Rim-mounted roulette ball launching system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017087450-A1
Application number	US-201615099174-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 14, 2016
Priority date	Sep 25, 2015
Publication date	Mar 30, 2017
Grant date	—

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

1 . A roulette ball launching system comprising:
a mounting structure comprising an outer law and an inner law, the mounting structure for mounting to a roulette wheel bowl via the mounting structure by releasably clamping to the roulette wheel bowl at the top rim between the outer jaw and the 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, wherein at least a portion of the ball launcher is configured to be positioned lower than the top rim of the roulette wheel bowl to position the roulette ball lower than the top rim of the roulette wheel bowl and proximate a ball path of the roulette wheel bowl prior to being launched.

2 . The roulette ball launching system of claim 1 , wherein the ball launcher, in a launch position, is configured to extend over the top rim and into the roulette bowl while being spaced from the ball path, and wherein the ball launcher, in a retracted position, is configured to be withdrawn from the roulette bowl.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 a roulette ball into the ball path of the roulette wheel.

4 . The roulette ball launching system of claim 2 , wherein the ball launcher is pivotally mounted to the mounting structure and is configured to rotate 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 path.

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 top 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 comprising:
a roulette table comprising a roulette wheel having a concave bowl with a circular ball path around an upper circumference of the concave bowl, the bowl having a top rim overhanging a lower portion of the bowl; and a roulette ball launcher comprising:
a mounting structure including an outer jaw and an inner jaw, the mounting structure attached to the bowl proximate the top rim by a portion of the bowl being clamped between the inner law and the outer law, wherein the inner jaw is positioned within the bowl; and
a roulette ball launcher connected to the mounting structure, the ball launcher for positioning a roulette ball in the circular ball path underneath the top rim prior to launching a roulette ball into the circular ball path.

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

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

11 . The roulette ball launching system of claim 8 , further comprising an adjustment component configured to change a position of the 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 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 for mounting to a roulette table, the launching system comprising:
a mounting structure including a downward-facing outer jaw and a downward-facing inner jaw, the mounting structure configured to be fixed to a concave bowl of a roulette wheel proximate a top rim of the bowl via clamping the concave bowl between the outer and inner jaws; a roulette ball launcher connected to the mounting structure, the ball launcher having a launch position wherein at least a part of the ball launcher extends into the bowl below the top rim and a retracted position wherein the at least part of the ball launcher is configured to be withdrawn out of the bowl by rotating the at least part of the ball launcher about the mounting structure; and the ball launcher in the launch position being configured to release a roulette ball within a circular ball path of the roulette wheel 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
• Scheper Paul K
• Kotifani Jamal Hani
• Fekete Georg

Classifications

• A63F11/00 Primary

  Game accessories of general use · CPC title

• A63F7/26

  electric or magnetic · CPC title

• A63F5/00

  Roulette games · CPC title

• A63F7/2472 Primary

  Projecting devices with actuating mechanisms, e.g. triggers, not being connected to the playfield · CPC title

• A63F2009/2489

  by radio transmitters, e.g. using RFID · CPC title