BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION In a conventional gaming table, such as that used in casinos for playing Black Jack, there is an opening provided in a playing surface of the table in which a gaming chip tray is permanently fixed. A reserve chip drawer may be located underneath the table next to a croupier but sufficiently distant from any players. The drawer is able to be locked for security purposes and slides in and out from underneath the table without being removable from the table. When the tray fixed to the playing surface is emptied of chips, it is replenished with further chips from the reserve drawer. A croupier in replenishing the tray of chips must step back from the gaming table and retract the reserve drawer from underneath the gaming table. The croupier must then lean a somewhat awkward distance between the reserve drawer and tray in order to replenish the tray of chips.

This task is fairly onerous in that a croupier is required to step back from the gaming table and must demonstrate some degree of skill and coordination to ensure that the reserve drawer is not inadvertently bumped or that chips are spilt from the drawer.

Furthermore, this degree of concentration may distract the croupier from the activities of the players.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an active gaming chip tray being adapted to nest within and thus operatively cooperate with a backup chip tray disposed on a gaming table whereby, in use, when gaming chips are exhausted from the active tray, the active tray can be removed from the backup tray within which it is nested so as to provide access to further gaming chips held within the backup tray.

Generally, the backup tray is located within an opening or recess provided in a playing surface of the table, the active tray also being designed to position in the opening or recess. In this case, the active tray rests upon the backup tray whilst the backup tray is located within the opening or recess.

Typically, the backup gaming chip tray is coupled to the active tray via a tray coupling. In one embodiment the tray coupling includes an elongate linkage connected at opposing ends to the backup tray and the active tray, respectively.

Alternatively, the backup gaming chip tray is one of a plurality of adjacent backup trays being nested within one another so as to operatively cooperate with each other.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a plurality of gaming chip trays nested within one another whereby, in use, when gaming chips are exhausted from an active or uppermost of the plurality of trays, the active tray can be removed from an adjacent tray within which it is nested and thereafter further gaming chips can be obtained from the adjacent tray.

Typically, at least a lowermost tray of the plurality of nested trays is designed so as to rest within an opening or recess provided in a playing surface of a gaming table.

Preferably, the lowermost tray only of the plurality of nested trays is configured so as to bear against and thus be supported by the playing surface of the gaming table.

In one embodiment, the lowermost tray includes an outwardly extending flange being arranged so as to support the lowermost tray and any nested trays within the opening or recess.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to achieve a better understanding of the nature of the present invention, a preferred embodiment of a gaming chip tray and a plurality of gaming chip trays nested within one another will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an active chip tray removed from a backup chip tray in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the active and backup chip trays of Figure 1 nested within one another ; and Figure 3 is a plan, side and end elevational view of the trays depicted in Figures 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As best shown in Figure 1, there is an active chip tray 10 removed from a backup chip tray 12 within which it is nested. The active and backup chip trays 10,12 are somewhat similar in construction having four (4) perimeter walls 14A-D and 16A-D together with a fluted base wall or floor 18 and 20.

The trays 10 and 12 are generally rectangular in plan view with the floor 18 and 20 being inclined at a slight angle.

The floor 18 and 20 has flutes or grooves which substantially correspond in shape and size to circular- shaped gaming chips 22 and 24 which reside in the trays 10 and 12, respectively.

The active tray 10 is shallower in depth compared to the backup tray 12. Thus, when the active tray 10 is nested within the backup tray 12, sufficient space is provided beneath the floor 18 of the active tray 10 for the gaming chips 24. The backup tray 12 includes a pair of front lugs 26A, 26B and rear lugs (not shown) provided on the front and rear wall 16C, 16A respectively of the backup tray 12.

The lugs 26 provide a stop for the active tray 10 when nested within the backup tray 12. The active tray 10 is also provided with a pair of legs 28A, 28B which extend beneath the floor 18.

As depicted in Figure 2, the backup tray 12 includes an outwardly extending flange 30 extending around its upper edge. The flange 30 is designed to be fixed to a playing surface of a gaming table when the backup tray 12 is located within an opening provided in the table (not shown). The active tray 10 when nested in the backup tray 12 is also supported by the flange 30 of the backup tray 12. The active tray 10 is provided with a pair of handles 32A, 32B at opposing ends of the tray 10 so as to permit removal or retraction of the active tray 10 from the backup tray 12 in which it is nested. An upper edge of the active tray 10 is substantially level or flush with an upper edge of the backup tray 12 so that neither tray 10 or 12 projects above the playing surface of the gaming table.

Figure 3 shows in plan and various elevational views the active tray 10 and backup tray 12 both in a nested

formation and with the active tray 10 removed or retracted from the backup tray 12. Thus, Figure 3 is largely further representations of the active and backup trays 10 and 12 as depicted in Figures 1 and 2. Like numerals are used to designate the same components of the active and backup trays 10 and 12.

In use, the active tray 10 is nested within the backup tray 12 which is fixed within the opening provided in the playing surface of the gaming table. To begin, both trays 10 and 12 are substantially full of gaming chips 22 and 24, respectively. Once the gaming chips 22 are exhausted or emptied from the active tray 10, the active tray 10 is lifted from the backup tray 12 in which it is nested via the handles 32A, 32B. The active tray 10 is then placed on the playing surface of the table in front of the backup tray 12 which is now exposed. The legs 28A, 28B of the active tray 10 assist in supporting the tray 10 whilst it rests on the table.

Further chips can then be obtained from the backup tray 12.

The trays 10 and 12 are conveniently linked via flexible links or ties 34A and 34B which serve to interconnect adjacent end walls 14D, 16D and 14B, 16B of the trays 10 and 12. In this embodiment, opposing ends of the links or ties 34A, 34B are connected to an outer end inner surface of the end walls 14B, 14D and 16B, 16D respectively.

Once the backup tray 12 is emptied of the further playing chips 24, the active and backup trays 10 and 12 are replenished from the floor by a security guard who obtains and delivers additional chips from the"Fill Bank". The active tray 10 can then once again be nested within the backup tray 12 having both been replenished with gaming chips.

Now that a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in some detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the backup gaming chip tray and plurality of nested gaming chip trays have at least the following advantages over the admitted prior art: (1) the backup tray is arranged relative to and cooperates with the active tray so as to provide expeditious access to further gaming chips; and (2) the chip trays are relatively compact and suitable for use in conventional gaming tables.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. For example, although the trays are preferably press-formed in the steel, it is possible that the trays may also be moulded in a plastics material.

All such variations and modifications are to be considered within the scope of the present invention, the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description.