US-12623139-B2 - Game tile shuffler

Abstract

A game tile shuffler may include a tile container and a tile dispenser. Game tiles may pass between the tile container and the tile dispenser. The tile dispenser may include a chute opening and a tunnel that may split into multiple directions. A tunnel door may direct the game tiles between the multiple directions. The tile dispenser may be capable of identifying individual game tiles prior to dispensing. The game tile shuffler may be operable between a shuffle mode, whereby game tiles are circulated through the device, and a dispensing mode, whereby game tiles pass through the tunnel.

Inventors

• Yesmin Zurita

Assignees

• Yesmin Zurita

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20220221

Claims (18)

1. 1 . A game tile shuffler comprising: a tile container capable of receiving a plurality of game tiles; and a tile dispenser including a chute positioned to receive game tiles from the tile container and dimensioned to pass the game tiles along the chute and back into the tile container, the chute including a chute opening, and a dispenser tunnel extending from the chute opening to a first tunnel opening, wherein the game tile shuffler is operable to selectively open the chute opening, with a shuffling mode defined by the chute opening being blocked thereby capable of passing the plurality of game tiles within the chute to the tile container, and a dispensing mode defined by the chute opening being accessible thereby capable of passing the plurality of game tiles within the chute to the dispenser tunnel.
2. 2 . The game tile shuffler of claim 1 further comprising: a belt including a shelf dimensioned to carry at least one of the plurality of game tiles, the belt positioned proximate the tile container, and the belt rotatable so as to capture the at least one of the plurality of game tiles from the tile container and carry the at least one of the plurality of game tiles in the direction of the belt's rotation.
3. 3 . The game tile shuffler of claim 2 further comprising a back container positioned to directly receive game tiles carried by the belt, and the back container having a sloped floor terminating at an entrance to the chute.
4. 4 . The game tile shuffler of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser tunnel splits to either the first tunnel opening or a second tunnel opening, and the dispenser tunnel includes a tunnel door to selectively block the dispenser tunnel from the first or second tunnel opening.
5. 5 . The game tile shuffler of claim 1 further comprising a tile loader capable of holding a plurality of game tiles, wherein the tile container receives the plurality of game tiles from the tile loader, and wherein the tile loader includes a plurality of tile channels each dimensioned to receive the at least one of the plurality of game tiles.
6. 6 . The game tile shuffler of claim 5 further comprising a support loader having a pair of rails, wherein the tile loader includes a plurality of rail slots each provided in a pair of bottom walls extending downward from sides of the tile loader, and each rail slot is engageable with one of the pair of rails.
7. 7 . The game tile shuffler of claim 6 further comprising a tile loader cover positionable to block a bottom end of the tile channels, wherein each of the pair of bottom walls includes a cover slot dimensioned to receive the tile loader cover.
8. 8 . The game tile shuffler of claim 5 further comprising: a tile counter having a tile counter entrance hole, a tile counter exit hole, and a tile counter conduit extending between the tile counter entrance and exit holes, wherein the tile counter entrance hole is positioned proximate the tile loader and the tile counter exit hole is positioned over the tile container.
9. 9 . The game tile shuffler of claim 8 wherein the tile counter conduit includes at least one bend.
10. 10 . A game tile shuffler comprising: a tile container capable of receiving a plurality of game tiles; and a tile dispenser including a chute capable of receiving at least one of the plurality of game tiles from the tile container and dimensioned to pass the at least one of the plurality of game tiles along the chute and into the tile container, the chute including a chute opening, a dispenser tunnel extending from the chute opening to a first tunnel opening, and a tile selector including a chute portion and a tile dispensing portion, the chute portion aligned with the chute and having a chute portion hole positioned over the chute opening, and the tile dispensing portion laterally moveable across the chute portion, wherein the game tile shuffler is operable to selectively move the tile dispensing portion between a shuffle position and a dispensing position, wherein the plurality of game tiles are capable of passing through the chute portion in the shuffle position and the plurality of game tiles are capable of passing through the chute opening and the chute portion hole in the dispensing position.
11. 11 . The game tile shuffler of claim 10 , wherein the dispensing portion includes a dispensing portion entrance and a dispensing portion exit, and wherein the dispensing position includes a second and third position, whereby the dispensing portion entrance is aligned with the chute portion in the second position and the dispensing portion exit is aligned with the chute opening in the third position.
12. 12 . The game tile shuffler of claim 11 , wherein the chute portion includes a projection and the dispensing portion includes a gap dimensioned to receive the projection and positioned proximate the dispensing portion entrance, the projection entering into the gap as the projecting portion moves between the second and third position.
