WO1996003725A1

WO1996003725A1 - Gambling chip

Info

Publication number: WO1996003725A1
Application number: PCT/FR1995/000990
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dominique Boiron
Original assignee: Etablissements Bourgogne Et Grasset
Priority date: 1994-07-26
Filing date: 1995-07-24
Publication date: 1996-02-08
Also published as: FR2723231A1; AU3081695A

Abstract

A gambling or casino chip comprising a body (60) with a plastic ring (62) injected around a weighting disc (64). The body (60) is provided with two remotely detectable discs (70, 72). Said body (60) has two central recesses (66, 68) containing two detectable adhered labels (70, 72) consisting of a sandwich made up of an outer reinforcing layer (73-77), an oriented thin alloy film (75-79) enabling detection in a walk-through detector with an electromagnetic field, and two transfer adhesive layers (74-78, 76-80). To improve detection, the thin films (75, 79) are positioned at right angles to one another on the chip.

Description

GAME TOKEN

The present invention relates to gambling chips also called casino chips. By game token is meant any element usable in a games room and representing a predetermined nominal value or not, whether it is a disc-shaped token itself or a game board generally representative of a high stake. These tokens are classified into two families according to the type of games for which they are used, "French or European" tokens with predetermined value and "American" tokens with or without predetermined value.

Generally, the tokens are made of rigid, scratch-resistant plastic. The tokens have varied designs and colors to reduce the risk of falsification and / or fraudulent reproduction.

In addition to the fraud problem mentioned above, casino operators are very often faced with the theft of tokens and / or plates. The invention aims to combat the theft of tokens by proposing a game token or similar device detectable by a surveillance device while being well suited to the specificity of the use of a game token.

To this end, the invention proposes a game token or similar device, characterized in that it comprises a body provided with several elements detectable at a distance by a detection device usable for the anti-theft surveillance and each consisting of a film or 'A thin filament of active material sensitive to electromagnetic radiation and not deactivatable, at least two of said detectable elements being oriented substantially at 90 °. Thus, the detection can be carried out, for example, in exit control when the token passes through a gantry or anti-theft detection gate whose effective width is of the order of 80 centimeters.

The use of detectable elements of the film type or of a thin filament made of non-deactivatable active material is well suited to tokens or game plates whose lifespan is fairly long (estimated today at 5 years) in that each detectable element is not susceptible to a loss of its detection character over time (demagnerization) and / or under the effect of an external "passivation" and in that the thin thickness of the film or filament is fairly conducive to its integration into the body of the token.

By the way, some tokens being capable of having a high nominal capacity, the token comprises, to improve detection, at least two detectable elements substantially oriented at 90 ° (within a few degrees). This arrangement permits the detection of the token despite its various orientations in space thus avoiding the risk of ^one "blind spot" in the detector.

Advantageously, the active material of the detectable elements consists of an alloy of Iron / Cobalt.

According to one embodiment of the invention, at least one detectable element is associated with one or more reinforcing plies to produce a detectable sub-assembly, preferably in the form of a patch or label, integrated or fixed to the body of the token.

According to a first alternative embodiment of the invention, the token comprises two detectable sub-assemblies, preferably in the form of a label, each consisting of a sandwich structure comprising at least one detectable thin oriented film, at least one lateral reinforcement ply and at least one layer of transfer adhesive, the two detectable sub-assemblies being fixed to the body of the token so as to orient the films thin detectable substantially at 90 ° and respectively arranged in two corresponding recesses made in the body of the token.

According to a second variant embodiment of the invention, the token comprises two detectable elements in the form of a filament arranged in two grooves made at 90 ° through a central plastic reinforcement sheet covered on each face with at least one reinforcement side sheet, said plastic sheets being joined together by gluing, cold welding or cold rolling.

According to a third alternative embodiment of the invention, the token comprises a detectable sub-assembly, preferably in the form of a patch or label, having a sandwich structure comprising two detectable elements in the form of thin oriented films arranged substantially at 90 °, separated by at least one layer of transfer adhesive and covered on the outside with two lateral plastic reinforcement sheets fixed by two lateral layers of transfer adhesive. Advantageously, these thin films associated with the layers of adhesive and with the lateral reinforcement sheets are cut to give a patch of detectable sandwich structure, preferably circular, placed in a corresponding hole made through the body of the token, the patch being secured to the body of the plastic token by hot compression, the thickness of the detectable patch being slightly less than that of the body of the token. It should be noted that in the three alternative embodiments of the invention, the detectable filaments and / or thin films are protected beforehand from being crushed (and therefore from destruction) before being truly integrated or fixed to the body of the token. This protection operation leads to the production of a detectable sub-assembly which, as will appear in the description below, can take various forms, for example detectable label or disc in sandwich structure, or detectable plate core.

