CARD LOADER FOR A CARD PROCESSING MACHINE

Abstract

CARD LOADER FOR A CARD PROCESSING MACHINE The invention relates to a card loader (150) comprising a chassis (152), a reservoir (156) receiving a stack (52) of cards (50), a separation system (158) comprising a separation roller (158a), a ballast (160) movable on the chassis (152) between a resting position on the top of the stack (52) and a retracted position on one side of the stack (52), a door (162) movable on the chassis (152) between an open position and a closed position, a transmission system for moving the ballast (160) from the resting position to the retracted position when the door (162) moves from the closed position to the open position, and a return system (172) arranged to return the ballast (160) to the resting position when it is in the retracted position. Fig. 3

Description

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

[0001] The present invention relates to a card feeder 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] To process such cards on a large scale, it is known to use a card loader upstream of the processing module.

[0004] Such a card feeder generally comprises a reservoir where the cards are stacked on top of each other and a separation system which takes the cards one after the other and separates them. Different separation systems have been implemented, but it is not always satisfactory and it is therefore necessary to find a card feeder with a different separation system. Statement of the invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a card feeder for a card processing machine which has means for ensuring good support on a drive roller.

[0006] For this purpose, a card feeder is proposed for a processing machine, said card feeder comprising:

[0007] - a chassis,

[0008] - a tank at the base of which is arranged a tray and, above the tray, a support intended to hold a stack of cards,

[0009] - a separation system comprising a separation roller arranged at the level of the tray and a drive system arranged to move the separating roller in rotation,

[0010] - a ballast mounted movably on the chassis between a support position in which the ballast is resting on the top of the pile and a retracted position in which the ballast is on one side of the pile,

[0011] - a door mounted movably on the frame between an open position allowing access to the tank and a closed position preventing access to the tank,

[0012] - a transmission system arranged to move the ballast from the support position to the retracted position when the door moves from the closed position to the open position, and

[0013] - a return system arranged to return the ballast to the support position when it is in retracted position.

[0014] Advantageously, the ballast is mounted to be mobile in rotation about a tilting axis parallel to the axis of the separation roller, the tilting axis is arranged so that the center of gravity of the ballast is vertically above the tilting axis and horizontally between the tilting axis and the tank, when the ballast is in the retracted position, and the return system is gravity.

[0015] Advantageously, the transmission system comprises:

[0016] - a cam attached to the door,

[0017] - a shaft secured to the ballast parallel to the tilting axis and offset from this last, and

[0018] - a slide mounted mobile in translation on the chassis parallel to a translation direction and comprising a stop constituting a follower element for the cam where the slider moves from a first position corresponding to a ballast support position to a second position corresponding to the retracted position of the ballast, when the cam moves from the closed position to the open position, and having a housing in which said shaft is housed, and where the housing is arranged to prevent any movement parallel to the translation direction between the slider and the shaft, and to allow movements perpendicular to the translation direction between the slider and the shaft.

[0019] The invention also provides a card processing machine comprising a card feeder according to one of the preceding variants, a processing module and a transport system comprising means for moving the cards from the card feeder to the processing module. Brief description of the drawings

[0020] 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:

[0021] [Fig-1] is a schematic representation of a processing machine according to the invention,

[0022] [Fig.2] is a perspective and front view of a card feeder according to the invention,

[0023] [Fig.3] is a side view along arrow III and in section through a vertical plane of the card feeder of [Fig.2],

[0024] [Fig.4] is a side view along arrow IV of the card feeder of [Fig.2],

[0025] [Fig.5] is a top view and section along plane VV of the card loader of the [Fig.4], and

[0026] [Fig.6] is a sectional view of the card feeder of [Fig.5] through plane VI-VI.

[0027] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0028] In the following description, the terms relating to a position are taken with reference to a processing machine 100 comprising a card feeder 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].

[0029] The processing machine 100 comprises a card feeder 150 according to the invention, a processing module 102 and a transport system 104 which comprises means for moving the cards from the card feeder 150 to the processing module 102, where the means conventionally comprise rollers which pinch the cards and motors which drive the rollers in rotation. The processing module 102 is thus downstream of the card feeder 150 with respect to the direction of movement D of the cards by the transport system 104. The processing module 102 is for example a printer or an encoding module, etc. The processing module 102 and the transport system 104 will not be described in more detail because they can take any form known to those skilled in the art.

