US20080150234A1

US20080150234A1 - Gambling table with a replaceable center portion

Info

Publication number: US20080150234A1
Application number: US11/645,335
Authority: US
Inventors: John Paul Makieil
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-12-26
Filing date: 2006-12-26
Publication date: 2008-06-26

Abstract

A gambling table, such as blackjack card table, is provided. Upper surface of the gambling table has a replace-able center portion. Depth of the center portion is less than half of the thickness of the upper surface. Over view of the gambling table is a hemi-circle equipped with two small aprons. A small wave shape apron is attached at the left end of the bottom line of the hemi-circle and a trapezoid apron is attached at the right end of the bottom line thereof. The replace-able center portion is a flat panel of hemi-circle. Hotchpots and their controller, dealer's chip box pocket and other pockets are located outside of the hemi-circle of the center portion. The center portion is replaced for cleaning the table cloth and change to other game without removing the bulky and rubbery arm rest from the table.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Current application is related with a gambling table, especially related with a blackjack table equipped with a replaceable center portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Gambling business is a big portion of recreational entertainment industry. Many improvements have been achieved in game machines and various new games are developed with the progress of electronic technologies and computer science. However, in traditional popular games, such as blackjack, nothings have been improved so much in the game table and the environment. Still dealers carry their heavy chip box; players eat, drink and smoke while playing the game. Banker crouches at the comer of the table possessing a player's space. Electric wires threads under the table. If a player drops cigarette's spark or spill drink on the table, the table cloth should be changed. Firstly, take out the bulky rubbery arm rest from the table, disassemble electric wires, and replace the table cloth or the table board. It needs at least one worker and takes couple of hours to replace the table cloth. Then players should move to another table with their belongings. If another table of the same game is not available players will leave that casino even though tables of different game are available. It is purpose of the current application to provide a gambling table that eliminates the above described inconveniences. Just changing the center portion, players can enjoy clean table cloth or new game without move to another table or another casino.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

