Card dispensing mechanism and automatic card dispenser

Abstract

The application discloses a card issuing mechanism and an automatic card issuing machine, and belongs to the technical field of card issuing machines. The card issuing mechanism comprises a base, a card box, a card scraping mechanism and a card reading and writing head. The base is formed with a card outlet channel. The card box is located above the card outlet channel, and the bottom of the card box is provided with a card box channel. The card box channel is communicated with the card outlet channel. The card scraping mechanism is slidably installed on the base and located in the card outlet channel. When the card scraping mechanism is at a first position, it is located below the card box channel. When the card scraping mechanism slides out from the first position, a card is scraped out from the card box. The card reading and writing head is aligned with the card outlet channel at the inlet. When the card scraping mechanism carries the card and slides to a second position, the card at least partially extends into the card reading and writing head. The card scraping driving mechanism is connected with the card scraping mechanism and used for driving the card scraping mechanism to move along the card outlet channel from the first position to the second position. According to the card issuing mechanism, the card scraping mechanism directly transports the card in the card box to the card reading and writing head along the card outlet channel, the switching of the mechanism is avoided, the risk of mechanism jamming is reduced, and the failure rate is low.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of card issuing machine technology, and particularly relates to a card issuing mechanism and an automatic card issuing machine. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most self-service card dispensing machines deployed at highway entrances and other locations use a method where the card dispensing channel switches between card bins. When the card-scraping mechanism scrapes the card, it needs to ensure the card dispensing channel is aligned with the card bin. However, this mechanism requires high precision in its movement. In harsh environments, such as those with high dust levels, the switching mechanism can easily become sluggish or even malfunction. Furthermore, when a card dispensing machine malfunctions, the entire machine needs to be shut down for maintenance, switching to manual card dispensing, which reduces efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes a card issuing mechanism and an automatic card issuing machine. The card issuing mechanism avoids mechanism switching, reduces the risk of mechanism jamming, and has a low failure rate.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a card issuing mechanism, comprising: a base having a card dispensing channel; a card box mounted on the base and located above the card dispensing channel, the bottom of the card box having a card box channel communicating with the card dispensing channel; a card scraping mechanism slidably mounted on the base and located within the card dispensing channel, wherein in a first position the card scraping mechanism is located below the card box channel, and when the card scraping mechanism slides out from the first position, it scrapes a card from the card box and slides along with the card; a read / write head mounted on the base, the inlet of the read / write head being aligned with the card dispensing channel, wherein when the card scraping mechanism slides with the card to a second position, at least part of the card extends into the read / write head; and a card scraping drive mechanism mounted on the base and connected to the card scraping mechanism for driving the card scraping mechanism to move along the card dispensing channel from the first position to the second position.

[0005] According to the card issuing mechanism of the present invention, by using a card dispensing channel to connect the card box and the reader / writer head, the card scraping mechanism directly transports the cards in the card box to the reader / writer head along the card dispensing channel, avoiding mechanism switching, reducing the risk of mechanism jamming, and resulting in a low failure rate.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the card-scraping mechanism includes: a guide rail installed in the card dispensing channel and extending from the first position to the second position; a tray slidably installed on the guide rail, wherein the tray is located below the card box channel when in the first position; and a scraping hook installed on the side of the tray opposite to the direction of sliding out from the first position, wherein the scraping hook is located in the card box channel when in the first position, and when the tray carries the card, the top of the scraping hook is higher than the bottom of the card and lower than the top of the card.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the scraper drive mechanism includes: a belt transmission mechanism, mounted on the base and arranged along the guide direction of the guide rail, wherein the belt in the belt transmission mechanism is connected to the pallet; and a belt drive mechanism, connected to the belt transmission mechanism, for driving the belt transmission mechanism so that the belt drives the pallet to move along the guide rail.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a recycling slot is further formed on the base, the recycling slot being disposed below the inlet of the read / write head; the read / write head is used to eject an invalid card from the inlet, causing the invalid card to fall into the recycling slot.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the read / write head has a read / write channel formed laterally, and the read / write head further includes: a first rubber roller assembly disposed on the entrance side of the read / write channel, the first rubber roller assembly including first rubber rollers disposed vertically opposite each other, wherein when the card is slid to a second position by the card scraping mechanism, the card is at least partially inserted between the vertically opposite first rubber rollers; an antenna plate mounted on the top of the read / write channel for reading and writing cards located in the read / write channel; and a rubber roller drive mechanism connected to the first rubber rollers for driving the first rubber rollers to rotate, so that the first rubber rollers retract the card into the read / write channel.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the read / write head further includes: a second rubber roller assembly disposed on the exit side of the read / write channel, the second rubber roller assembly including second rubber rollers disposed vertically opposite each other, and when the card is disengaged from the first rubber roller assembly within the read / write head, at least partially extending between the vertically opposite second rubber rollers; and a rubber roller drive mechanism connected to the second rubber rollers for driving the second rubber rollers to rotate, so that the second rubber rollers deliver the card out of the read / write channel.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the card issuing mechanism further includes: a first position sensor, mounted on the base and arranged along the movement trajectory of the card-scraping mechanism, the first position sensor being used to acquire position information of the card-scraping mechanism; and a second position sensor, mounted on the base and arranged along the movement trajectory of the card, the second position sensor being used to acquire position information of the card.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the card box has a receiving cavity communicating with the card box channel; the card box further includes a cover plate, which is installed on the side of the card box and is closably connected to the main body of the card box, and when the cover plate is opened, the receiving cavity communicates with the outside.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the card box further includes: a fixing plate, fixedly installed on the side of the card box; a first sliding groove, disposed vertically on the fixing plate; a second sliding groove, disposed on the fixing plate and communicating laterally with the top of the first sliding groove; and a pressure block, disposed in the receiving cavity and cooperating with the first sliding groove or the second sliding groove to slide along the first sliding groove or the second sliding groove.

