GB2305659A

GB2305659A - Dispenser

Info

Publication number: GB2305659A
Application number: GB9519749A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philippe Kaczmarek
Original assignee: Sagem SA
Current assignee: Sagem SA
Priority date: 1994-08-10
Filing date: 1995-09-28
Publication date: 1997-04-16
Anticipated expiration: 2015-09-28
Also published as: GB9519749D0; DE19537020A1; FR2723656A1; GB2305659B; FR2723656B1

Description

1 4

DESCRIPTION DATA MEDI DISPENSER

2305659 The present invention relates to a dispenser for receiving and dispensing data media.

More particularly the present invention relates to a dispenser for receiving and dispensing data medium of the telephone card type. However, besides telephone cards the dispenser of the present invention can be used to handle travel, parking or road toll tickets, and even computer discs. In known dispensers the media are stacked vertically one on top of another and are extracted horizontally from the bottom. More precisely these dispensers are arranged to receive a sealed replacement stock of a certain number of blank media ready for use. These dispensers are certainly reloadable but only with reloading containers.

The applicant has addressed the problem of supplying a dispenser not with a reloading container filled with the media but directly with media to be dispensed in order to be free of the containers, and furthermore with media inside a protective security sheath, for example, a sheet of plastic material or a sheet of Cellophane (Registered Trade Mark). A restriction existed which rapidly led the applicant to abandon the solution of a conveying roller disposed in order to cooperate, through a window, with the lower face of the sheathed media, which has the disadvantage, at least within a realistic economic context, of the risk of snatching or damaging the sheaths without bringing the media along with them. Furthermore, the applicant imposed another 2 restriction, that of using only a single motor.

According to the present invention there is provided. a dispenser for receiving a stack of data media which are each placed in a protective sheath, and dispensing the media one by one by substantially horizontal extraction of the lowest medium with the aid of a motor along a substantially horizontal extraction path, said dispenser comprising pushing means mounted in such a way as to slide under the action of the motor in order to push the lowest data medium from the rear onto a first part of the extraction travel path, at the end of which rotating rollers arranged to be driven by the motor, continue to convey the lowest medium in a sliding manner onto a second and final part of the extraction travel path.

The dispenser of the present invention is remarkable, in addition to its single motor, because of its transverse bulk being substantially limited to the first part of. the travel Oath and to the rotating extraction rollers.

In a preferred embodiment of the dispenser of the present invention means are provided and arranged in order, at the end of the first part of the extraction travel path, to disengage the pushing means from the motor and means are provided for returning the disengaged pushing means to the beginning of this first part of the travel path.

The dispenser advantageously comprises two extraction rollers, upper and lower, arranged to receive between them the front of the lowest medium before the end of the first part of the extraction travel path.

In this case the lower extraction roller can be rotationally driven by the motor during the first part of the extraction travel path, at the end of which it is disengaged from the motor and the upper extraction roller is rotationally driven by the motor.

The advantage of the driving of the lower roller during the first part of the extraction travel path is to relieve the pushing means in order to introduce the data medium between the two rollers.

The pushing means are preferably arranged to be driven by the motor via a free wheel, they are disengaged from the motor by reversing the direction of rotation of the motor.

1 In the same way the extraction rollers are preferably arranged to be driven by the motor via free wheels.

In an advantageous manner the pushing means comprise a carriage carrying a transverse pushing wire disposed to cooperate with the rear section of the lowest data medium.

4 - Again in an advantageous manner the dispenser comprises means arranged to press at least the data medium adjacent to the lowest medium towards the lowest medium without thereby interfering with its subsequent extraction.

The Present invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- - Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a data media dispenser constructed according to the Present invention, - Figure 2 is a lateral cross sectional view of the dispenser of Figure 1 taken in the direction of arrow 16; and - Figure 3 is a rear view of the dispenser.

I The dispenser as illustrated in the accanpanying drawings comprises a container 1 for receiving a stack of chip cards 2 serving in this case as electronic monetary. means for use in telephone apparatus. Four lateral walls of the container 1, of which only the front 4 and rear 5 walls are shown, ensure that the stack of cards 2 is precisely positioned on a base wall 3 of the container 1.

The cards 2 are each placed in a protective sheath and may be removed one by one from the very bottom of the stack through a front slot 6 provided between the bottom of the front wall 4 and the base 3.

It will be understood that in this description it is assumed that gravity holds the cards 2 against the base 3, ie in this example no spring is used pressing the stack 2 onto the base 3 and ensuring the operation of the dispenser no matter how it is orientated. The dispenser is illustrated in its operational position and the base wall 3 is thus in a horizontal plane below the stack of cards 2.

In order for the cards 2 to be removed a carriage 11 is mounted in a sliding manner on a frame, not illustrated, supporting the container 1. The carriage 11 can slide parallel to the base 3, from front to back of the container 1, ie in the plane of Figure 2. The upper part of the carriage 11 is level with a cut-out portion 7 provided in the rear part of the base 3 and lies substantially flush with the upper surface of the base 3.

A pushing device 12, firmly fixed to the carriage 11 and comprised of a transverse pushing wire formed from a steel string, illustrated in the rear view of Figure 3, slightly protrudes upwards from the rear of the upper part of the carriage 11 in order to cooperate with the rear section of the lowest card 2 without catching the following card 2. A slit 8, provided between the bottom of the rear wall 5 and the base 3, permits the pushing device 12, under the action of a motor 20 driving the carriage 11, to slide towards the front of the dispenser in order to push the lowest card 2 of the stack through the slot 6 onto a first part of the extraction travel. Details of these driving mechanisms are given later.

