Card Shuffler

摘要

Systems, apparatuses and methods are described for shuffling a deck, group, stack or pile of cards. The cards are placed into a shuffler. The shuffler may be accessed under a lid, or via a slot or tray. Buttons, switches, or a touch screen and the like serve as an interface to access and control the shuffler. Cards are introduced into a substantially vertical shuffling chute. Cards are counted or audited. Sensors provide information as to the location of the cards. Static barriers and agitators encourage cards to remain in proper orientation and location. An elevator lifts cards from the shuffling chute. Sweeper arms or other mechanism manipulates the cards and returns the cards to a substantially horizontal orientation and exit position. Manual override is possible when errors are detected. Rubber-coated commodity rollers mountable to cantilevered axles engage and launch cards into the air when shuffled in the shuffling chute. Cards settle back into the stack of cards under the influence of gravity. The shuffler is mounted inside a simple enclosure. Maintenance and interface features provide convenience when working with the shuffler. Authentication may be employed to correlate user or dealer with operation of the shuffler.

主权项

1. A device for shuffling cards, the device comprising:
a compartment having at least four sides and a compartment height, and wherein the compartment is sized to receive a plurality of cards at a receiving place at a first end of the compartment, and wherein each card of the plurality of cards has a first edge that includes a width dimension parallel to a face thereof, and wherein each card of the plurality of cards has a second edge that includes a length dimension parallel to the face thereof, and wherein each card includes a thickness dimension orthogonal to the face thereof, and wherein the compartment height is at least two times the dimension of the card parallel to a gravity vector; a transport mechanism adapted to transport the plurality of cards substantially vertically during at least a portion of their travel within the compartment; a forcer positioned so as to apply a force to a face of the cards within the shuffling region located within the compartment so as to shuffle the cards substantially vertically in an upward direction substantially parallel to a direction of the gravity vector; and a contact reducer present on each of two opposing sides of the compartment, and wherein the two opposing sides are parallel to the face of the cards, and wherein the contact reducer is present to reduce contact between surface area of a card and surfaces in the compartment.