U.S. Patent Application Publication 20040160005 to Krise, David A.; et al. illustrates a playing surface for a wagering game of chance, including a flexible base material defined by a peripheral shape defining a playing field of the wagering game of chance and configured to lie as a planar entity under the influence of gravity alone when supported by a planar surface, and a flexible surface material bonded to the flexible base material including indicia corresponding to the wagering game of chance. The invention further provides a method of replacing a playing surface of a gaming table for a wagering game of chance, including supporting a new playing surface using a planar surface of the gaming table, and removably securing an edging to the gaming table, wherein the new playing surface is configured to lie as a planar entity under the influence of gravity alone, and without stretching or adhesives, when supported by the planar surface.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 20020084587 to Bennett, Thomas D.; et al. illustrates a convertible gaming table includes, a table base that is adapted for play of a first casino game, a removable game table covering formed to fit the table base, and means for retaining the game table covering on the table base. The game table covering covers the first casino game and adapts the table base for play of a second casino game. Play of the first and second casino games can, thereby, be controlled by a single casino employee. The convertible gaming table is adaptable for use on traditional, unmonitored game tables as well as those in which a system for monitoring wagers, card play, and payoffs are incorporated. Accordingly, such convertible gaming tables optionally include monitoring devices and software running such devices to monitor the wagers of a plurality of players playing the first casino game, as well as those playing the second casino game. The convertible gaming table optionally includes monitoring devices and software running such devices for monitoring jackpots won by the plurality of players playing the first casino game, as well as those playing the second casino game. Another option of the convertible gaming table according to the present invention is a system for awarding a selected one of the plurality of players playing the first and second casino games a bonus.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,114,718 to Grauzer, et al. illustrates a method and apparatus determines an identity of at least each card in a card hand at a casino table card game. The method is performed automatically by a computer-based system that reads the rank and suit of each card that leaves a dealing shoe and then uses a smart discard tray that reads the discards as they are taken from the table. It is optional and preferred to provide a signal to the computer of the presence of at least one card in the dealer's hand. Additional cards are dealt to hands. Exhausted hands are removed from the table and placed into a discard rack. Each card in each exhausted hand is read when placed in the discard rack to determine rank and suit of each placed card, and the computer reconciles cards placed in the discard rack with cards that left the dealing shoe.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,279 to Messina illustrates a casino gaming table provides a smoke-free environment for the casino operator by discharging an air curtain or air barrier of purified filtered air. The gaming table includes a filter assembly which withdraws smoke contaminated air from ashtrays and smoking patrons who are playing the casino game. The purified filtered air is discharged adjacent the casino operator to provide a breathing zone free of cigarette smoke and related pollutants.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,369 to Johnson illustrates a game board that combines the elements of “craps” and “blackjack” into a single combined game, wherein the rules of blackjack apply to the movements of the game pieces, but the increment of movement is determined by the rolling of the die. In addition, the game board and game pieces cooperate to provide movable obstructions to alter the path of travel of a pair of dice thrown upon the game board.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,472 to Brown illustrates a method and game board are disclosed for combining the play of twenty-one based upon at least one card deck having fifty-two cards divided into four suites of duces through aces and the play of craps based upon two dice each having six faces numbered one to six. The board presents a semi-circular playing arena with a dealer playing area adjacent the straight diameter of the semi-circular playing arena and a plurality of player areas spaced about the circumference of the circular periphery of said semi-circular playing arena and opposed to the dealer playing area. Each of the player areas comprises a rectangular card box and a plurality of craps wager indicator circles dividing the numbers 2 through 12 into a plurality of groups for wagering at different odds for each group. After the wagers based upon the cards are settled, each player who has beaten the dealer with a blackjack is offered the roll of the dice and a craps wager on one of the craps wager circles. Before rolling the dice, the remaining players may also place bets on one of their respective craps wager circles. Each craps wager is then settled based the outcome of the roll of the dice.
None of the prior art discloses a black jack table that is manufactured for providing a more safe and comfortable environment to all participants including players, dealer, banker and the casino itself.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Many improvements have been achieved in game machines and various new games are developed with the progress of electronic technologies and computer science. However, nothings have been improved so much in traditional game table and the environment. Still players eat, drink and smoke while playing the game. Banker crouches at the comer of the table possessing a player's space and dealers carry their heavy chip box. If a player drops cigarette's spark or spill drink on the table, the table cloth should be changed. It needs at least one worker and takes couple of hours to replace the table cloth. Then players should move to another table with their belongings. If another table of the same game is not available players will leave that casino even though tables of different game are available. It is purpose of the current application to provide a gambling table that eliminates the above described inconveniences. Just changing the center portion, players can enjoy clean table cloth or new game without move to another table or another casino. Upper surface of the gambling table according to current application has a replace-able center portion. Depth of the center portion is less than half of the thickness of the upper surface. Over view of the waging game table is a hemi-circle equipped with two small aprons. A small wave shape apron is attached at the left end of the bottom line of the hemi-circle and a trapezoid apron is attached at the right end of the bottom line thereof. The replace-able center portion is a flat panel of hemi-circle. Hotchpots and their controller, dealer's chip box pocket and other pockets are located outside of the hemi-circle of the center portion. Hotchpots and controller are connected by electric wires wired in a space beneath the center portion and above the table. The center portion is replaced for cleaning the table cloth and change to other game without removing the bulky and rubbery arm rest from the table.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing of a blackjack game table of prior art.

FIG. 2 is an over view of a blackjack table according to current invention.

FIG. 3 is an over view of a replaceable center portion of a blackjack table according to current invention.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a replaceable center portion of a blackjack table according to current invention.

FIG. 5 is an over view of a blackjack table according to current invention when the replaceable center portion is removed.

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a blackjack table according to current invention along the line A-A′ in FIG. 2 showing the relative position of the replaceable center portion, electric wires, and rest of the table.