[0014] Secondly, the present invention provides an automatic card issuing machine, which has an upper station and a lower station, and both the upper station and the lower station are respectively provided with a plurality of card issuing mechanisms according to any one of the foregoing embodiments.

[0015] The automatic card dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention employs multiple card dispensing mechanisms, with each mechanism connected to a card box and a reader / writer head via a card dispensing channel. The card scraping mechanism directly transports the cards from the card box to the reader / writer head along the card dispensing channel, avoiding mechanism switching, reducing the risk of mechanism jamming, and resulting in a low failure rate. Furthermore, when some card dispensing mechanisms fail, the entire machine can continue operating without interruption, while the remaining normal card dispensing mechanisms can still dispense cards.

[0016] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0018] Figure 1 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the card issuing mechanism provided in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the scraping mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3This is the second structural schematic diagram of the card issuing mechanism provided in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the card box provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the sliding groove structure on the card box provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 This is a front view of the automatic card dispenser provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 7 This is a side view of the automatic card dispenser provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure label:

[0026] 100 card issuing institutions;

[0027] Base 110, card dispensing channel 111, baffle 112, anti-reverse block 113;

[0028] Card box 120, card box channel 121, receiving cavity 122, cover plate 123, top plate 124, fixing plate 125, first slide groove 126, second slide groove 127, pressure block 128;

[0029] Scraping mechanism 130, guide rail 131, tray 132, scraping hook 133, sliding part 134;

[0030] Read / write head 140, read / write channel 141, first rubber wheel group 142, antenna board 143, rubber wheel drive mechanism 144, first rubber wheel 145, second rubber wheel group 146, second rubber wheel 147;

[0031] Scraper drive mechanism 150, belt transmission mechanism 151, belt drive mechanism 152, belt 153, rotating shaft 154;

[0032] Recycling tank 160, first position sensor 170, second position sensor 180;

[0033] Card 200;

[0034] Upper workstation 310, lower workstation 320. Detailed Implementation

[0035] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0036] The following reference Figures 1-5 The card issuing mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, one embodiment of the present invention provides a card issuing mechanism. The card issuing mechanism 100 includes a base 110, a card box 120, a card scraping mechanism 130, a reader / writer head 140, and a card scraping drive mechanism 150. The base 110 forms a card dispensing channel 111; the card box 120 is mounted on the base 110 and located above the card dispensing channel 111, and the bottom of the card box 120 has a card box channel 121 that communicates with the card dispensing channel 111; the card scraping mechanism 130 is slidably mounted on the base 110 and located within the card dispensing channel 111. When the card scraping mechanism 130 is in a first position, it is located below the card box channel 121. When the card scraping mechanism 130 slides out from the first position, it scrapes a card from inside the card box 120. Card 200 is slid along with the card 200; the read / write head 140 is mounted on the base 110, and the inlet of the read / write head 140 is aligned with the card dispensing channel 111. When the card scraping mechanism 130 slides to the second position with the card 200 slid along, the card 200 is at least partially inserted into the read / write head 140; the card scraping drive mechanism 150 is mounted on the base 110 and connected to the card scraping mechanism 130, and is used to drive the card scraping mechanism 130 to move along the card dispensing channel 111 from the first position to the second position.

