System and method to handle playing cards, employing manual movable cover

Abstract

A card shoe handling device includes a cover that is manually movable from a closed position to an opened position, where in the closed position the cover limits access to playing cards carried by the playing card output receiver from an exterior of the playing card handling system and in the opened position the cover does not limit access to playing cards carried by the playing card output receiver from an exterior of the playing card handling system.

1 . A playing card handling system, comprising: 
 a playing card input receiver sized and positioned to receive a number of playing cards to be handled by the playing card handling system;    a playing card output receiver sized and positioned to receive a number of playing cards handled by the playing card handling system;    at least one playing card transport path between the playing card input receiver and the playing card output receiver, along which at least some of the playing cards pass from the playing card input receiver to the playing card output receiver;    at least one intermediary playing card receiver positioned in the at least one playing card transport path between the playing card input receiver and the playing card output receiver;    an elevator mechanism physically coupled to the playing card output receiver and operable to selectively move the playing card output receiver between a lowered position and a raised position, where in the lowered position the playing card output receiver is positioned below a surface of a gaming table and in the raised position at least some playing cards carried by the playing card output receiver are positioned above the surface of the gaming table; and    a cover manually movable from a closed position to an opened position, where in the closed position the cover limits access to playing cards carried by the playing card output receiver from an exterior of the playing card handling system and in the opened position the cover does not limit access to playing cards carried by the playing card output receiver from an exterior of the playing card handling system.    
   
   
       2 . The playing card handling system of  claim 1  wherein the cover is mounted for sliding movement between the opened and the closed positions.  
   
   
       3 . The playing card handling system of  claim 1  wherein the cover is mounted for pivotal movement between the opened and the closed positions.  
   
   
       4 . The playing card handling system of  claim 1  wherein the cover is mounted to another portion of the playing card handling system for pivotal movement between the opened and the closed positions.  
   
   
       5 . The playing card handling system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 at least one spring physically coupled to bias the cover into the closed position.    
   
   
       6 . The playing card handling system of  claim 1  wherein in the opened position the cover forms an acute angle with respect to a gravitational vector, such that a gravitational force biases the cover into the closed position.  
   
   
       7 . The playing card handling system of  claim 1  wherein the cover in the opened position is not biased toward the closed position.  
   
   
       8 . The playing card handling system of  claim 1  wherein the playing card handling system is operable to provide playing cards to the playing card output receiver in an order, wherein the order is at least one of a sorted order or a random order.  
   
   
       9 . A playing card handling system, comprising: 
 a playing card input receiver positioned to receive a number of playing cards to be ordered by the playing card handling system;    a playing card output receiver positioned to provide a number of playing cards ordered by the playing card handling system;    ordering means for providing the playing cards received in the playing card input receiver to the playing card output receiver in an order, wherein the order is at least one of a sorted order or a random order;    elevator means for selectively moving the playing card output receiver between a lowered position and a raised position, where in the lowered position the playing card output receiver is positioned below a surface of a gaming table and in the raised position at least some playing cards carried by the playing card output receiver are positioned above the surface of the gaming table; and    a cover manually movable from a closed position to an opened position, where in the closed position the cover substantially limits access to playing cards carried by the playing card output receiver from an exterior of the playing card handling system and in the opened position the cover does not substantially limit access to playing cards carried by the playing card output receiver from an exterior of the playing card handling system.    
   
   
       10 . The playing card handling system of  claim 9  wherein the ordering means comprises at least one intermediary playing card receiver positioned in a at least one playing card transport path between the playing card input receiver and the playing card output receiver.  
   
   
       11 . The playing card handling system of  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 cover biasing means for biasing the cover into the closed position.    
   
   
       12 . A method of operating a playing card handling system that comprises a playing card input receiver, a playing card output receiver, at least one playing card transport path between the playing card input receiver and the playing card output receiver, along which at least some of the playing cards pass from the playing card input receiver to the playing card output receiver, and an elevator mechanism physically coupled to the playing card output receiver and operable to selectively move the playing card output receiver, the method comprising: 
 placing a number of playing cards to be handled by the playing card handling system in the playing card input receiver;    manually moving a cover from a closed position to an opened position, where in the closed position the cover limits access to playing cards carried by the playing card output receiver from an exterior of the playing card handling system and in the opened position the cover does not limit access to playing cards carried by the playing card output receiver from an exterior of the playing card handling system; and    removing at least some of the playing cards from the playing card output receiver after the elevator mechanism moves the playing card output receiver from a lowered position to a raised position, where in the lowered position the playing card output receiver is positioned below a surface of a gaming table and in the raised position at least some playing cards carried by the playing card output receiver are positioned above the surface of the gaming table.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein comprises sliding the cover from the closed to the opened position.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein comprises pivoting the cover from the closed to the opened position.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 causing the elevator mechanism to move the playing card output receiver from the raised position to the lowered position after removing at least some of the playing cards from the playing card output receiver.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein causing the elevator mechanism to lower the playing card output receiver from the raised position to the lowered position comprises activating a switch that is accessible from an exterior of the playing card handling device.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 moving the cover to the closed position from the open position after the elevator mechanism moves the playing card output receiver from the raised position to the lowered position.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 allowing the cover to return to the closed position from the open position under a biasing force after the elevator mechanism moves the playing card output receiver from the raised position to the lowered position.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein causing the elevator mechanism to lower the playing card output receiver from the raised position to the lowered position comprises moving the cover toward the closed position from the opened position to activate a switch that is communicatively coupled to the elevator mechanism.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 15  wherein causing the elevator mechanism to lower the playing card output receiver from the raised position to the lowered position comprises moving the cover to engage a switch that is communicatively coupled to at least partially control the elevator mechanism.