CARD RECEPTION SYSTEM FOR A CARD PROCESSING MACHINE

Abstract

CARD RECEPTION SYSTEM FOR A CARD PROCESSING MACHINE The invention relates to a card (50) reception system (150) for a card processing machine (100), said reception system (150) comprising a chassis (151) having a base (158) above which is arranged a receptacle (152) for receiving a stack (52) of cards (50) and having an opening (156) extending the height of the receptacle (152), and on either side of said opening (156), a long, elastic element (160) having a first end (160a) fixed to the chassis (151) at the level of an upper part of the opening (156), and a second end (160b) fixed to the chassis (151) at the level of a lower part of the opening (156), where each long, elastic element (160) is in face of the opening (156) and intended to be in front of the edges of the cards (50) present in the receptacle (152). Fig. 2

Description

Title of the invention: CARD RECEIVING SYSTEM FOR A CARD PROCESSING MACHINE Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a card receiving system for a card processing machine, as well as to a processing machine comprising such a card feeder. STATE OF THE PRIOR ART

[0002] There are processing machines that are designed to process plastic cards, such as bank cards. Such a processing machine is, for example, a printer that prints a pattern on the card, or an encoding machine that encodes a chip on the card. For this purpose, the processing machine is equipped with a processing module that acts on the card.

[0003] After processing, the cards are deposited in a receptacle of the processing machine where they can be retrieved by a user.

[0004] Such a receptacle takes the form of a reservoir that extends vertically, and where the cards are stacked on top of each other. To prevent the cards from falling or being deposited at an angle, the processing machine has a door that closes the receptacle and access to the cards requires opening the door.

[0005] Although such an arrangement is satisfactory, the door must be opened and closed each time the cards are to be removed, which can be tedious for the user, and it is therefore necessary to find an arrangement which limits the maneuvers required to retrieve the cards. Statement of the invention

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a card receiving system for a card processing machine which has elastic elements which block the cards and which move apart to allow the cards to pass through when they are removed.

[0007] For this purpose, a card receiving system is proposed for a processing machine, said receiving system comprising:

[0008] - a chassis having a base above which is arranged a receptacle intended for receive a stack of cards and having an opening that extends the height of the receptacle, and

[0009] - on either side of said opening, an elongated element which is elastic and which has a first end fixed to the frame at an upper part of the opening and a second end fixed to the frame at a lower part of the opening, where each elongated element is opposite the opening and intended to be in front of the edges of the cards present in the receptacle.

[0010] Advantageously, each elongated element is an elastic band.

[0011] Advantageously, each end of an elongate element is equipped with a ferret fixed to said end, and for each ferret, the chassis has a bore through which said ferret is inserted.

[0012] The invention also proposes a card processing machine comprising a receiving system according to one of the preceding variants. Brief description of the drawings

[0013] The above-mentioned features of the invention, as well as others, will appear more clearly on reading the following description of an exemplary embodiment, said description being made in relation to the attached drawings, among which:

[0014] [Fig-1] is a perspective view of a receiving system of a processing machine according to the invention, and

[0015] [Fig.2] is a perspective view of an enlargement of the receiving system of cards according to the invention.

[0016] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0017] In the following description, the terms relating to a position are taken with reference to a processing machine 100 comprising a card reception system 150 according to the invention, where the processing machine 100 is in the position of use, that is to say as it is shown in [Fig.l].

[0018] Conventionally, the processing machine 100 comprises a card feeder, a processing module, a receiving system 150 according to the invention and a transport system which comprises means for moving the cards from the card feeder to the processing module, then from the processing module to the receiving system 150, where the means conventionally comprise rollers which pinch the cards and motors which drive the rollers in rotation. The processing module is thus downstream of the card feeder relative to the direction of movement of the cards by the transport system and the receiving system 150 is thus downstream of the processing module relative to the direction of movement of the cards by the transport system.

[0019] The processing module is for example a printer or an encoding module, etc. The processing module, the card feeder and the transport system will not be described in more detail because they can take any form known to those skilled in the art.

[0020] Figs. 1 and 2 show the receiving system 150 which is arranged to receive a stack 52 of cards 50 such as plastic cards.