[0038] It should be noted that the card issuing mechanism 100 in this embodiment of the invention can be applied to the issuance of highway toll cards. The card issuing mechanism 100 can be connected to the main unit. When the main unit detects the arrival of a vehicle, it controls the card issuing mechanism 100 to issue a card. The card issuing process of the card issuing mechanism 100 is as follows: the card scraping drive mechanism 150 drives the card scraping mechanism 130 to scrape a card 200 from the card box 120, and sends the card 200 into the read / write head 140. After the read / write head 140 writes vehicle information and other data into the card 200, it sends the card 200 to the vehicle owner. Among these, the vehicle information and other data can be collected by the main unit and forwarded to the card issuing mechanism 100.

[0039] In this embodiment, the card box 120 stores access cards, which enter the card dispensing channel 111 through the card box channel 121. The access cards can fall from the card box 120 into the card box channel 121 under their own weight. The card box channel 121 is connected to the card dispensing channel 111, and a baffle 112 can be provided at the bottom of the card box channel 121. This baffle 112 is used to hold the cards 200 and prevent the cards 200 from falling into the card issuing mechanism 100 when manually adding cards.

[0040] In some embodiments, the card dispensing channel 111 can be arranged in a straight line between the card box 120 and the reader / writer head 140. The card 200, driven by the card scraping mechanism 130, moves in a straight line from the card box 120 to the reader / writer head 140. The card scraping mechanism 130 can hold the card 200 in place, allowing it to slide together with the card 200. Alternatively, the card scraping mechanism 130 can be equipped with a pusher to continuously apply a pushing force along the sliding direction to the card 200 during the sliding process, thereby allowing it to slide together with the card 200.

[0041] Reference Figure 1 The first position can refer to the left extreme position of the card-scraping mechanism 130 in the card dispensing channel 111, and the second position can refer to the right extreme position of the card-scraping mechanism 130 in the card dispensing channel 111. Driven by the card-scraping drive mechanism 150, the card-scraping mechanism 130 can slide back and forth along the card dispensing channel 111 in the left-right direction. Of course, the first position can also be a certain distance away from the left extreme position, and the second position can also be a certain distance away from the right extreme position.

[0042] With card 200 stored in card holder 120, the card-scraping mechanism 130, driven by the card-scraping drive mechanism 150, slides from the first position to the right, causing one card 200 to move to the right. At this time, the remaining cards 200 in card holder 120 fall into the card dispensing channel 111 under their own gravity. When the card-scraping mechanism 130 slides the card 200 to the second position, the card 200 is received by the read / write head 140. Subsequently, the card-scraping mechanism 130, driven by the card-scraping drive mechanism 150, slides from the second position to the left, returning to the first position.

[0043] In some embodiments, the card-scraping drive mechanism 150 may include a displacement transmission mechanism, such as a lead screw mechanism. The displacement transmission mechanism is connected to the card-scraping mechanism 130 in a transmission manner, and the displacement transmission mechanism transmits driving force to the card-scraping mechanism 130, thereby causing the card-scraping mechanism 130 to slide.

[0044] According to the card issuing mechanism 100 of the present invention, by using a card dispensing channel 111 to connect the card box 120 and the reader / writer 140, the card scraping mechanism 130 directly transports the card 200 in the card box 120 to the reader / writer 140 along the card dispensing channel 111, avoiding the switching of the mechanism, reducing the risk of mechanism jamming, and resulting in a low failure rate.

[0045] Reference Figure 2In some embodiments of the present invention, the card-scraping mechanism 130 may include a guide rail 131, a tray 132, and a scraper hook 133. The guide rail 131 is installed in the card dispensing channel 111 and extends from a first position to a second position. The tray 132 is slidably installed on the guide rail 131. In the first position, the tray 132 is located below the card box channel 121. The scraper hook 133 is installed on the side of the tray 132 opposite to the direction of sliding out from the first position. In the first position, the scraper hook 133 is located in the card box channel 121. When the tray 132 carries the card 200, the top of the scraper hook 133 is higher than the bottom of the card 200 and lower than the top of the card 200.