FIG. 7 is a schematic drawing how to replace a center portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFFERED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing of a blackjack game table (1) of prior art. Most of gambling table (1) is a hemi-circle toped table. The gambling table is crowded with many things such as coffee cup (2), banker's (3) chip box (3-1), and ash tray (4). Some player (5) put their food dish (6) on the table (1).
If the player (5) spill a drink stain dirt table cloth (7). If the player (5) drops cigarette (8) spark, burning marks (9) remains. Then the table cloth (7) should be changed. To change the table cloth (7) from game table (1) of prior art, the first step is to remove a heavy and bulky arm rest (10) from the table. Second step is to lift up top plate from body of the game table (1) and peel off the table cloth. If the table (1) has some electric connections, hidden under the table, to a main computer system of the casino, the electric wires should be removed first.
Therefore, it is not an easy job to replace the dirtied table cloth (7). It may take hours. Then players (5) must leave the table to find another table with their chips (11) and other belongings. If the entire game table in that casino is full or there is no other game table of which the players (5) want to play, the players (5) will leave the casino. It is a loss to the casino. In addition to this loss, such unstable environment is very dangerous to the players and workers.
It is the purpose of the current invention to eliminate such unstable environments from a game table (1) and provide a pleasant environment to all the players and workers involved in a game.
FIG. 2 is an over view of a blackjack table (12) according to current invention. Upper surface of the blackjack table (12) has a replace-able center portion (13).
Over view of the blackjack table (12) is a hemi-circle (14) equipped with two small aprons (14-1) and (14-2). A wave shape apron (14-1) is attached at the left end of the bottom line of the hemi-circle (14) and a trapezoid apron (14-2) is attached at the right end of the bottom line thereof. The wave shape apron is a space for banker's (3) chip box (3-1). By placing the chip box (3-1) on the wave shape apron (14-1), players (5) have more space to play.
FIG. 3 is an over view of a replaceable center portion (13) of a blackjack table (12) according to current invention. The replace-able center portion (13) is a flat panel of hemi-circle (15), of which a part (16) at the bottom of the hemi-circle (15) is removed. Pluralities of hotchpots (17) and their controller (18), dealer's chip box pocket (19) and other pockets (20), (21) are located outside of the center portion (13).
FIG. 4 is a bottom view of a replaceable center portion (13) of a blackjack table (12) according to current invention. Pluralities of grooves (22) are developed on the bottom surface of the center portion (13).
FIG. 5 is an over view of a blackjack (12) table according to current invention when the replaceable center portion (13) is removed. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a blackjack table (12) according to current invention along the line A-A′ in FIG. 2 showing the relative position of the replaceable center portion (13), electric wires (23), and rest of the table (12).
Electric wires (23) connecting hotchpots (17) and their controller (18) are placed between the replaceable center portion (13) and the table (12). Grooves (22) at the bottom of the removable center portion (13) receive the electric wires (23). By utilizing the blackjack table (12) of the current invention, electric wires (23) and other cables (24) are well organized and reduce risk of fire due to electricity short. Depth (25) of the center portion is less than half of the thickness of the upper surface.
FIG. 7 is a schematic drawing how to replace the center portion (13). The center portion (13) is replaced for cleaning or replacing the table cloth (7) and change to other game without removing the bulky and rubbery arm rest (10) from the table (12).
When the table cloth (7) is dirtied by an accident, just pull out the center portion (13) by drawing a tag (26) which is attached to the center portion (13). Then insert another clean center portion (13) in to the table. No massy job of taking out the arm rest (10), no disconnecting electric wires (23) and cables (24), and lift up of top plate that is about 2 m in diameter.
The players can enjoy other games by just changing the center portion without move to another table carrying their belongings.

Claims

1. A center portion replaceable blackjack table comprises of: an upper surface, which has;

an over view of a hemi-circle equipped with a wave shape apron, which is attached at the left end of the bottom line of the hemi-circle

and

a trapezoid apron, which is attached at the right end of the bottom line thereof,

and

pluralities of hotchpots,

and

a hotchpots controller

and

a dealer's chip box pocket,

and

a replace-able center portion, which is a flat panel of hemi-circle, of which a part at the bottom of the hemi-circle is removed

and

has pluralities of grooves that are developed on the bottom surface thereof to receive electric wires that are placed between the replaceable center portion and the table to connect hotchpots and their controller.