POKER AND OTHER GAMING CHIP CLEANING AND SANITIZING DEVICE

DISPOSITIF DE NETTOYAGE ET DE DESINFECTION DE JETONS DE POKER ET D'AUTRES JEUX

English Abstract

FORM 24
B) ABSTRACT
Existing methods used to clean gaming chips include washing by
hand and using a standard dish or clothes washing machine. The
disadvantages of these methods are the time taken when washed by
hand, the time and damage caused when washing by the dish or
clothes washing machine and the delays caused by having to take
the chips out of the trays and resort them into similar currency
denominations after cleaning. Existing machines do not bath the
chips in ultraviolet light to destroy bacteria, analysis has shown
that chips handled constantly in gambling casinos are heavily
contaminated with bacteria that can result in infections being
passed from one person to another without the persons actually
having to have made contact with each other. The containers, (Figs.
1,2,3,4,5 & 6. item 1) which hold the trays of poker style and other
gambling chips of various values and denominations and dollar
coins during the cleaning process are designed in a manner to be
able to enclose trays of various sizes complete with chips. The tray
containers are further designed in a manner which allows the chips
to move whilst in the trays and the CONTAINER in the upright,
sideways and inverted position and be fully exposed to the cleaning
process (Figs. 2 & 6, item 1), this exposure and movement allows
the chips to drift apart to ensure that the cleaning process can
access the inside and all around the chips whilst they are being
cleaned, sanitized and dried. The tray counting mechanism (Fig. 1,
item 2), ensures that an exact count can be maintained of the trays
and chips being cleaned at all times.

Claims

D) CLAIMS
The Gaming Chip (Poker Chips) Cleaning and Sanitizing units
embody a system of cleaning sanitizing and drying in a container
(Fig. No.2, item 1) that enables individual trays of Poker and other
Gaming Chips to be loaded in their trays into the cleaning and
sanitizing machine (Fig. No.1, item 1) and unloaded without
removing them from the tray. This saves time in sorting the chips
before and after cleaning and ensures that they will not be
damaged by excessive rubbing against each other during the
cleaning process.
(b) The method by which the trays of gaming chips are presented
to the cleaning mechanism is such that it is not possible for the
person using the machine to be endangered by the mechanism.
(c) The containers (Fig. No.2, item 1) into which the trays are
placed are designed such that the gaming chips are fully exposed to

the cleaning mechanisms. The container is designed in such a
manner that it restrains the tray together with the gaming chips
and prevents the tray and the gaming chips from becoming
dislodged as the cleaning and sanitizing take place and yet allows
the tray and the chips to be fully exposed to the cleaning solutions
in the upright, sideways and inverted position and move
sufficiently to enable the cleaning solutions and cleaning jets to
access all surfaces of the chips to ensure complete cleaning whilst
remaining in their individual trays.
(d) The mechanism is designed such that it call accept any nuumber
of trays of gaming chips at a time dependent only on the size of the
wash cabinet.(Fig. No.1)
(e) A counter is built into the mechanism to count both the trays
and the number of gaming chips being processed (Fig. No.1, item
14).
(f) The individual tray containers are attached to a moving chain
(Fig. No.5 item 5) which is driven by an electric motor. The chain,
which is continuous, takes the individual tray container with its
poker chips through the wash process. Here the trays of poker
chips are transported through the wash machine where they are
subjected to washing and sanitizing with detergents, rinsing with
fresh water and dried using an evacuation of moisture process. The
trays of chips then are transported to an exit area where the trays
are unloaded and new trays of chips inserted for cleaning. The
process is continuous and stopped only when all trays of poker
chips have been washed.
(g) The whole cleaning process includes inserting a tray of chips to
be cleaned in the special tray container, this then passes through
the wash trough where the chips are pressure sprayed with
detergents, sanitizers and water, they exit the wash area and enter
a separate area where they are bathed in ultra violet light and
suction dried, once these processes are complete the tray of chips
exit the wash and dry area to an unloading plate where the tray of
chips is taken out of the container and a new tray inserted for
cleaning.

Description

0 7 3
C) SPECIFICATION
The invention relates to the container which holds an individual
tray of poker or other gaming chips or coins ~nd the machine for
washing, saniti~ing, bathing in ultra~iolet light and drying gaming
chips. ~Fi~s. Nos. 12~ 3~ 4~ 516, 7~.
Washing, cleaning and sanitizing products is previously known.
The use of standard washing equipment and halld cleaning is
known and used internationally by all gaming establishments.
These methods are time consuming, erratie in quality of cleanliness
and cause damage to the chips.
The invention not previously know is the device to enable trays of
stacked gaming chips to be inserted into a CONTAINER (Fi~. 2
~, that allows the chips to be cle~ned in their trays and
remain in tlheir trays during the whole process.
This eliminates sorting and reinserting in the tray after the
cleaning process is completed which in turn create~ security in
counting of ehips processed and the elimination of errors in placing
chips of other denominations in the trays.
The trays are fabricated from metal or plasie rod, the rods are
spaced exactly at the center of the space between the chip~ when in
the trays, as indieated in the plans attached. (Fi~s..Nos.2~ 3 & 4,
item 3) The dimenions and spacing of the rods results in the
CONTAINER being able to contain the chips in the tray whilst in
the upright, i~verted and sideways position for cleaning without
the chips falling out of the tray and the CONTAINER ~
Nos.2~3~&4 item 4). The chain that propels the containers through
the device during the cleaning process, (Fi~. No. 5, item 5~ and to
which the trays containers are attached, inverts the tray of chips
during the wash process (Fi~. No.5l~item 6). This inversioll enables
the decontaminants on the surface of the chips to be washed free of
the chips and fall to the bottom of the wash tank fFi~. No.5 item 7)
in addition the trays that hold the chips are in the inverted position
and they are thoroughly cleaned a~ the same time. The pressure
sprays ~Fi~. No.5 item 8~ are located in the wash tank in such a
manner, that as the containers of the chips are rotated, to reverse
the direction of travel, they are sprayed under pressure, this
ensures that the chips are free to move apart from each other alld

~ V ~ 'J U c)
the cleaning action to be able to contact the top, bottom and sides
of each individual chip together with the tray into which they are
placed. ~fter washing the trays of chips are i:cverted and rinsed
with fresh ~rater and a solution of silicone ~ to
enhance the chip appearance and seal the surface to assist in
preventio~ contamination. The trays ;n their containers then pass
through a drying and ultraviolet light chamber ~,iten~
I0). In this chamber the trays and chips pass over a suction device
that sucks the remaining cleaning solutions and
water from the trays and chips. The trays of chips then pass out of
the drying chamber onto a horizontal plate(Fi No.1,~
where the CONTAINER is opened:to allow the chips in their tray
to be removed and a new tray of chips placed in the CONTAINER
for washing. The wash process is continual and does not stop whilt
the ~unloading and loading process is takillg place. The machine can
be varied in overall size to increase the number of chips that can
be washed. A counter is incorporated into the device(Fi~. N~
item 13~ that can only be reset after the device is turne-l off. A
further counter is incorporated to count the number of times the
machine is stopped and started ~o. 1~ item 14~. These devices
ensure safety and accllracy to guard against theft or pilfering.
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Representative Drawing