[0046] In some embodiments, to improve the stability of the movement of the tray 132, two guide rails 131 may be provided, and they may be symmetrically arranged on both sides along the center line of the card dispensing channel 111. The guide rails 131 are fixed to the base 110, and sliding parts 134 that cooperate with the guide rails 131 are respectively provided on both sides of the tray 132. The sliding parts 134 are sleeved on the guide rails 131 and form a sliding pair with the guide rails 131.

[0047] As an example, Figure 2 The position of tray 132 shown can be considered as the first position, located below the card compartment channel 121. When tray 132 slides out from the first position, its sliding direction is to the right. Correspondingly, scraper 133 is provided on the left side of tray 132. When scraper 133 slides to the right with tray 132 in card compartment channel 121, it scrapes a card 200 out of card compartment channel 121. After sliding out of card compartment channel 121, card 200 falls onto tray 132 and continues to slide to the right with tray 132.

[0048] It should be noted that the scratch hook 133 can be an elastic element, or the scratch hook 133 can be connected to the tray 132 via an elastic element. Since the normal height of the scratch hook 133 needs to be higher than the bottom of the card 200, and during the process of the tray 132 returning from the second position to the first position, there is a card 200 that has fallen out of the card box 120 in the first position, the scratch hook 133 will collide with the card 200. To allow the scratching mechanism 130 to return to the first position, the scratch hook 133 needs to retract downwards.

[0049] In some embodiments, the scratch hook 133 has a slope on its left side, which slopes from top to bottom and from right to left. When the scratch hook 133 slides to the left and collides with the card 200, one end of the card 200 abuts against the slope, and the scratch hook 133 retracts downward along the slope, thereby preventing the scratch hook 133 from getting stuck with the card 200.

[0050] Combination Figure 1In some embodiments, when the tray 132 returns to the first position, the tray 132 may be located below the card box channel 121, and the scraper 133 extends from the middle of the card box channel 121 and is lower than the card box channel 121. When the tray 132 slides to the right, the scraper 133 pushes the card 200 on the baffle 112 to the right. After the card 200 is displaced to the right by a certain distance, it slides off the baffle 112 onto the tray 132.

[0051] In some embodiments of the present invention, the scraper drive mechanism 150 may include a belt transmission mechanism 151 and a belt drive mechanism 152. The belt transmission mechanism 151 is mounted on the base 110 and arranged along the guide direction of the guide rail 131. The belt 153 in the belt transmission mechanism 151 is connected to the pallet 132. The belt drive mechanism 152 is connected to the belt transmission mechanism 151 and is used to drive the belt transmission mechanism 151 so that the belt 153 drives the pallet 132 to move along the guide rail 131.

[0052] In this embodiment, the belt transmission mechanism 151 includes a belt 153 and a rotating shaft 154. The rotating shafts 154 are respectively disposed at both ends of the guide rail 131, and the distance between the two rotating shafts 154 can be greater than the length of the guide rail 131. The belt 153 is mounted on the rotating shaft 154. The belt 153 is parallel to the guide rail 131 and is arranged in a straight line in the left-right direction.

[0053] In some embodiments, the belt drive mechanism 152 may include a motor, and a gear is provided on the rotating shaft 154. The motor and the gear on the rotating shaft 154 mesh through a gear set. When the motor is running, the output shaft drives the rotating shaft 154 to rotate through the gear set, thereby causing the belt 153 to rotate along the rotating shaft. Since the support plate 132 is connected to the belt 153, the support plate 132 also moves when the belt 153 moves.

[0054] It should be noted that the card issuing mechanism 100 also includes a control board (not shown in the figure), which can be electrically connected to the belt drive mechanism 152. The control board can also be communicatively connected to the whole machine, receiving control signals sent by the whole machine, and driving the belt drive mechanism 152 to run according to the control signals. For example, if the control signal corresponds to "dispensing a card", after receiving the control signal, the control board drives the belt drive mechanism 152 to move to the right, causing the card scraping mechanism 130 to run to the right, and then sends the card 200 to the reader / writer head 140. After that, the control board then drives the belt drive mechanism 152 to move to the left, causing the card scraping mechanism 130 to run to the left.

[0055] According to the embodiments of the present invention, the card issuing mechanism 100 uses a belt to drive the card scraping mechanism 130 to move, which is not easily affected by factors such as dust. Compared with related technologies that use linkages or swing arms, it is less affected by the environment and is suitable for use in harsh environments.

[0056] Reference Figure 3In some embodiments of the present invention, a recycling slot 160 is also formed on the base 110, and the recycling slot 160 is disposed below the inlet of the read / write head 140; the read / write head 140 is used to eject invalid cards from the inlet so that the invalid cards fall into the recycling slot 160.

