are
mounted rotatably between the side walls (22) of the card input
(20) and an input gap is formed between the input rollers
(240)(241) allowing a card to pass therethrough. The input roller
(241) may be connected to and rotated by a second driving device
(243) via gears of a second separator (242) and may be connected to
the controller (13) and be operated by the at least one RNG to
selectively move, thereby selectively transferring the cards one by
one into the corresponding card slot (12) of the shuffling wheel
(10) to perform card inputting.
[0033] The card inputting is further randomized by the at least one
RNG. The input rollers (240)(241) of the at least two card inputs
(20) may be randomly selected by the at least one RNG to input
cards according to predetermined selection rules. Therefore, the at
least one random number generated by the at least one RNG may
selectively controls at least one of the at least two input rollers
(241) to input the card or may selectively control all of the at
least two input rollers (241) to input cards simultaneously. The at
least two input rollers (241) may further be selectively controlled
to operate by different RNG to increase randomness of the card
inputting. The selection rules may be the at least two input
rollers (241) respectively correspond to a position in the random
number and if this number is even the corresponding input roller
(241) is controlled to input; should two adjacent numbers match,
all of the at least two input rollers (241) are controlled to
input. The wedges (40) are movably arranged respectively in the
slopes (21) of the card inputs (20), selectively move toward the
lower ends of the slopes (21) to press the cards and ensure the
cards be sequentially drawn and conveyed by the drawing roller (23)
and the conveyer to insert the cards into the card slots (12) of
the shuffling wheel (10).
[0034] Each insertion panel (30) is securely mounted on the base
(11) between the card input (20) and the shuffling wheel (10), may
be curved and has at least one tangent surface and a bottom portion
(31). Each tangent surface is formed on the insertion panel (30),
adjacent to the shuffling wheel (10). The bottom portion (31) of
the insertion panel (30) is disposed in a passage between the input
gap of the conveying assembly (24) and the corresponding card slot
(12) of the shuffling wheel (10).
[0035] When each card of the deck is pressed into one card slot
(12) of the shuffling wheel (10) that in turn is driven to rotate,
the bottom portion (31) and the tangent surface of the insertion
panel (30) ensures the card is completely inserted into the card
slot (12) when the shuffling wheel (10) rotates for inputting of a
next card.
[0036] Accordingly, since the card inputting is selectively
performed by multiple card inputs (20), a rate of card inputting is
effectively improved. Furthermore, the operation of the card inputs
(20) and the shuffling wheel (10) are made via gears, so the
multiple-inlet shuffling machine has improved precision of
movement. Moreover, the card inputting is also randomized,
therefore, randomization of the cards is improved to ensure well
shuffled cards.
[0037] Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the
present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description
together with details of the structure and function of the
invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made
in detail especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of
parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent
indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the
appended claims are expressed.
* * * * *