Card-handling devices and related methods, assemblies, and components

Abstract

Card-handling devices may include a card-shuffling apparatus, a card output portion, and/or a card input portion. The card input portion may include a card rotation device. The card rotation device may be configured to receive and rotate cards about a minor axis of the cards. The card-handling device may include a card-shuffling apparatus including a carousel having at least one hundred compartments each configured to hold between one and ten cards and arranged radially about the carousel. The card-handling device may be positioned at a gaming structure with a playing surface. The card-handling device may include a card output portion for receiving shuffled cards from the card-shuffling apparatus. The card output portion may be configured to receive the cards where major faces of the playing cards are oriented in a plane substantially transverse to the playing surface.

1 . A card handling device configured to be positioned at a gaming structure having a playing surface, comprising:
 a card shuffling apparatus for shuffling playing cards; and   a card output portion for receiving the playing cards from the card shuffling apparatus, wherein the playing cards are positioned by the card shuffling apparatus to be received into the card output portion where major faces of the playing cards are oriented in a plane substantially transverse to the playing surface when the card output portion is in a first position at least partially within the card handling device, and where the card output portion is further configured to transport the playing cards to a second position where at least a portion of the card output portion is accessible from the playing surface.   
     
     
         2 . The card handling device of  claim 1 , wherein the card handling device is configured to output the playing cards in a stack where a height of the stack of the playing cards is slanted to extend along a major length of the card output portion in a direction along the playing surface. 
     
     
         3 . The card handling device of  claim 1 , further comprising a rotating card input device, wherein the rotating card input device is configured to:
 receive the playing cards in a plane substantially parallel to the playing surface,   rotate the playing cards within the plane substantially parallel to the playing surface, and transport the playing cards as rotated to the card shuffling apparatus.   
     
     
         4 . The card handling device of  claim 1 , wherein the card output portion enables an operator to slide a stack of the playing cards from the card output portion onto the playing surface when the card output portion is in the second position. 
     
     
         5 . The card handling device of  claim 1 , wherein the card output portion comprises:
 a storage compartment configured to hold the playing cards in a plane substantially parallel to the playing surface; and   a movable guide configured to alter a volume of the storage compartment.   
     
     
         6 . The card handling device of  claim 5 , wherein the card output portion comprises a door on an end of the storage compartment configured to release a selected number of cards. 
     
     
         7 . The card handling device of  claim 6 , wherein the door comprises a magnetic securing device, and wherein the door is configured to displace to a position clear of a pathway upon which a stack of playing cards travels to exit the storage compartment of the card output portion. 
     
     
         8 . A method of shuffling cards comprising:
 inputting cards into a card handling device in an orientation substantially parallel a horizontal plane;   transporting the cards to a card shuffling apparatus; and   outputting the cards into a card output area in an orientation substantially perpendicular to the horizontal plane.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein transporting the cards comprises moving the cards from a location above a surface of a gaming structure to another location below the surface of the gaming structure, and outputting the cards comprises returning the cards to the surface of the gaming structure. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising sliding cards out of the card output area to the surface of the gaming structure at one time. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein transporting the cards comprises rotating at least some of the cards about a minor axis of the cards to alter an orientation of lateral edges of the at least some of the cards, the minor axis of the cards extending through a thickness of the cards in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis of the cards. 
     
     
         12 . A card handling device comprising:
 a card shuffling apparatus comprising:
 a carousel; and 
 at least one-hundred compartments each configured to hold between one and ten cards arranged radially about the carousel. 
   
     
     
         13 . The card handling device of  claim 12 , wherein the compartments comprise an aperture and a securing element. 
     
     
         14 . The card handling device of  claim 13 , wherein the securing element comprises:
 an arm defining a top retention and a bottom retention; and   a leaf spring comprising a resilient material spanning between the bottom retention and the top retention wherein:
 the leaf spring has a length greater than a distance between the top retention and the bottom retention; 
 the leaf spring forms an arc with an apex in a direction away from the arm; and 
 a connection of the leaf spring to at least one of the top retention or the bottom retention is a floating connection. 
   
     
     
         15 . The card handling device of  claim 12 , wherein the carousel comprises compartment modules, each module comprising at least two compartments configured to be individually removed from and positioned in the carousel, the compartment modules collectively comprising the at least one-hundred compartments. 
     
     
         16 . The card handling device of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one-hundred compartments comprise between one-hundred-twenty and one-hundred-forty compartments. 
     
     
         17 . The card handling device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a retractable card input portion configured to receive playing cards in an orientation substantially parallel to the playing surface of the gaming structure;   a transportation device configured to transfer the playing cards from the retractable card input portion to the card shuffling apparatus; and   wherein the card outlet configured to receive the playing cards in an orientation substantially transverse to the playing surface of the gaming structure.   
     
     
         18 . The card handling device of  claim 17 , wherein the card outlet is configured to receive the playing cards from the card shuffling apparatus at a location below the playing surface of the gaming structure. 
     
     
         19 . The card handling device of  claim 18 , wherein the card outlet is configured to elevate the playing cards above the playing surface of the gaming structure and maintain the playing cards in the orientation substantially transverse to the playing surface of the gaming structure. 
     
     
         20 . The card handling device of  claim 17 , wherein the transportation device is configured to transfer the playing cards from the retractable card input portion to the card shuffling apparatus with the playing cards remaining in the orientation substantially parallel to the playing surface of the gaming structure.