Rim-mounted roulette ball launching system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10118087-B2
Application number	US-201615073498-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2016
Priority date	Mar 17, 2016
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

A ball-launching system mounts to a top rim of a roulette wheel and positions a ball launcher configured to launch a roulette ball into the roulette wheel. The ball-launching system includes an outer jaw and an inner jaw which clamp to the top rim. At least a part of a ball launcher extends into a concave bowl of the roulette wheel and facilitates launching the roulette ball directly into a ball track underneath the top rim within the concave bowl.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A roulette ball launching system comprising:
a mounting structure fixed to a top rim of a roulette wheel bowl via the mounting structure releasably clamping the top rim between an outer jaw and an inner jaw; and
a roulette ball launcher connected to the mounting structure, the ball launcher configured to launch a roulette ball into a ball path from underneath the top rim.

2. The roulette ball launching system of claim 1 , wherein the ball launcher in a launch position extends over the top rim and into the roulette bowl, and wherein the ball launcher in a retracted position is at least partially withdrawn from the roulette bowl.

3. The roulette ball launching system of claim 2 , further comprising an actuator configured to move the ball launcher from the launch position to the retracted position in response to the ball launcher launching the roulette ball into the ball path.

4. The roulette ball launching system of claim 2 , wherein the ball launcher is pivotally mounted to the mounting structure and rotates between the launch position and the retracted position.

5. The roulette ball launching system of claim 1 , further comprising a ball detector configured to detect one or more roulette balls moving in the ball track.

6. The roulette ball launching system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the inner jaw or the outer jaw is adjustably positioned to clamp to the rim.

7. The roulette ball launching system of claim 2 , wherein the ball launcher is configured to automatically move from at least one of the launch position to the retracted position or the retracted position to the launch position.

8. A roulette ball launching system mountable to a roulette table, the roulette table including a roulette wheel in a concave bowl with a circular ball path around an upper circumference of the concave bowl, the launching system comprising:
a mounting structure including an outer jaw and an inner jaw, the mounting structure being fixed to a top rim of the bowl via the top rim being clamped between the outer and inner jaws; and
a roulette ball launcher connected to the mounting structure, the ball launcher positioning a roulette ball in the circular ball path underneath the top rim prior to launching the roulette ball into the circular ball track.

9. The roulette ball launching system of claim 8 , wherein at least a part of the roulette ball launcher is configured to extend into the circular ball track each time a roulette ball is launched into the circular ball track.

10. The roulette ball launching system of claim 8 , wherein the ball launcher is configured to launch the roulette ball in direct response to a player activating a switch.

11. The roulette ball launching system of claim 8 , further comprising an adjustment component configured to change a position of the roulette ball launcher with respect to the mounting structure after the mounting structure is fixed to the top rim of the concave bowl.

12. The roulette ball launching system of claim 8 , further comprising an adjustment component configured to change a distance between at least part of the roulette ball launcher and the circular ball track.

13. The roulette ball launching system of claim 8 , wherein the mounting structure includes a platform connected to the inner and outer jaws, and wherein the ball launcher is configured to be adjustable along the platform and fixable to the platform.

14. A roulette ball launching system mountable to a roulette table, the roulette table including a roulette wheel in a concave bowl with a top rim and a circular ball path around an upper circumference of the bowl below the top rim, the launching system comprising:
a mounting structure including an outer jaw and an inner jaw, the outer jaw and the inner jaw extending downward from the mounting structure, the mounting structure configured to be fixed to the top rim of the bowl via clamping the top rim between the outer and inner jaws;
a roulette ball launcher connected to the mounting structure, the roulette ball launcher having a launch position with at least a part of the ball launcher extending into the bowl below the top rim and a retracted position with the at least part of the ball launcher withdrawn out of the bowl; and
the ball launcher in the launch position being configured to release the roulette ball within the circular ball path underneath the top rim.

15. The roulette ball launching system of claim 14 , wherein the ball launcher is configured to adjustably change a distance between at least a part of the ball launcher and the circular ball track after the mounting structure is clamped to the top rim.

16. The roulette ball launching system of claim 14 , further comprising an actuator configured to move the ball launcher between the launch position and the retracted position.

17. The roulette ball launching system of claim 14 , further comprising a pivot connection between at least a part of the ball launcher and the mounting structure, and wherein the ball launcher is configured to pivot about the pivot connection to move between the launch position and the retracted position.

18. The roulette ball launching system of claim 17 , wherein the ball launcher is configured to automatically move from the launch position to the retracted position after launching the roulette ball.

19. The roulette ball launching system of claim 14 , wherein the ball launcher is configured to automatically move from the launch position to the retracted position after launching the roulette ball.

20. The roulette ball launching system of claim 14 , wherein the ball launcher is configured to be manually moved to the launch position prior to launching the roulette ball.

Assignees

• Bally Gaming Inc

Inventors

• Mercer Haven A
• Nelson Troy D
• Helgesen James P
• Kotifani Jamal H
• Fekete Georg
• Stasson James B
• Swanson Ronald R

Classifications

• A63F5/0005 Primary

  Automatic roulette · CPC title

• A63F2009/2447

  Motion detector · CPC title

• A63F7/2409

  Apparatus for projecting the balls · CPC title