[0030] Figs. 2 to 6 show the card feeder 150 from different angles. The card feeder 150 has a frame 152 which is integral with the frame of the processing machine 100. The frame 152 of the card feeder 150 may be a part of the frame of the processing machine 100 or an attached and fixed element.

[0031] The card feeder 150 comprises a reservoir 156 which is delimited here by three vertical walls 156a-c, namely a bottom wall 156c and two side walls 156a-b arranged on either side of the bottom wall 156c. These vertical walls 156a-c are integral with the chassis 152 and thus form a U-shape when viewed from above, where the side walls 156a-b form the branches of the U and where the bottom wall 156c forms the bottom of the U.

[0032] In the lower part, the reservoir 156 has a plate 154 which constitutes the base of the reservoir 156 and above which is provided a support 154a which serves as a support for a stack 52 of cards 50 placed thereon, such as plastic cards. The stack 52 of cards 50 is thus constituted by a vertical stack of cards 50 which are placed flat on top of each other and on the support 154a. The stack 52 of cards 50 is thus arranged between the vertical walls 156a-c and on the support 154a. The placement of the support 154a with a reduced surface area relative to the plate 154 makes it possible to minimize the friction of the cards 50 when they move.

[0033] The card feeder 150 also includes a door 162 which is movably mounted on the chassis 152 and which constitutes the fourth wall of the reservoir 156. The door 162 is thus movably mounted on the chassis 152 between an open position allowing access to the interior of the reservoir 156 and the depositing of cards 50 on the support 154a, and a closed position preventing access to the reservoir 156 by enclosing the cards 50 in the reservoir 156 and vice versa. The door 162 thus closes the U formed by the vertical walls 156a-c.

[0034] In the embodiment of the invention presented here, the door 162 is movable in rotation around a door axis 162a here vertical.

[0035] In the lower part of the reservoir 156, the card loader 150 also comprises a separation system 158 which is arranged to separate the cards 50 stored in the reservoir 156 from each other, by moving them successively through the bottom wall 156c in a drive direction F which is then extended by the movement direction D.

[0036] The separation system 158 comprises a separation roller 158a which is arranged at the level of the plate 154 in a transverse direction relative to the drive direction F. The separation roller 158a is mounted to be able to rotate on the frame 152 around its axis 158b. The cards 50 are thus in contact with the top of the separation roller 158a and the top of the support 154a.

[0037] The separation system 158 also comprises a drive system, such as a motor, mounted on the frame 152, which is arranged to drive the separation roller 158a to rotate in the direction of the arrow R to drive the card 50 in the direction of the drive direction F. The processing machine 100 or the card feeder 150 comprises a control unit arranged to control the drive system as required.

[0038] The stack 52 of cards 50 thus rests on the separation roller 158a and the support 154a, and the separation thus takes place from below the stack 52, that is to say that the separation roller 158a drives the card 50 which is the lowest, that is to say the one which rests on the separation roller 158a and the support 154a, to pull it out of the stack 52 and move it in the direction of the drive direction F through the bottom wall 156c through a window 164 which the bottom wall 156c has for this purpose.

[0039] Conventionally, the window 164 is sized in height to allow only one card 50 to pass through at a time.

[0040] The separation roller 158a drives the card 50 to the transport system 104 which takes it to the processing module 102 and expels it from the machine 100 after processing.

[0041] To assist in the separation of the cards 50 by the separation roller 158a, the support 154a is arranged so that the lowest card 50 has an orientation with a downward slope towards the separation roller 158a.

[0042] The card loader 150 also comprises a ballast 160 which is movably mounted on the chassis 152 between a support position (continuous lines in [Fig. 3]) and a position hidden (ghost lines on [Fig.3])

[0043] In the support position, the ballast 160 is supported on the top of the stack 52, that is to say on the card 50, which is the highest and in the retracted position, the ballast 160 is on one side of the stack 52, here at the front of the stack 52, without pressing on the stack 52. The support position of the ballast 160 varies according to the number of cards 50 which remain.

[0044] In the support position, the ballast 160 is thus in the reservoir 156 and, in the retracted position, it is outside the reservoir 156. Between the support position and the retracted position, the ballast 160 passes through the bottom wall 156c via a passage 166 that the bottom wall 156c has for this purpose above the window 164.

[0045] In the support position, the ballast 160 presses the cards 50 against the separation roller 158a to assist in separation.

[0046] In the retracted position, the ballast 160 is not resting on the cards 50 and it is the cumulative weight of the cards 50 of the stack 52 which acts to press the cards 50 against the separation roller 158a.

