Rotary Card Shuffling Machine with Nested Slots and Friction Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vertical 'prize wheel' devices with fixed indicia are restricted by gaming laws, prone to rigging, and suffer from misbalance issues that allow cheaters to exploit mechanical biases, and fail to securely retain cards during rotation.
Innovation Solution
A rotary card shuffling and selection machine with a wheel having card slots and dividers, equipped with friction elements and flappers to securely hold and rearrange cards, ensuring random outcome generation and preventing card dislodgment during spinning, while allowing easy removal and replacement for game decisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cards are placed in a vertically rotating wheel for shuffling, then card mixing effectiveness is improved, but cards may dislodge during rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The card slot is formed as a nested structure within the wheel hub, with the slot extending axially through the hub to create a contained space that secures cards during rotation while allowing easy access from the open end
2Ease of manufacture
If fixed indicia are used on the wheel, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but the game is restricted by gaming laws and prone to rigging
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel transitions from having fixed indicia to having dynamically changeable cards with variable positions. Cards can be removed, rearranged, and reinserted between rounds, making the indicia positions variable rather than fixed, which eliminates legal restrictions and prevents rigging
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel is segmented into multiple card slots that can independently hold different cards. This segmentation allows the indicia to be divided into separate, movable units rather than a fixed continuous pattern, enabling periodic rearrangement and preventing bias detection
3Productivity
If the wheel rotates at high speed for randomization, then mixing effectiveness is improved, but card dislodgment risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The card slot structure nested within the hub provides secure containment that allows high-speed rotation without card dislodgment, as the slot physically restrains the card while maintaining easy access from the open end
Solution Approach 2:
The card slot has different structural properties at different locations: the open end allows easy insertion and removal, while the deeper portions provide secure retention during high-speed rotation, creating localized functional zones within the same structure
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The machine provides a secure and random card selection mechanism that prevents cheating and collusion, maintains game integrity by ensuring cards remain in place during rotation, and allows for periodic rearrangement to negate bias detection, enhancing the trustworthiness and fairness of games like Money Wheel and Big Six.
Implementation Method 1
Each card slot includes a friction element for interacting with and retaining the card in the slot
Data Source
AI summary
A rotary card shuffling and selection machine for use in playing a game of chance includes a wheel supported in a generally vertical plane for rotation about a horizontal rotary axis (A). The wheel is provided with a plurality of card slots arranged concentrically about the rotary axis (A). Each card slot holds a card bearing indicia suitable to decide the game of chance. The cards are held in each card slot via friction elements. First and second flappers cooperate with one another to progressively slow the wheel after it is manually spun by an operator. The cards may be placed in opaque folders in the slots to hide the indicia while the wheel is spinning. Alternatively, the indicia may be located on the card so that it is hidden inside the slot when the wheel is spinning.