[0057] It is understandable that an invalid card refers to a card 200 that the read / write head 140 cannot read or write. Due to reasons such as card 200 damage, the read / write head 140 may be unable to read or write to the card 200, in which case the card 200 needs to be replaced. In related technologies, invalid card recycling is provided with a corresponding recycling channel, and the read / write head 140 needs to switch to the recycling channel to eject the invalid card. However, the switching mechanism is susceptible to malfunction due to environmental factors.

[0058] In this embodiment, to facilitate the recycling of invalid cards, a recycling slot 160 is provided directly below the inlet of the read / write head 140. The read / write head 140 only needs to eject the invalid card, which will fall into the recycling slot 160 under its own gravity, without the need for a switching mechanism, thus reducing potential failure points.

[0059] It should be noted that the recycling slot 160 is also located below the portion of the card dispensing channel 111 near the reader / writer head 140. That is, the recycling slot 160 is located below the right side portion of the guide rail 131. Therefore, to facilitate the card 200 passing through the guide rail 131 and falling into the recycling slot 160, the distance between the two guide rails 131 can be greater than the width of the card 200.

[0060] In some embodiments, a stop block 113 is also provided within the card dispensing channel 111. The stop block 113 is mounted on the base 110 and is located above the card dispensing channel 111. The stop block 113 is rotatably connected to the base 110, and its lower end contacts the card dispensing channel 111. At this time, the stop block 113 is restricted by the card dispensing channel 111 and can only rotate counterclockwise. The stop block 113 does not restrict the sliding of the card 200 from left to right, but it can restrict the sliding of the card 200 from right to left.

[0061] The anti-return block 113 can be set in the card dispensing channel 111 on the left side of the recycling slot 160, so that when the read / write head 140 ejects an invalid card, it can prevent the invalid card from crossing the recycling slot 160 and getting stuck in the card dispensing channel 111.

[0062] According to the card issuing mechanism 100 of the present invention, by setting the recycling slot 160 below the inlet of the read / write head 140, it is not necessary to switch the read / write head 140 or the recycling channel when an invalid card is recycled, thereby reducing the points of failure and making the card issuing mechanism 100 more suitable for use in harsh environments.

[0063] In some embodiments of the present invention, the read / write head 140 has a read / write channel 141 formed laterally. The read / write head 140 may also include a first rubber wheel assembly 142, an antenna plate 143, and a rubber wheel drive mechanism 144. The first rubber wheel assembly 142 is disposed on the entrance side of the read / write channel 141. The first rubber wheel assembly 142 includes first rubber wheels 145 arranged vertically opposite each other. When the card scraping mechanism 130 slides the card 200 to the second position, the card 200 extends at least partially between the vertically opposite first rubber wheels 145. The antenna plate 143 is mounted on the top of the read / write channel 141 for reading and writing the card 200 in the read / write channel 141. The rubber wheel drive mechanism 144 is connected to the first rubber wheel 145 and is used to drive the first rubber wheel 145 to rotate, so that the first rubber wheel 145 receives the card 200 into the read / write channel 141.

[0064] In some embodiments, the first rubber wheel 145 is disposed on a shaft, and a gear may also be disposed on the shaft. The rubber wheel drive mechanism 144 may also include a motor, the output shaft of which meshes with a gear set, which in turn meshes with a gear on the shaft. When the motor is running, it drives the first rubber wheel 145 to rotate via the gears.

[0065] Understandably, when the card 200 is received into the read / write channel 141, the upper first rubber wheel 145 in the first rubber wheel assembly 142 rotates counterclockwise under the drive of the rubber wheel drive mechanism 144, and the lower first rubber wheel 145 in the first rubber wheel assembly 142 rotates clockwise under the drive of the rubber wheel drive mechanism 144. When the card 200 is ejected into the recycling slot 160, the upper first rubber wheel 145 in the first rubber wheel assembly 142 rotates clockwise under the drive of the rubber wheel drive mechanism 144, and the lower first rubber wheel 145 in the first rubber wheel assembly 142 rotates counterclockwise under the drive of the rubber wheel drive mechanism 144.

[0066] In some embodiments, the antenna board 143 can communicate with the card 200 via radio frequency technology, thereby reading and writing to the card 200. There are already mature technologies for reading and writing the card 200, and these will not be elaborated upon in this embodiment.