[0047] According to a particular embodiment, the weight of the ballast 160 is equivalent to the weight of 15 cards ±3.

[0048] The card feeder 150 also includes a transmission system 170 which is arranged to move the ballast 160 from the support position to the retracted position when the door 162 moves from the closed position to the open position. Thus, when a user opens the door 162, the ballast 160 moves to the retracted position to allow free access above the support 154a and the separation roller 158a to allow the depositing of a stack 52 of cards 50.

[0049] When the stack 52 of cards 50 which is deposited is relatively high, that is to say above the ballast 160, said ballast 160 remains stuck in the retracted position because it is pressing against the side of the stack 52 (see the retracted position in [Fig. 3]), here the front of the stack 52, and this pressing prevents it from returning to the pressing position.

[0050] As the stack 52 decreases, the card 50 which is the highest in the stack 52 descends. When this card 50 passes below the level of the ballast 160, said ballast 160 is then free to return to its support position by coming to bear on said highest card 50 and following it as it descends.

[0051] The transmission system 170 is also not provided to return the ballast 160 to the support position, so as not to force the ballast 160 against the stack 52 when the door 162 moves from the open position to the closed position.

[0052] To ensure the return of the ballast 160 to the support position, the card feeder 150 comprises a return system 172 which is arranged to automatically return the ballast 160 to the support position when it is in the retracted position. This return system 172 is different from the transmission system 170 so as not to link the return of the ballast 160 to the closing of the door 162.

[0053] With such an arrangement, the ballast 160 helps the cards 50 to be taken by the separation system 158, without hindering the placing of the cards 50 in the reservoir 156 and without forcing the ballast 160 against the stack 52.

[0054] In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the ballast 160 is mounted to be movable in rotation about a tilting axis 160a oriented in a transverse direction, i.e. parallel to the axis 158b of the separation roller 158a.

[0055] Here, the ballast 160 comprises a weight 160b and two arms 160c which are integral with the weight 160b and where each is mounted to be mobile in rotation around the tilting axis 160a.

[0056] The tilting axis 160a is arranged so that the center of gravity G of the ballast 160, that is to say here of the weight 160b and of the arms 160c, is vertically above the tilting axis 160a and horizontally between the tilting axis 160a and the reservoir 156, and therefore the stack 52, when the ballast 160 is in the retracted position.

[0057] Thus, in this position, gravity tends to bring the ballast 160 back into the support position when the ballast 160 is no longer supported against the pile 52. As the height of the pile 52 decreases, the pressure exerted by the ballast 160 will increase.

[0058] Thus, in this embodiment, the return system 172 is the gravity which is exerted on the ballast 160 at its center of gravity G.

[0059] In another embodiment not shown, a spring may be arranged to return the ballast 160 to the support position when it is moved away from it.

[0060] In the embodiment of the invention presented here, the transmission system 170 comprises a slider 174 which is mounted to move in translation on the chassis 152 parallel to a translation direction T perpendicular to the tilting axis 160a, and here generally horizontal.

[0061] In the embodiment of the invention presented here, the translational movement is achieved by fixing the slider 174 to the chassis 152 by two fixing screws 174a which are screwed into the chassis 152 through oblong holes 174b which pass through the slider 174, and where the major axis of each oblong hole 174b is parallel to the translation direction T.

[0062] Of course, it is possible to achieve this translational movement by other means such as rails for example.

[0063] The slider 174 is furthermore connected to the ballast 160 by means of a pivot-sliding connection 176. To this end, the transmission system 170 comprises a shaft 176a secured to the ballast 160 and a housing 176b and which is produced in the slider 174.

[0064] The shaft 176a is here parallel to the tilting axis 160a but offset relative to the latter. Thus, any movement of the shaft 176a will cause the ballast 160 to rotate around the tilting axis 160a and vice versa.

[0065] The housing 176b is sized to prevent any movement parallel to translation direction T between the slide 174 and the shaft 176a and allow movements perpendicular to the translation direction T, here vertical movements, between the slide 174 and the shaft 176a.

[0066] Thus, as soon as the slide 174 moves in the translation direction T, the shaft 176a is forced to move at the same time and, due to the rotation of the ballast 160 around the tilting axis 160a, the shaft 176a moves perpendicular to the translation direction T in the housing 176b.

[0067] Conversely, as soon as the shaft 176a moves in rotation under the effect of the ballast 160, the slide 174 is forced to move at the same time in the translation direction T and the shaft 176a moves perpendicular to the translation direction T in the housing 176b.

[0068] The slider 174 thus moves between a first position corresponding to the support position of the ballast 160 when there is no longer any card 50 in the reservoir 156 and a second position corresponding to the retracted position of the ballast 160.

[0069] The transmission system 170 also comprises a cam 162b secured to the door 162 and which therefore moves with it during its movement between the open and closed positions.

[0070] The slider 174 comprises a stop 174c which constitutes a follower element for the cam 162b when the latter moves from the closed position to the open position. The cam 162b and the stop 174c are thus arranged so that the stop 174c follows the cam 162b during its movement from the closed position to the open position and the slider 174 then passes from the first position (support position of the ballast 160) to the second position (retracted position of the ballast 160), but the stop 174c and therefore the slider 174 are not constrained to follow the cam 162b during the movement of the latter from the open position to the closed position.

[0071] The cam 162b here takes the form of an arc of a circle coaxial with the door axis 162a and the stop 174c takes the form of a wall of the slide 174c, where the wall is positioned so as to be pushed by the cam 162b during its movement from the closed position to the open position and so as to thus move the slide 174 from the first position to the second position.

[0072] The operation is then as follows from the closed position of the door 162 and the support position of the ballast 160 and therefore from the first position of the slide 174.

[0073] A user manipulates the door 162 to place it in the open position, the cooperation between the cam 162b and the stop 174c forces the slider 174 to move into the second position and the cooperation between the housing 176b and the shaft 176a causes the ballast 160 to move into its retracted position. The user can then deposit the cards 50 in the reservoir 156.

[0074] The user manipulates the door 162 to place it in the closed position. The cam 162b does not act on the stop 174c which therefore remains in the same position because the ballast 160 is blocked by the pile 52. As the pile decreases, the ballast 160 will pivot around the tilting axis 160a, moving from the retracted position to the support position and driving the shaft 176a and, due to the cooperation of the shaft 176a with the housing 176b, the slide 174 will move towards its first position.

Claims

Claims

1. Card feeder (150) for a processing machine (100), said card feeder (150) comprising: - a frame (152), - a reservoir (156) at the base of which is arranged a tray (154) and, above the tray (154), a support (154a) intended to receive a stack (52) of cards (50), - a separation system (158) comprising a separation roller (158a) arranged at the level of the tray (154) and a drive system arranged to move the separation roller (158a) in rotation, - a ballast (160) mounted movably on the frame (152) between a support position in which the ballast (160) is supported on the top of the stack (52) and a retracted position in which the ballast (160) is on one side of the stack (52), - a door (162) movably mounted on the chassis (152) between an open position allowing access to the tank (158) and a closed position preventing access to the tank (158),- a transmission system (170) arranged to move the ballast (160) from the support position to the retracted position when the door (162) moves from the closed position to the open position, and - a return system (172) arranged to return the ballast (160) to the support position when it is in the retracted position.,

2. Card feeder (150) according to claim 1, characterized in that the ballast (160) is mounted to rotate about a tilting axis (160a) parallel to the axis (158b) of the separation roller (158a), in that the tilting axis (160a) is arranged so that the center of gravity (G) of the ballast (160) is vertically above the tilting axis (160a) and horizontally between the tilting axis (160a) and the reservoir (156), when the ballast (160) is in the retracted position, and in that the return system (172) is gravity.

3. Card loader (150) according to claim 2, characterized in that the transmission system (170) comprises: - a cam (162b) secured to the door (162), - a shaft (176) secured to the ballast (160) parallel to the tilting axis (160a) and offset relative to the latter, and - a slide (174) mounted movable in translation on the chassis (152) parallel to a translation direction (T) and comprising a stop (174c) constituting a follower element for the cam (162b) where the slide (174) moves from a first position corresponding to a support position of the ballast (160) to a second position corresponding to the retracted position of the ballast (160), when the cam (162b) moves from the closed position to the open position, and having a housing (176b) in which said shaft (176a) is housed, and where the housing (176b) is arranged to prevent any movement parallel to the translation direction (T) between the slide (174) and the shaft (176a) and to allow movements perpendicular to the translation direction (T) between the slide (174) and the shaft (176a).

4. A card processing machine (100) comprising a card feeder (150) according to one of the preceding claims, a processing module (102) and a transport system (104) comprising means for moving the cards (50) from the card feeder (150) to the processing module (102).

Images