[0021] The receiving system 150 comprises a chassis 151 inside which a receptacle 152 is arranged. The chassis 151 is integral with the chassis of the processing machine. 100 and it may be a part of the frame of the processing machine 100 or an attached and fixed element.

[0022] The receptacle 152 has a rectangular horizontal section delimited by three vertical walls 154a-b and adapted to the shape of the cards 50. There is a bottom wall 154c and two side walls 154a-b arranged on either side of the bottom wall 154c. These vertical walls 154a-c are integral with the chassis 151 and form, seen from above, a U, where the side walls 154a-b form the branches of the U and where the bottom wall 154c forms the bottom of the U.

[0023] The bottom wall 154c is at the rear of the receptacle 152 and the latter is open at the front, that is to say at the level of the opening of the U, opposite the bottom wall 154c. The receptacle 152 thus has an opening 156 which extends over the height of the receptacle 152 and which therefore allows access to the interior of the receptacle 152.

[0024] The chassis 151 comprises a bottom 158 which extends generally horizontally at the base of the vertical walls 154a-b and on which the battery 52 is placed. The receptacle 152 is thus arranged above the bottom 158.

[0025] The cards 50 fall onto each other and onto the bottom 158 from an upper part where the transport system ends in the receiving system 150, for example an upper part of the bottom wall 154c. The dimensions of the receptacle 152 are provided to ensure that the cards 50 descend into said receptacle 152 without excessive play which could cause poor positioning of the card 50 when it falls.

[0026] To block the cards 50 in the receptacle 152, the receiving system 150 comprises on either side of the opening 156, an elongated element 160 which is elastic and which has a first end 160a fixed to the chassis 151 at the level of an upper part of the opening 156, and a second end 160b fixed to the chassis 151 at the level of a lower part of the opening 156, in particular at the level of the bottom 158.

[0027] Each elongate element 160 is opposite the opening 156 and in front of the edges of the cards 50 present in the receptacle 152 and it extends in a generally vertical manner.

[0028] Thus, when the cards 50 are processed and stored in the receptacle 152, the user grasps the cards 50 through the opening 156 between the two elongate elements 160 and pulls them out, which tends to separate the elongate elements 160 due to their elasticity. Retrieving the cards 50 is then simple and, in addition, the presence of the elongate elements 160 limits the risks of incorrect positioning of the cards 50.

[0029] According to a particular embodiment, for cards 50 whose width is for example 54 mm, the distance between the two elongate elements 160 is for example 43 mm, i.e. a distance of 5.5 mm relative to each edge of the cards 50. A tolerance of + / - 3 mm can be applied to this latter distance without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0030] According to a particular embodiment, each elongated element 160 is an elastic band.

[0031] In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, each end 160a-b of an elongate element 106 is equipped with a ferret 162 fixed to said end 160a-b, and for each ferret 162, the frame 151 has a bore 164 through which said ferret 162 is inserted and locked. In the embodiment of the invention shown here, each bore 164 is made in a pallet 166 secured to the frame 151.

Claims

Claims

1. A system (150) for receiving cards (50) for a processing machine (100), said receiving system (150) comprising: - a chassis (151) having a bottom (158) above which is arranged a receptacle (152) intended to receive a stack (52) of cards (50) and having an opening (156) which extends over the height of the receptacle (152), and - on either side of said opening (156), an elongate element (160) which is elastic and which has a first end (160a) fixed to the chassis (151) at a top part of the opening (156) and a second end (160b) fixed to the chassis (151) at a bottom part of the opening (156), where each elongate element (160) is opposite the opening (156) and intended to be in front of the edges of the cards (50) present in the receptacle (152).

2. Receiving system (150) according to claim 1, characterized in that each elongate element (160) is an elastic.

3. Receiving system (150) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that each end (160a-b) of an elongate element (106) is equipped with a ferret (162) fixed to said end (160a-b), and in that for each ferret (162), the chassis (151) has a bore (164) through which said ferret (162) is inserted.

4. A card processing machine (100) comprising a receiving system (150) according to one of the preceding claims.

Images