The invention also relates to the methods of manufacturing tokens and playing or casino plates presented above.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear on reading the following description of the three alternative embodiments of the invention, given by way of nonlimiting examples, with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 represents an exploded perspective view of the detectable core of a body of a casino plate according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 represents an exploded perspective view of a detectable sandwich structure used to produce a detectable tablet for casino chips according to the present invention;

Figure 3 shows an exploded perspective view of a plate body incorporating the detectable patch illustrated in Figure 2; Figure 4 shows a front view of a detectable injection molded casino token according to the present invention; and

FIG. 5 represents a view in diametral section along a plane perpendicular to the token illustrated in FIG. 4 and exploded perspective views of the two detectable labels fixed to the token.

FIG. 1 represents an exploded view of the detectable core 10 of a game or casino plate. For information only, the plate has dimensions of 8 x 12 cm and about 6 mm thick. The body of the plastic plate is produced by laminating cellulose acetate sheets of thicknesses chosen between 1/10 mm and a few millimeters. The outer sheets are generally transparent to reveal the decoration of each side of the plate. After laminating the sheets, the final shape of the plate is obtained by thermoforming which also makes it possible to give relief on the faces of the plate. In the context of the present invention, the laminating of the acetate sheets is carried out from the detectable core 10 presented in detail below.

The detectable core 10 integrates two filaments of detectable active material of the order of 1 mm in width and with a thickness of several tens of microns. The active material consists of an alloy, for example an alloy based on Iron / Cobalt which cannot be demagnetized, which under the action of an electromagnetic field charges at the surface; these charges modify the radiated field and therefore create a disturbance which is detected by a detection portal. By way of example of a detection portal usable with tokens and plates according to the present invention, the detection portal consists of two pairs of antennas with a passage width of 80cm. Each antenna contains two transmitters and six reception coils. The antennas work in common low frequency (15 Hz) and in high frequency (7.5 KHz for an antenna and 5 KHz for the opposite antenna). These antennas emit several superimposed electromagnetic fields and constantly self-adjust to the site's electromagnetic environment to maintain an optimal level of detection. When a detectable token passes, the detectable elements integrated in the token deviate from these fields, the corresponding signal then being analyzed and verified to trigger an alarm. To improve detection whatever the position of the token in space, two detectable elements of about 40 mm are used, arranged substantially at right angles (90 °) to within a few degrees.

It can be noted at this stage that the anti-theft protection of the detectable tokens according to the invention is permanent in that the films and filaments consist of an active material is non-demagnetizable and are not associated with other elements allowing a "passivation "exterior.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the core 10 of the plate is structured from three reinforcing sheets 12, 22 and 24 made of cellulose acetate. The central reinforcing sheet of about 3/10 mm in thickness is traversed in its thickness by two grooves 14, 16 at least 40 mm long and arranged at 90 °. These grooves 14 and 16 about 1 mm wide receive the filaments 18 and 20 in detectable active material. The two lateral reinforcing sheets 22 and 24, each about 5/10 mm thick, are joined to the central sheet 12 to trap the detectable filaments 18 and 20. More precisely, the method of manufacturing the detectable core comprises the following operations: cutting the two grooves 14 and 16 through a sheet of cellulose acetate intended to form the central reinforcing sheet 12; cold rolling on one face of the central reinforcing sheet 12 of a cellulose acetate sheet forming the lateral reinforcing sheet 22; placing filaments 18 and 20 in grooves 14 and 16 and applying a solvent to filaments 14 and 16; cold rolling of the second lateral reinforcement plate 24 on the other face of the central plate 12 so as to trap the filaments and to obtain a casino plate core of approximately 13 mm thick.

The realization of the plate is finished by rolling around the core 10 of the acetate sheets in number, thickness and chosen color, then by trimming the plate, finally by thermoforming of the preformed assembly thus produced for get the final casino plaque.

The other alternative embodiments of the invention use a thin film of active material in place of the filament presented above. The material is however substantially identical to that used for the filaments, for example an Iron / Cobalt alloy, and has substantially the same detection capacity as the filaments provided that the film has an orientation intended to channel the charges induced on the surface substantially linearly. . In practice, the oriented thin film has on the surface parallel scratches or scratches spaced a few millimeters apart. In the variants of the invention described below, the detectable thin film of active material used consists of a layer of active alloy, for example Iron / Cobalt, a few microns thick arranged on a support consisting of a aluminum foil. The thin film which is presented in a strip several tens of centimeters wide has stripes with a pitch of 8 mm. Without departing from the scope of the invention, it is possible to use oriented anisotropic films during the deposition of the active material on its support.

