Patent Publication Number: US-2003234492-A1

Title: Game card system

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001] The present invention relates to a game card system. In particular, the invention relates to a deck of cards that have specially designed numbers and letters in the corners of the cards.  
       BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] Various designs of deck of cards have been used in the past. Frequently, the cards are numbered from two to ten while the digits 1, 11, 12, 13, 14 have been represented by ace, knight, queen, king, ace, respectively. In many games, such as poker, the player may receive five cards that are placed after one another. During the increase in excitement over which “hand” the player received, it is common to slowly spread the cards so that they may appear similar to other cards as long as possible. In this way, the player delays the full appearance of the cards to leave open the possibility of having a really good hand as long as possible. However, the current card designs are often designed so that player knows which cards the players have without much spreading. There is a need for a card design that permits more spreading without revealing the identity of the cards to the player.  
       [0003] The card system of the present invention solves the above-outlined problems. More particularly, the card system has a first group comprising cards representing the numbers nine and two. The cards have identical left segments. The system has a second group of cards that represent the numbers eight, six and four, respectively so that the second group of cards have identical left segments. The system also has a third group of cards that represent the cards knight, three and five, respectively. The third group of cards has identical left segments. The cards also are designed so that the upper segments of various groups are identical so that the player may spread the card from an upper edge of the cards without immediately revealing the identity of the cards. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
     [0004]FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a card of the present invention that displays the digit two;  
     [0005]FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a card of the present invention that displays an ace;  
     [0006]FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a card of the present invention that displays a knight;  
     [0007]FIG. 4 is a schematic overview of card groups with identical left segments;  
     [0008]FIG. 5 is a schematic overview of card groups with identical upper segments;  
     [0009] FIGS.  6 A- 6 D are schematic detailed views of portions of the card groups shown in FIG. 4; and  
     [0010] FIGS.  7 A- 7 D are schematic detailed views of portions of the card groups shown in FIG. 5.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     [0011] With reference to FIGS.  1 - 7 , the game card system  10  of the present invention has cards that are “spread-friendly” so that the player may gradually spread the cards without fully revealing the identity of the cards to prolong the excitement while the cards held in the player&#39;s hand are being spread apart. Similar to a conventional deck of cards, the card system  10  may have 52 cards divided into the four categories, clubs, hearts, diamonds and spades wherein each category ranges from the numbers 2-10, knight, queen, king and ace. The system  10  may also include extra cards such as a joker and other cards.  
     [0012] More particularly, the system  10  has several cards such as the cards  12 ,  14 ,  16 , shown in FIGS.  1 - 3 . Only three complete cards have been described for illustrative purposes and the system  10  is not limited to only three cards. The remaining cards of the system  10  are designed according to the same principles as the cards  12 ,  14 ,  16 . For example, the card  12  has an outer edge  18  and a rectangular enclosure  20  printed in the middle of the card  12 . The enclosure  20  identifies the card by displaying a certain number of clubs that corresponds to the numbers shown in the sections  26 ,  28 . An upper left corner  22  and a lower right corner  24  of the card  12  display the numbers or symbols in the section  26 ,  28 . For example, the section  26  may show the number  2  and a club symbol  27  shown below the section  26 . A club symbol  29  is displayed above the section  28 .  
     [0013] FIGS.  2 - 3  show examples of the card  14  representing the ace of diamonds and the card  16  representing the knight of hearts. As indicated earlier, the other complete cards of the system  10  are not shown for simplicity.  
     [0014] An important feature of the present invention is the design of the numbers or symbols in the sections  26 ,  28  for all the cards. For example, the section  26  has a left segment  30  and an upper segment  32  that are identical for a group of cards that belong to the same group. As explained in detail below, the design of the left segments is identical for both the digits  9  and  2  as shown in a horizontal group  34  in FIG. 4. The corresponding left segments of the digits  8 ,  6 ,  4  in a horizontal group  36  are identical. Similarly, the group  38  includes identical left segments for the digits  3 ,  7 ,  5  and the symbols for the knight and joker. The group  40  includes identical left segments for the queen, ten, king and ace.  
     [0015] In this way, when the player is slowly spreading the cards placed behind one another and only displays the left segments  30  of each hidden card, the player will only be able to determine that the partially hidden card belongs to one of the groups  34 ,  36 ,  38 ,  40  but not which card the player has within the group. The player must reveal more than the left segment to be able to identify which card within the group the player has.  
     [0016] The card system  10  may be adjusted to different languages. For example, Scandinavian cards may include the Scandinavian symbols shown in group  42  wherein “Kn” represents the knight, “D” represents the queen and “E” represents the ace. Other symbols and numbers may also be used such as the symbols shown in the groups  44 ,  46 .  