[0067] In some embodiments of the present invention, the read / write head 140 may further include a second rubber roller assembly 146, which is disposed on the exit side of the read / write channel 141. The second rubber roller assembly 146 includes second rubber rollers 147 arranged vertically opposite each other. When the card 200 is disengaged from the first rubber roller assembly 142 in the read / write head 140, it at least partially extends between the vertically opposite second rubber rollers 147. The rubber roller drive mechanism 144 is connected to the second rubber rollers 147 and is used to drive the second rubber rollers 147 to rotate, so that the second rubber rollers 147 send the card 200 out of the read / write channel 141.

[0068] In some embodiments, the antenna plate 143 performs read / write operations when the card 200 is in the first roller group 142 and the second roller group 146. The height of the second roller group 146 is the same as that of the first roller group 142. When the card 200 switches from the first roller group 142 to the second roller group 146, it remains horizontal, thereby facilitating read / write operations by the antenna plate 143. The structure of the second roller group 146 can refer to the structure of the first roller group 142.

[0069] In some embodiments, the control board can be electrically connected to the rubber wheel drive mechanism 144 and the antenna board 143 respectively. When the card 200 enters the first rubber wheel group 142, the control board operates the rubber wheel drive mechanism 144, causing the first rubber wheel group 142 to move the card 200 to the right. When the card 200 simultaneously enters the second rubber wheel group 146 and has not completely disengaged from the first rubber wheel group 142, the control board stops operating the rubber wheel drive mechanism 144. Subsequently, the control board controls the antenna board 143 to read and write to the card 200. After reading and writing, the control board drives the rubber wheel drive mechanism 144 to operate, causing the first rubber wheel group 142 and the second rubber wheel group 146 to simultaneously drive the card 200 to move to the right. Finally, after the card 200 disengages from the second rubber wheel group 146 to the right, the control board stops the rubber wheel drive mechanism 144.

[0070] In some embodiments of the present invention, the card issuing mechanism 100 may further include a first position sensor 170 and a second position sensor 180. The first position sensor 170 is mounted on the base 110 and arranged along the movement trajectory of the card-scraping mechanism 130, and is used to acquire the position information of the card-scraping mechanism 130. The second position sensor 180 is mounted on the base 110 and arranged along the movement trajectory of the card 200, and is used to acquire the position information of the card 200.

[0071] In some embodiments, the first position sensor 170 can be respectively disposed at a first position and a second position corresponding to the card-scraping mechanism 130 to detect whether the card-scraping mechanism 130 has reached the first position and the second position. The control board can be connected to the first position sensor 170 and determine the position of the card-scraping mechanism 130 by receiving the detection signal fed back by the first position sensor 170.

[0072] When the control board performs card dispensing control, it first determines whether the card scraping mechanism 130 is in the first position based on the detection signal fed back by the first position sensor 170 in the first position; if so, it drives the card scraping mechanism 130 to slide to the right; and when it receives the detection signal from the first position sensor 170 in the second position indicating that the card scraping mechanism 130 has reached the second position, it controls the read / write head 140 to move and controls the card scraping mechanism 130 to slide to the left.

[0073] In some embodiments, the second position sensor 180 may be respectively disposed on the left side of the anti-reverse block 113, above the second rubber roller assembly 146, and on the right side of the second rubber roller assembly 146. The control board may be connected to the second position sensor 180 and determine the position of the card 200 by receiving the detection signal fed back by the second position sensor 180.

[0074] The second position sensor 180 on the right side of the anti-retraction block 113 can detect whether the card 200 ejected by the read / write head 140 is stuck in the card dispensing channel 111. The second position sensor 180 above the second rubber roller assembly 146 can detect whether the card 200 has reached the read / write position. When the control board receives a detection signal from the second position sensor 180 above the second rubber roller assembly 146 indicating that the card 200 has reached the read / write position, it controls the first rubber roller assembly 142 and the second rubber roller assembly 146 to stop rotating, and simultaneously controls the antenna board 143 to perform read / write operations. The second position sensor 180 on the right side of the second rubber roller assembly 146 can determine whether the card 200 has been normally ejected from the read / write channel 141.

[0075] Reference Figure 4 In some embodiments of the present invention, a receiving cavity 122 communicating with the card box channel 121 is formed inside the card box 120; the card box 120 may also include a cover plate 123, which is installed on the side of the card box 120 and is detachably connected to the main body of the card box 120. When the cover plate 123 is opened, the receiving cavity 122 communicates with the outside.

[0076] In some embodiments, the card box 120 may further include a horizontally placed top plate 124, which may be rectangular, with all four edges connected to vertical side plates. Three side plates are fixedly connected to the top plate 124 to form the main body of the card box 120, and a cover plate 123 is a side plate that can be opened and closed to the top plate 124.

[0077] It should be noted that the receiving cavity 122 is used to place the card 200. After opening the cover 123, the card 200 can be placed into the receiving cavity 122, and then the cover 123 is closed with the main body of the card box 120.

[0078] Reference Figure 5 In some embodiments of the present invention, the card box 120 may further include a fixing plate 125, a first sliding groove 126, a second sliding groove 127, and a pressing block 128. The fixing plate 125 is fixedly installed on the side of the card box 120; the first sliding groove 126 is vertically disposed on the fixing plate 125; the second sliding groove 127 is disposed on the fixing plate 125 and laterally communicates with the top of the first sliding groove 126; the pressing block 128 is disposed in the receiving cavity 122 and cooperates with the first sliding groove 126 or the second sliding groove 127 to slide along the first sliding groove 126 or the second sliding groove 127.

[0079] It should be noted that the fixing plate 125 refers to the side plate fixedly connected to the top plate 124. The pressure block 128 uses its own weight to press down on the card 200, preventing the card 200 from lifting up and causing malfunctions during the card scraping process. When the card 200 falls, the pressure block 128 can slide downward along the first slide groove 126.

[0080] The pressure block 128 is located in the second slide groove 127 and can slide laterally. The second slide groove 127 can restrict the vertical movement of the pressure block 128. The end of the second slide groove 127 can also be recessed downwards to better restrict the pressure block 128. When placing the card 200 into the receiving cavity 122, the pressure block 128 is first slid upwards along the first slide groove 126 to the top, and then slid into the second slide groove 127, so that the pressure block 128 is suspended at the top of the receiving cavity 122, which facilitates the placement of the card 200.

[0081] In some embodiments, the first slide 126 and the second slide 127 may be provided on one or both side plates adjacent to the cover plate 123. When the cover plate 123 is opened, the pressure block 128 is horizontally hung on the side plate when viewed from the outside to the inside, thereby facilitating the operation of the pressure block 128.

[0082] Reference Figure 6 and Figure 7 An embodiment of the present invention also provides an automatic card issuing machine, which has an upper station 310 and a lower station 320, and both the upper station 310 and the lower station 320 are respectively provided with a plurality of card issuing mechanisms 100 according to any one of the foregoing embodiments.

[0083] The automatic card dispensing machine also includes a main control module, which is communicatively connected to each card dispensing mechanism 100. The main control module can be programmed to control the card dispensing mechanisms 100 in a specific order. If one card dispensing mechanism 100 fails to dispense cards, the main control module controls the next dispensing mechanism 100 to proceed. Therefore, the automatic card dispensing machine can operate without shutting down completely until all card dispensing mechanisms 100 fail. Furthermore, during maintenance, the faulty card dispensing mechanism 100 can be disassembled individually, while the functioning mechanisms continue dispensing cards.

[0084] It should be noted that, to facilitate card collection by vehicle owners, the automatic card dispenser is equipped with an upper station 310 and a lower station 320 to accommodate different vehicle types. For example, when the main control module determines that the vehicle is a large vehicle, it controls the card dispensing mechanism 100 in the upper station 310 to dispense a card; when the main control module determines that the vehicle is a small vehicle, it controls the card dispensing mechanism 100 in the lower station 320 to dispense a card. Mature technologies already exist for vehicle type detection, and will not be elaborated upon in this implementation.

[0085] According to the embodiments of the present invention, the automatic card dispensing machine employs multiple card dispensing mechanisms 100, and each card dispensing mechanism 100 is connected to the card box 120 and the reader / writer 140 via a card dispensing channel 111. The card scraping mechanism 130 directly transports the cards 200 in the card box 120 to the reader / writer 140 along the card dispensing channel 111, thereby avoiding the switching of mechanisms, reducing the risk of mechanism jamming, and resulting in a low failure rate. Furthermore, when some card dispensing mechanisms 100 fail, the entire machine can continue to operate without interruption, and the remaining normal card dispensing mechanisms 100 can still dispense cards.

[0086] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of the invention can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0087] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0088] In the description of this invention, the first feature being "above" or "below" the second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or it may include the first and second features not being in direct contact but being in contact through another feature between them.

[0089] In the description of this invention, the terms "above," "over," and "on top" for the first feature and the second feature include the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicating that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature.

[0090] Other components of the card issuing mechanism according to embodiments of the present invention, such as the control board and position sensor, as well as their operation, are known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0091] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0092] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A card issuing mechanism, characterized in that, The card issuing institution includes: The base forms a card dispensing channel; A card box is installed on the base and located above the card dispensing channel. The bottom of the card box has a card box channel that communicates with the card dispensing channel. The card scraping mechanism is slidably installed on the base and located in the card dispensing channel. When the card scraping mechanism is in the first position, it is located below the card box channel. When the card scraping mechanism slides out from the first position, it scrapes the card out of the card box and slides together with the card. A read / write head is mounted on the base, with its inlet aligned with the card dispensing channel. When the card-scraping mechanism slides the card to the second position, the card is at least partially inserted into the read / write head. A card-scraping drive mechanism is installed on the base and connected to the card-scraping mechanism, used to drive the card-scraping mechanism to move from the first position to the second position along the card dispensing channel; The base also has a recycling groove, which is located below the inlet of the read / write head; The read / write head is used to eject the invalid card from the inlet, causing the invalid card to fall into the recycling slot; The card dispensing channel is also provided with a backstop block, which is installed on the base and located above the card dispensing channel. The backstop block is rotatably connected to the base, and the lower end of the backstop block contacts the card dispensing channel.

2. The card issuing mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The card-scraping mechanism includes: A guide rail is installed inside the card dispensing channel and extends from the first position to the second position; The tray is slidably mounted on the guide rail, and when the tray is in the first position, it is located below the card box channel; A scraper hook is installed on the side of the tray opposite to the direction of sliding out from the first position. When the scraper hook is in the first position, it is located in the card compartment channel. When the tray carries the card, the top of the scraper hook is higher than the bottom of the card and lower than the top of the card.

3. The card issuing mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The card-scraping drive mechanism includes: A belt transmission mechanism is installed on the base and arranged along the guide direction of the guide rail, and the belt in the belt transmission mechanism is connected to the pallet; A belt drive mechanism is connected to the belt transmission mechanism and is used to drive the belt transmission mechanism so that the belt drives the pallet to move along the guide rail.

4. The card issuing mechanism according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The read / write head has a read / write channel formed laterally, and the read / write head further includes: The first rubber roller assembly is disposed on the entrance side of the read / write channel. The first rubber roller assembly includes first rubber rollers arranged vertically opposite each other. When the card scraping mechanism slides the card to the second position, the card is at least partially inserted between the vertically opposite first rubber rollers. An antenna board is installed on top of the read / write channel and is used to read and write cards located within the read / write channel. A rubber wheel drive mechanism, connected to the first rubber wheel, is used to drive the first rubber wheel to rotate, so that the first rubber wheel can take the card into the read / write channel.

5. The card issuing mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The read / write head also includes: The second rubber roller assembly is disposed on the exit side of the read / write channel. The second rubber roller assembly includes two rubber rollers arranged vertically opposite each other. When the card is disengaged from the first rubber roller assembly in the read / write head, it at least partially extends into the space between the two rubber rollers arranged vertically opposite each other. A rubber wheel drive mechanism, connected to the second rubber wheel, is used to drive the second rubber wheel to rotate, so that the second rubber wheel sends the card out of the read / write channel.

6. The card issuing mechanism according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The card issuing institution also includes: A first position sensor is mounted on the base and arranged along the movement trajectory of the card-scraping mechanism. The first position sensor is used to acquire the position information of the card-scraping mechanism. A second position sensor is mounted on the base and arranged along the movement trajectory of the card. The second position sensor is used to acquire the position information of the card.

7. The card issuing mechanism according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The card box has a receiving cavity communicating with the card box channel; the card box also includes: A cover plate is installed on the side of the card box and is detachably connected to the main body of the card box. When the cover plate is opened, the accommodating cavity communicates with the outside.

8. The card issuing mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that, The card box also includes: A fixing plate is fixedly installed on the side of the card box; The first sliding groove is vertically disposed on the fixed plate; The second slide is disposed on the fixed plate and is laterally connected to the top of the first slide; A pressure block is disposed within the accommodating cavity and cooperates with the first slide groove or the second slide groove to slide along the first slide groove or the second slide groove.

9. An automatic card dispenser, characterized in that, The automatic card issuing machine has an upper station and a lower station, and both the upper station and the lower station are respectively provided with a plurality of card issuing mechanisms according to any one of claims 1-8.

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