A playing card cartridge

Abstract

A playing card cartridge includes a container adapted to couple to a card dispensing shoe, the container defining a volume. The container has a set of playing cards in the volume, and the volume of the container is sealed by one or more seals. The container has a top wall, a front wall and side walls, the top wall being slidingly connected to the side walls and being adapted to slide towards the front wall. The top wall is prevented from sliding by at least a first seal.

1 .- 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A playing card cartridge comprising a container adapted to couple to a card dispensing shoe, the container defining a volume, said container comprising a set of playing cards in said volume, said volume of said container is sealed by one or more seals,
 wherein said container comprises a top wall, a front wall and side walls, the top wall being slidingly connected to the side walls and being adapted to slide towards the front wall, the top wall is prevented from sliding by at least a first seal.   
     
     
         25 . The playing card cartridge according to  claim 24 , wherein the lower rim of the top wall is oriented towards the front wall, the upper rim of the front wall is oriented towards the top wall, the lower rim of the top wall extends over the upper rim of the front wall. 
     
     
         26 . The playing card cartridge according to according to  claim 24 , wherein the upper rim of the top wall is oriented away from the front wall, a pushing means to push the playing cards towards the front end of the container is provided in the volume of the container, the cartridge comprises a stopping means to prevent the upper rim of the top wall to slide beyond the pushing means. 
     
     
         27 . The playing card cartridge according to  claim 26 , wherein the stopping means comprises a protrusion on the pushing means at the pushing means side oriented towards the top wall, the stopping means further comprises a recess present in the top wall, the recess in the top wall being provided along the length of the top wall and ending before the upper rim of the top wall, said protrusion on the pushing means sliding in said recess present in the top wall. 
     
     
         28 . The playing card cartridge according to  claim 26 , wherein the stopping means comprises a protrusion at the inner side of the top wall, said protrusion protruding inwards the cartridge such that the protrusion extends beyond the upper side of the pushing means. 
     
     
         29 . The playing card cartridge according to according to  claim 24 , wherein said container comprises a top wall and a front wall, the lower rim of the top wall being oriented towards the front wall, the front wall having a card exit means allowing cards to be taken out of the volume of the container when said cartridge being unsealed, at least the part of the inner surface of the top wall next to the lower rim is profiled, preventing a card different than the card being closest to the card exit means to be taken out of the cartridge via the card exit means. 
     
     
         30 . The playing card cartridge according to according to  claim 24 , wherein a pushing means to push the playing cards towards the front end of the container is provided in the volume of the container, the pushing means is forced towards the front wall by means of a spring, preferably said spring is a constant torque spring, preferably the constant torque spring comprises a coil, the coil is housed in the pushing means. 
     
     
         31 . The playing card cartridge according to according to  claim 24 , wherein a pushing means is provided in the volume of the container, the container comprising a bottom wall, the pushing means comprising at least one protrusion at its side contacting the bottom wall, the bottom wall comprising at least one recess along the length of the bottom wall from the front end of the container to the back end of the container, said protrusion of the pushing means at its side contacting the bottom wall sliding in said recess along the length of the bottom wall. 
     
     
         32 . The playing card cartridge according to according to  claim 24 , wherein said container comprises a front wall, the front wall having a card exit means allowing cards to be taken out of the volume of the container when said cartridge being unsealed, the card of the set of playing cards being closest to the card exit means is sealed to the container by at least one seal. 
     
     
         33 . The playing card cartridge according to according to  claim 24 , wherein said container comprises a front wall, the front wall having a card exit means allowing cards to be taken out of the volume of the container, the cartridge comprising a closing lid closing said card exit means, said closing lid being sealed to the container by at least one seal. 
     
     
         34 . The playing card cartridge according  claim 33 , wherein said closing lid is provided from transparent or translucent polymeric material. 
     
     
         35 . The playing card cartridge according to according to  claim 24 , wherein each of the cards have a card identity code, the cartridge comprises a data storage means for storing information on the card identity codes of the cards of the set of playing cards held by the cartridge, preferably said data storage means stores information on the sequence of the cards in the set of playing cards held by the cartridge. 
     
     
         36 . The playing card cartridge according to  claim 24 , wherein said cartridge comprises a track and trace means. 
     
     
         37 . The playing card cartridge according to  claim 24 , wherein said container comprises at least one storage place to store one or more spare seals. 
     
     
         38 . The playing card cartridge according to  claim 24 , wherein said at least one seal comprises an RFID label, which RFID label breaks upon breaking of the seal. 
     
     
         39 . The playing card cartridge according to  claim 24 , wherein said at least one seal has a T-shaped cross section in axial direction, along the body of the T-shaped cross section of the seal, at least one barb is provided having its opening oriented towards the head of the T-shaped cross section. 
     
     
         40 . The playing card cartridge according to  claim 24 , wherein said container is provided from polymeric material. 
     
     
         41 . A method to provide a card dealing device, comprising:
 providing a card dealing device comprising a card dealing shoe, said card dealing device is adapted to receive a playing card cartridge according to  claim 24 ;   providing a playing card cartridge;   coupling the playing card cartridge to the shoe; and   unsealing the cartridge by removing at least one of the one or more seals.   
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein the playing card cartridge is a playing card cartridge wherein each of the cards have a card identity code, the cartridge comprises a data storage means for storing information on the card identity codes of the cards of the set of playing cards held by the cartridge, preferably said data storage means stores information on the sequence of the cards in the set of playing cards held by the cartridge,
 wherein the method further comprises:   obtaining the data stored in the data storage means;   reading the card identity code from a playing card dealt;   comparing the read card identity code with the obtained data being stored in the data storage means.   
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 41 , wherein the playing card cartridge is a playing card cartridge wherein the upper rim of the top wall is oriented away from the front wall, a pushing means to push the playing cards towards the front end of the container is provided in the volume of the container, the cartridge comprises a stopping means to prevent the upper rim of the top wall to slide beyond the pushing means,
 the method further comprises:   collecting the dealt cards during a game played;   at the end of the game played, slide the top wall towards the front wall, thereby opening a part of the container beyond the pushing means;   placing the dealt cards in the open part of the container after the pushing means.