     [0017] Some players prefer to slowly spread the cards so that only the upper segment  32  of each card is shown. The group  48  includes the cards knight, three, seven, five and joker with identical upper segments. The Scandinavian symbol “E” for ace may -also belong to the group  48 . The group  50  includes the cards eight, nine, two and queen wherein each card in this groups has identical upper segments. The group  52  includes the cards six and four with identical upper segments and the group  54  includes the cards ten, king and ace with identical upper segments. Other non-English symbols, such as the symbols shown in the group  56 , may belong to the group  50 . Similarly, the non-English symbols shown in the group  58  may belong to the group  54 .  
     [0018] In this way, the player may only display the upper segment  32  of each card to determine to which group  48 ,  50 ,  52  or  54  the hidden cards belong. However, the player cannot determine which cards within each group the player has in the player&#39;s hand.  
     [0019] FIGS.  6 A- 6 D show a detailed view of the left segments for each card symbol in the English language. More particularly, FIG. 6A shows the group  38  including the cards  60 ,  62 ,  64 ,  66 ,  68  that represent the knight, three, joker, five and joker, respectively. The cards  60 ,  62 ,  64  and  66  have left segments  70 ,  72 ,  74  and  76  that are identical so that the player cannot determine which partially hidden card the player has without revealing more than the left segment of the partially hidden cards. The segments  70 ,  72 ,  74 ,  76  have arrow-like protrusions  148   a - 148   d  at top ends  150   a - 150   d  and upwardly curved segments  152   a - 152   d  at bottom ends  154   a - 154   d  of the segments  70 ,  72 ,  74 ,  76 . The card  68  has a left segment  78  that has a top segment  80  that is identical to the top ends  150   a - 150   d  but a different bottom part  82 .  
     [0020]FIG. 6B shows the group  36  including the cards  84 ,  86  and  88  with identical left segments  90 ,  92 ,  94 ,. respectively. The left segments  90 ,  92 ,  94  have C-shaped segments  95   a ,  95   b ,  95   c  at bottom ends  97 ,  99 ,  101  of the segments  90 ,  92 ,  94 , respectively. The cards  84 ,  86 ,  88  represent the numbers eight, six and four, respectively.  
     [0021]FIG. 6C shows the group  34  including the cards  96 ,  98  with identical left segments  100 ,  102 , respectively. The left segments  100 ,  102  have C-shaped segments  101   a ,  101   b  at upper ends  103 ,  105 , respectively. The cards  96 ,  98  represent the numbers nine and two, respectively.  
     [0022]FIG. 6D shows the group  40  including the cards  104 ,  106 ,  108  and  110  with the identical left segments  112 ,  114 ,  116  and  118 . The left segments  112 ,  114 ,  116 ,  118  have vertical lines  113   a - 113   d  with sloping upper surfaces  115   a - 115   d  at an upper end  117   a - 117   d  and a horizontal left protrusion  119   a - 119   d  at bottom ends  121 ,  123 ,  125 ,  127 , respectively. The cards  104 ,  106 ,  108 ,  110  represent the queen, ten, king and ace, respectively.  
     [0023] FIGS.  7 A- 7 D show a detailed view of the upper segments for each card symbol. More particularly, FIG. 7A shows the group  48  including the cards  60 ,  62 ,  64 ,  66  and  68  that have identical upper segments  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126  and  128 , respectively. The upper segments  130 ,  132 ,  134 ,  136  have horizontal lines  156   a - 156   e  with arrows  148   a - 148   e  pointing to the left.  
     [0024]FIG. 7B shows the group  50  including the cards  84 ,  96 ,  98  and  104  that have the identical upper segments  130 ,  132 ,  134  and  136 , respectively. The upper segments  138 ,  140  have downwardly curved segments  160   a - 160   d.    
     [0025]FIG. 7C shows the group  52  including the cards  86 ,  88  that have the identical upper segments  138 ,  140 , respectively. The upper segments  138 ,  140  have sloping lines  162   a - 162   b  pointing in an upward right direction.  
     [0026]FIG. 7D shows the group  54  including the cards  106 ,  108  and  110  that have the identical upper segments  142 ,  144 ,  146 , respectively. The upper segments  142 ,  144 ,  146  have arrow-like pointers  164   a - 164   c  on a left side of the segments  142 .  144 ,  146 .  
     [0027] It should be noted that the horizontal and vertical triangles for each symbol in the same group may be located in exactly the same place on the card. In this way, the player may not determine which symbol the card is displaying by merely seeing the position of a very small portion of the symbol.  
     [0028] While the present invention has been described in accordance with preferred compositions and embodiments, it is to be understood that certain substitutions and alterations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims.