AU637176B2 - Chip for gaming table - Google Patents

Description

637176 Form COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952-69 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: •Published: Priority Related Art: .arne of Applicant Address of Applicant Actual Inventor: Address for Service BOURGOGNE ET GRASSET Z.I. Beaune, Savigny, 21200 Beaune, France BERTRAND LOUIS MARIE JACQUES NAEGELEN WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS.

LOCKED BAG NO. 5, HAWTHORN, VICTORIA 3122, AUSTRALIA Complete Specification for the invention entitled: CHIP FOR GAMING TABLE The following stat. ment is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us 1

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S "Chip for ganing table" The present invention relates to a chip for gaming table.

It is customary in casinos to stake, during the play of various games, using chips known as American chips. There are two types of chip, valued chips and unvalued chips. The valued cnips bear an indication of the value of each chip, the player being required to use one or more chips simultaneously depending on the sum which he wishes to stake.

Unvalued chips likewise exist, used exclusively for American roulette and bearing no numerical indication, but bearing a symbol (letter, logo, pattern) which enables them to be identified as belonging to a par- 15 ticular roulette table. It goes without saying that, at a gaming table, it is appropriate to have available a certain number of unvalued chips of various colours, generally seven, which enables a colour to be associated with each player at the table, and hence allows each player's stakes to be identified.

Each colour of unvalued chip has a particular value which is given to it by the player as a function of the stakes permitted at the table where he is.

Whether the chips are valued or unvalued chips, they may all bear the mark of the casino to which they belong, indications of value, and also various distinctive symbols taking the form, for example, of indentations in their edges which enable a croupier to identify immediately, in a pile of chips, the value of the various chips when said chips are valued. Indentations on the edge of the unvalued chips, whatever their shape may be, may make it possible to identify the gaming table to which they belong, or the casino.

It should also be borne in mind that these chips are handled on very many occasions, and that they are subjected to frictional phenomena between themselves or on the gaming tables. It is thus appropriate that they should be produced from a strong material, and that they possess a sufficient weight to permit convenience of

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The chips currently on the market possess the disadvantage of being complex to produce, which entails a high retail price. This is particularly the case when it is desired to produce chips possessing indentations on the edge to identify their value, and the procedure usually adopted is to produce a disc of synthetic material which, while it is still in a malleable form, is provided with cuts on its edge in which pieces of different colours are inserted before compression moulding is carried out. Moreover, the chips produced from a thermosetting material by compression moulding possess other :0..disadvantages: poor wear resistance, fragile edges, dull 9.9.

060o colours, very rapid soiling. In particular, they are unsuitable for sorting by automatic macnine.

The object of the present invention is to remedy these disadvantage (sic), providing a chip which, depending on the details of its structure, may equally well be a valued chip or an unvalued chip.

To this end, the chip to which it relates comprises a central part produced from a heavy material, in the form of a circular disc, a first part made from 9999 synthetic material forming a ring surrounding the central part and covering the latter over at least part of its 25 faces, and a second part made from synthetic material covering the ring of the first part made from synthetic material on each of its faces, and over at least part of 9 its edge.

In particular, these chips offer very good 30 resistance to wear, to impact, soil much less rapidly by virtue of the thermoplastic material used. Moreover, the fact that they are produced by injection moulding permits partial automation of production.

In a first embodiment of this chip, the latter comprises a metal piece over which is moulded a part made from synthetic material possessing an overlapping ring, and covering the central part of the metal piece, and a second part made from synthetic material covering the ring of the first part on each of its faces and over at 3 least part of its peripheral rim or edge.

This solution is particularly suited to the production of an unvalued chip.

According to another embodiment of this chip, the latter comprises a central part made from synthetic material filled with materials capable of increasing its weight, such as particles of clay or barium sulphate, this first part comprising a ring surrounding the central part in the form of a disc, and integrally moulded therewith, and a second part made from synthetic material and covering the ring on each of its faces and over at least part of its peripheral rim.

This embodiment is of great interest since it aDe smakes it possible to obtain a chip from a mere two e~g.

15 successive operations of moulding synthetic material.

According to a method producing (sic) this chip, the second part made from synthetic material, covering the edge of the chip and both faces thereof over a ringshaped zone, possesses faces which are raised relative to the plane of the central part obtained during the first moulding, the recess thus made in the central part serving to accommodate a decorative tablet.

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According to another method of production of this 0. chip, the ring-shaped part resulting from the second :25 injection moulding of synthetic material is situated on ses each face of the chip substantially in the same plane of S the central part resulting from the injection moulding of the first synthetic material, this central part being decorated, for example, by a silk-screen printing technique before the second injection moulding is performed.

These are two distinct methods of production enabling the decoration of the disc-shaped central part to be achieved, this disc-shaped central part being in both cases situated substantially in the same plane as one of the faces of the peripheral ring after production of the chip.

According to another embodiment of this chip, the heavy central part is formed by two metal discs, one of the faces of which is stamped to show a decoration, the 4 two metal discs being placed back to back and being held in contact with each other by the ring of synthetic material covering their respective edges, which ring is obtained during the first injection moulding of material.

At all events, the invention will be clearly understood with the aid of the description which follows, with reference to the attached diagrammatic drawing showing, by way of non-limiting examples, a plurality of forms of embodiments (sic) of this chip: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an unvalued chip; Figure 2 is a half-sectional view of the core of the chip in Figure 1; ooeo Figures 3 and 4 are two half-sectional views of o two stages of production of the chip in Figure 1; Figures 5 and 6 are two view corresponding, respectively, to those in Figures 3 and 4 of an alternative embodiment of the chip in Figure 1; Figure 7 is a perspective view of a valued chip; Figures 8 to 10 are three half-sectional views of the valued chip in Figure 7, in the course of three stages of its manufacture; Ce..

Figures 11 to 13 are three views, corresponding to Figures 8 to 10 respectively, of an alternative embodiment of the chip in Figure 7.

The unvalued chip shown in Figure 1 and designated by the reference 2 comprises, on each of its faces, a central part 3 possessing a decoration together with, optionally, the identification of the casino and, in its edge 4, indentations 5 intended to identify the chips of one table, these indentations being given colours other than those of the chip, or characteristic shapes.

The unvalued chip 2 comprises a central core which is constituted by a disc-shaped metal piece 6.

In the form of embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4, a procedure is followed in which, first, synthetic material is injection moulded over the metal piece 6, covering both faces of this piece and forming a surround of the latter in the form of a ring 7, from the edge of 5 which small particles 8 protrude.

In a subsequent phase of production, a second part is injection moulded in synthetic material, this synthetic material forming a ring 9 covering the ring 7 and the edge thereof, while leaving visible the faces of the outward-oriented particles 8 which form the indentations As shown in Figures 3 and 4, on each face of the chip, the plane of the ring 9 is situated above the plane of the central part 10 obtained by covering the metal piece 6 during the first injection moulding. The cavity as defined serves as a mounting for a tablet 12 bearing the central decoration 3.

Figures 5 and 6 show an alternative embodiment of 15 this chip, in which the same elements are designated by the same references as before.

this case, the part 10a covering the metal piece 6 on each of its faces is raised relative to the plane of the ring 7, in a manner such that, after injection moulding of the ring 9, the latter is in the same plane as the part On this assumption, the decoration 3 is obtained by a silk-screen printing operation or the like carried out between the first and second injection mouldings.

25 Figure 7 shows a valued chip 13. This chip possesses, on each of its faces, a central part 14 bearing the indication of the casino and the market value of the chip. Coloured indentations 16 are made in its See edge 15 and on its surface, each type of indentation w" 30 being specific to a defined value, the purpose of this being to enable a croupier to determine the overall value of a pile of chips.

In the form of embodiment shown in Figures 8 to this chip comprises a central part formed by two metal pieces 17 stamped on one of their faces and positioned back to back, in contact with each other.

These two metal discs are then placed in a mould, with a view to performing the injection moulding of a piece 18 of synthetic material possessing a ring 19, a 6 more or less substantial covering zone 20 of the two pieces which are (sic) able to ensure the retention of the latter, and parts 22 projecting from the periphery of the ring 19.

Next, there follows an overmoulding operation with the aid of a second synthetic material 23 which covers the ring 19, on both faces of the latter and on its edge, leaving visible the parts 22 which form the indentations 16.

Figures 11 to 13 show an alternative embodiment of this chip, in which the same elements are designated by the same references as before.

In this case, the central part is no longer as..

formed by two stamped metal pieces, but by a metal disc 15 24 whose faces are smooth and are each covered by a tablet 25 bearing the necessary indications.

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The assembly comprising the metal disc 24 and the two tablets 25 is made integral by the part 20 during the *0*v first overmoulding operation.

As is apparent from the foregoing, the invention provides a great improvement to the existing technology by supplying a chip whose general structure allows the production either of valued chips or of unvalued chips, this production being simple and of moderate cost, while 25 enabling a quality product to be obtained.

As is self-evident, the invention is not restricted merely to the forms of embodiment of this chip "described above by way of examples; on the contrary, it 1 3 embraces all variants of production thereof.

Thus, for example, it would be possible not to provide the metal piece in the centre of the chip, the desired weight being obtained by integrating fillers such as barium sulfate into the synthetic material, or again, in the case of a valued chip possessing stamped metal pieces, the edges of the latter are beveled in order to ensure their retention in the synthetic material, by the edge, without it being necessary to cover their outer faces, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (5)

1. Chip for a gaming table, characterised in that it comprises a central part (17,24) produced from a heavy material, in the form of a circular disc, a first part made from synthetic material forming a ring surrounding the central part and covering the latter over at least part of its faces, and a second part (23) made from synthetic material, said second part covering the ring of the first part; said second part covering at least part of said first parts peripheral rim.

2. Chip according to Claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a metal piece (6) over which is moulded a part made from synthetic material possessing an overlapping S ring and covering the central part of the metal piece, and a second part made from synthetic material covering the ring of the first part on each of its faces and over at least part of its peripheral rim or edge. S

3. Chip according to Claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a central part made from synthetic material filled with materials capable of increasing its weight, such as particles of clay or barium sulphate, this first part comprising a ring surrounding the central part in the form of a disc and integrally moulded therewith and a second part made S.from synthetic material and covering the ring on each of its faces and over at least part of its peripheral rim.

4. Chip according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the second part made from synthetic material, covering the edge of the chip and both faces thereof over a ring-shaped zone, possesses faces which are raised relative to the plane of the central part (10) obtained during the first moulding, the recess thus made in the central part serving to accommodate a decorative tablet (12). Chip according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the ring-shaped part resulting from the second injection moulding of synthetic material is situated on each face of the chip substantially in the AU6854690.WPC 8 same plane of the central part (10a) resulting from the injection of the first synthetic material, this central part being decorated, for example, by a silk-screen printing technique before the second injection moulding is performed.

6. Chip according to Claim 1, characterised in that the heavy central part is formed by two metal discs one of the faces of which is stamped to show a decoration, the two metal discs being placed back to back and being held in contact with each other by the ring (19, 20) of synthetic material covering their respective edges, which ring is obtained during the first injection moulding of material. i e. DATED this 27th day of December 1990. BOURGOGNE ET GRASSET WATERMARK PATENT l iADEMARK ATTORNEYS "THE ATRIUM" 290 BURWOOD ROAD HAWTHORN. VIC. 3122. De S* e I J0