In a second variant embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, a detectable subassembly is produced according to a sandwich structure detailed below and intended to be integrated in the form of a pellet in the body of a plate or 'a "French" type token. As will be seen, this procedure is well suited to "French" plates and tokens, the body of which is produced by laminating, welding or gluing sheets or sheets of plastic material, such as for example cellulose acetate sheets.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of a stack 30 of various sheets, tablecloths or layers in large format

(for example of dimension 500 x 500 mm) allowing the realization of the sandwich structure of the detectable sub-assembly. This stack comprises around a central reinforcing ply of polyester 32, two layers of double-sided transfer adhesive 34, 36, two thin detectable films 38, 40 oriented at 90 °, two layers of double-sided transfer adhesive 42, 44 and two side reinforcing sheets of cellulose acetate 46, 48.

More precisely, the process for manufacturing the detectable sandwich structure comprises the following operations: cutting in large format of the two detectable oriented thin films of active material 38, 40 suitably striped (see FIG. 2, the stripes 38a and 40b); - laminating on the front / back of the thin films 38, 40 of two layers of transfer adhesive 34-42, 36-44; fixing by adhesion of a polyester sheet 32 in large format between the two thin films 38, 40 covered with adhesive layers, the orientation of the thin films being carried out at 90 ° (to within a few degrees); fixing by adhesion on either side of this partial stack of two side sheets 46 and 48 of cellulose acetate; - on request, until the desired thickness of the sandwich structure 30 is obtained, fixing by cold welding of lateral sheets 46 and 48 of cellulose acetate (by rolling the sheets previously coated with a solvent); - punching of circular 50 detectable pellets with a diameter of the order of 25 mm.

The incorporation of the detectable pellets 50 into two films in the body of a plate or a token is carried out as follows (see FIG. 3 which shows an exploded view of a body of a game plate equipped with a detectable patch 50):

fabrication by welding (for example by rolling) of cellulose acetate sheets of a plate 52 blank of the body of the plate and / or token of controlled thickness and slightly greater (for example 5/10 mm) than that the sandwich structure 30 from which the pellets are cut; - drilling through the blank plate through holes 54 of diameter corresponding to that of the pellets, for example 25 mm; placing detectable pads 50 in the holes 54; securing the pellets 50 with the blank plate 52 by heating and pressurizing between two rectified plates allowing flat and regular surfaces to be obtained (the thickness of the pellets being slightly less than that of the blank plate to avoid crushing and destruction of detectable films); - sanding of the two sides of the blank plate fitted to eliminate any irregularities; cold welding on both sides of the blank plate 52 fitted with side sheet pellets 56, 58 of cellulose acetate with or without decoration; cutting in the blank plate 52 of a certain number of game tokens (with a diameter of about 45 mm) or play plates, taking care to include in each token or cut plate at least one detectable patch 50; thermoforming in a form tool with or without relief of the token and / or the plate in its final form (the polyester sheet and the elasticity of the adhesive layers protect the thin films from destruction); clipping the token and / or plate, if necessary.

Finally, it should be noted that the presence of a central polyester reinforcing sheet in the detectable sandwich structure is not always necessary. As a variant, a modified sandwich structure is produced (similar to that illustrated in FIG. 2 without the polyester sheet 32) and in which the thin films are covered on each face with a layer of increased thickness of an adhesive transfer with viscosity capacities and of elasticity capable of supporting limited crushing without destroying the thin films, it being pointed out that the aluminum sheets supporting the active material of the detectable thin films also contribute to the protection of these same thin films.

The third embodiment of the invention relates to game tokens with injected bodies, also called "American" tokens. In this type of token illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the body 60 consists of an annular crown 62 of plastic material overmolded on a central disc 64 forming ballast (for example brass) to define on each side of the disc a recess or a shallow circular cavity (66, 68), for example of the order of 0.5 mm. The leveling of each face of the tokens is carried out by discs or detectable labels 70, 72 with a single detectable film, produced in a sandwich structure carrying a decoration and glued by adhesive, each label 70, 72 substantially filling the volume of a cavity 66, 68.

The crown is preferably made of polyamide PA-6 or PA-6.6 and can be the subject of successive injections of plastics of different colors in imprints of various intermediate shapes so as to produce a multicolored decoration (not shown) in the mass of the token body.