13. 13 . The game tile shuffler of claim 11 , wherein the dispensing portion includes a sensor positioned proximate the dispensing portion entrance and operable to identify the at least one of the plurality of game tiles.
14. 14 . The game tile shuffler of claim 11 , wherein the dispensing portion includes an end post which contacts a side of the chute portion as the dispensing portion is in the shuffle position.
15. 15 . The game tile shuffler of claim 11 , wherein the dispensing portion entrance can only accommodate one of the plurality of game tiles at a time, and the one of the plurality of game tiles must be passed to the dispensing portion exit before the dispensing portion entrance can receive another one of the plurality of game tiles.
16. 16 . The game tile shuffler of claim 15 , wherein the dispensing portion includes a sensor to identify the one of the plurality of game tiles positioned within the dispensing portion entrance.
17. 17 . The game tile shuffler of claim 11 , wherein the chute portion includes a pair of chute portion wings projecting into the chute portion.
18. 18 . The game tile shuffler of claim 10 , wherein the dispenser tunnel splits to either the first tunnel opening or a second tunnel opening, and the dispenser tunnel includes a tunnel door to selectively block the dispenser tunnel from the first or second tunnel opening.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/519,526 filed Jul. 23, 2018, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/703,696 filed on Jul. 26, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates generally to tile shufflers and, more particularly, a shuffler for dispensing tiles used in games. BACKGROUND Numerous games utilize tiles that contain letters, numbers, or symbols as part of gameplay. Mahjong and Dominoes, for instance, both involve placing tiles on a game surface in accordance with their respective rules. Scrabble® is an example board game which incorporates game tiles each having letters with associated point values. In each example, the game involves multiple players selecting these game tiles at random. Cheating can be rampant, however, from players who employ deceptive tactics to knowingly select particular tiles rather than choosing a game tile at random. For example, Scrabble® players may blindly select letter game tiles from a bag—but a cheating player may attach a small tool to their finger in order to feel a marking on the tile so as to identify what letter is on the tile so as to intentionally select higher value tiles. A shuffler, which would mix and randomly distribute game tiles, would thus curtail this and similar methods of cheating. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of every embodiment disclosed herein. It is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of the various embodiments nor delineate the scope of the disclosure. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the disclosure, in accordance with the various embodiments disclosed herein, in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. In one embodiment of the disclosure, a game tile shuffler may include a tile container and a tile dispenser. The tile container may be capable of receiving a plurality of game tiles. The tile dispenser may include a chute and a dispenser tunnel. The chute may be positioned to receive game tiles from the belt and dimensioned to pass the game tiles along the chute and into the tile container, the chute including a chute opening. The dispenser tunnel may extend from the chute opening to a first tunnel opening. The game tile shuffler may be operable to selectively open the chute opening, with a shuffling mode defined by the chute opening being blocked thereby passing the plurality of game tiles within the chute to the tile container, and a dispensing mode defined by the chute opening being accessible thereby capable of passing the plurality of game tiles within the chute to the dispenser tunnel. In another embodiment, a game tile shuffler may include a tile container capable of receiving a plurality of game tiles and a tile dispenser. The tile dispenser may include a chute positioned to receive the at least one of the plurality of game tiles from the belt and dimensioned to pass the at least one of the plurality of game tiles along the chute and into the tile container, the chute including a chute opening, a dispenser tunnel extending from the chute opening to a first tunnel opening, and a tile selector including a chute portion and a tile dispensing portion, the chute portion aligned with the chute and having a chute portion hole positioned over the chute opening, and the tile dispensing portion laterally moveable across the chute portion. The game tile shuffler may be operable to selectively move the tile dispensing portion between a shuffle position and a dispensing position. The plurality of game tiles may be capable of passing through the chute portion in the shuffle position and the plurality of game tiles may be capable of passing through the chute opening and the chute portion hole in the dispensing position. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth certain illustrative aspects of the embodiments of the disclosure. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the disclosure may be employed and the various embodiments are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following description when considered in conjunction with the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1 illustrates a top-front-left perspective view of an embodiment of a game tile shuffler. FIG. 2 illustrates a top-front-left perspective view of the game tile shuffler of FIG. 1 with the front panel and case removed. FIG. 3 illustrates a top-front-right perspective view of the game tile shuffler of FIG. 1 with the front panel and case removed. FIG. 4 illustrates a top-front-right perspecti