FIG. 5 shows an exploded view of the sandwich structure of each disc or label detectable 70 and 72 with a single film, consisting of an external sheet 73, 77 of plastic material forming a support and carrying a printed decoration D, of a first layer of transfer adhesive 74, 78, of a detectable thin film oriented 75, 79 similar to the film used in the previous embodiment of the invention and already presented (the orientation being obtained by the scratches 75a and 79b in the alloy layer with a pitch of 8 mm), and a second layer of transfer adhesive 76, 80. As before, care is taken when setting place the two detectable labels 70, 72 simple film to position them so as to arrange the orientation of the stripes 75a and 79b at 90 ° (to within a few degrees) to improve detection.

More specifically, the process for manufacturing detectable labels includes the following operations:

cutting into a wide band of a detectable thin film of suitably striped active material; front / back laminating of the thin film 75, 79 with a layer of transfer adhesive 74-78, 76-80, the layer of adhesive 76, 80 intended to be in contact with the disc of the token being covered with a sheet temporary protection; laminating the complex (film + adhesive) obtained on a printed support sheet 73, 77; cutting with a punch tool matrix labels 70, 72 in the form of pellets of about 20 mm in diameter corresponding to the diameter of the central cavities of the tokens

The invention is not limited to the use of two elements detectable at 90 ° but relates to the variants in which a single detectable element has an equivalent multi-layer configuration.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Game token or similar device, characterized in that it comprises a body (10, 52, 60) provided with several elements detectable at a distance (18-20, 38-40, 75-79) by a detection device usable for anti-theft surveillance and each consisting of a film or a thin filament of active material sensitive to electromagnetic radiation and not deactivatable, at least two of said detectable elements (18-20, 38-40, 75-79) being oriented substantially at 90 °.

2. Token according to claim 1, characterized in that the active material of the detectable elements (18-20, 38-40, 75-79) consists of an alloy of Iron / Cobalt.

3. Token according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that at least one detectable element (18-20, 38-40, 75-79) is associated with one or more reinforcing plies (12-24-26 , 32-46-48, 73-77) to produce a detectable sub-assembly (10, 50, 70-72), preferably in the form of a patch or label, integrated or fixed to the body of the token.

4. Token according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises two detectable sub-assemblies (70-72), preferably in the form of a label, each consisting of a sandwich structure comprising at least one detectable thin film oriented (75 -79), at least one lateral reinforcement ply (73-77) and at least one layer of transfer adhesive (74-76-78-80), the two detectable sub-assemblies being fixed to the body of the token so as to orienting the detectable thin films (75-79) substantially at 90 ° and respectively arranged in two corresponding recesses (66-68) formed in the body of the token (60).

5. Token according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that it comprises two detectable elements (18, 20) in the form of a filament arranged in two grooves (14, 16) formed at 90 ° through a central reinforcing sheet (12) of plastic material covered on each face with at least one lateral reinforcing sheet (22, 24), said plastic sheets (12, 22, 24) being joined together by gluing, welding cold or cold rolling.

6. Token according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises a detectable sub-assembly (50), preferably in the form of a patch or label, having a sandwich structure comprising two detectable elements in the form of oriented thin films.

(38-40) arranged substantially at 90 °, separated by at least one layer of transfer adhesive (34-36) and covered on the outside with two lateral reinforcing sheets (46-48) of plastic material fixed by two lateral layers ( 42-44) of transfer adhesive.

7. Token according to claim 6, characterized in that the transfer adhesive layers have viscosity and elasticity capacities capable of withstanding limited crushing without destroying the thin films.

8. Token according to one of claims 6 to 7, characterized in that the thin films (38-40) associated with the adhesive layers and the lateral reinforcement sheets are cut to give at least one detectable patch (50) suitable to be placed in a through hole (54) or a corresponding recess made in the body of the token (52).

9. Token according to claim 8, characterized in that the detectable patch (50) is secured by hot compression to the body (52) of the token produced in plastic material, the thickness of the detectable patch (50) being slightly less than the thickness of the body (52) of the token at the level of the through hole (54) before mounting of the detectable patch (50).

10. Token according to one of claims 8 and 9, characterized in that said body (52), made of plastic, is covered on its two faces, after mounting of said detectable patch (50), with two sheets of coating (56, 58) also made of plastic joined together by cold rolling.

11. Token according to claim 10, characterized in that the body (52) of the token receives its final shape by thermoforming after laminating said two coating sheets (56, 58).