The motor 20 is activated by a device, not illustrated, detecting the payment of the required sum for a card 2.

As shown in Figure 1, two cut-out portions 9 and 10 in the base 3 permit the projecting part of the steel string 12.to be connected to the carriage 11 and the whole assembly to slide.

An endless belt 31 for driving the carriage 11 is held between a loosely mounted pulley 25 and a driving pulley 24 mounted via a free wheel on a shaft 42.

At the outlet of the slot 6 are disposed two rollers 26 and 27, or rotational extraction rollers, driven by the motor 20 in order, at the end of the first part of the extraction travel, to continue the sliding entrainment of the lowest card 2 in the direction of the arrow 15 onto a second and final part of the extraction travel. The rollers 26 and 27 are in this case each divided into two twin rollers.

In order to return the carriage 11 to the initial position near the rear wall 5, a travel detector 13 receives in abutment a front edge of the carriage 11 and, with data storage, controls the reversal of the rotational direction of the motor 20.

The pulley 24 is then free wheeling so that the pushing carriage 11 is disengaged from the motor 20. A return spring 14, firmly fixed to the frame, then returns the carriage 11 into the retracted position, the pushing device 12 returning to the back of the rear edge of the cards 2, ie to the beginning of the first part of the travel.

The lower and upper rollers 26 and 27 receive between them the front of the lowest card 2 extracted from the stack before the end of the first part of the extraction travel in order to be able then to drive the card 2 by friction onto the second part of the extraction travel.

In the illustrated iment of the present invention the lower extraction roller 26 is rotationally driven by the mtor 20 during the first part of the extraction travel, at the end of which it is disengaged from the motor 20 and then it is the upper extraction roller 27 which is rotationally driven by the motor 20. The roller 26 thus cooperates with the pushing device 12 in order to insert the card 2 between the two rollers 26 and 27.

The kinematic driving linkages of the carriage 11 and of the -8rollers 26 and 27 will now be described. The motor 20 rotationally drives, in one direction or the other, a driving pulley 21 driving an endless belt 32 which itself drives the pulleys 22 and 23. The pulley 22 is firmly fixed to the shaft 42 of the free wheel pulley 24 and so has only a speed adaptation function in this case. The pulley 23 is firmly fixed to a shaft 43 carrying the roller 26 via a free wheel bearing. A pulley 28, firmly fixed to the shaft 43, drives an endless return belt 33 driving a pulley 29 firmly fixed to a shaft 44 carrying the roller 27 via a free wheel bearing. The free wheels are such that. in the first part of the travel, the motor 20 drives the pulley 24 and the lower roller 26 and, when it changes rotational direction, the motor 20 drives the upper roller 27.

As shown in Figure 2 the slot 6 is delimited by an upper lip 61 constituting the lower part of a plate 60 forming a marker and fixed to the wall 4. The position of the plate 60 is height adjustable in order to limit the height of the slot 6 to less than the thickness of two cards 2.

The lip 61 is inclined to the plane of the base 3 in order to press at least the card 2 adjacent to the lowest card 2 towards the latter without thereby interfering with its subsequent extraction.

The entrainment operations described above using endless belts may, if desired be achieved with other coupling means, for example, by toothed wheels and by a rack firmly fixed to the carriage 11.

RCRI,Y-1t)

Claims

-10CLAIMS

1. A dispenser for receiving a stack of data media which are each placed in a protective sheath, and dispensing the media one by one by substantially horizontal extraction of the lowest medium with the aid of a motor along a substantially horizontal extraction path, said dispenser comprising pushing means mounted in such a way as to slide under the action of the motor in order to push the lowest data medium from the rear onto a first part of the extraction travel path, at the end of which rotating rollers arranged to be driven by the motor, continue to convey the lowest medium in a sliding manner onto a second and final part of the extraction travel path.

2. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1, in which means are provided and arranged in order, at the end of the first part of the extraction travel path, to disengage the pushing means from the motor and means are provided for returning the disengaged pushing means to the beginning of this first part of the travel path.

3. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which lower and upper extraction rollers are arranged to receive between them the front of the lowest data medium before the end of the first part of the extraction travel path.

4. A dispenser as claimed in claim 3, in which the lower extraction roller is mounted to be rotationally driven by the motor during the first part of the extraction travel path at the end of which it is disengaged from the motor and the upper extraction roller is rotationally driven by the motor.

5. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the pushing means are arranged to be driven by the motor via a free wheel, and are disengaged from the motor by reversing the direction of rotation of the motor.

6. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, in which the extraction rollers are arranged to be driven by the motor via free wheels.

7. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the pushing means comprise a carriage carrying a transverse pushing wire disposed to cooperate with the rear section of the lowest data medium.

8. A dispenser as claimed in claim 7, in which the carriage is firmly fixed to an endless drive belt.

9. A dispenser as claimed in claim 7, in which the carriage comprises a drive rack.

10. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, in which means are arranged to press at least the data medium adjacent to the lowest medium towards the lowest medium.

11. A dispenser for receiving a stack of data media which are each placed in a protective sheath, and dispensing the media one by one by substantially horizontal extraction of the lowest medium with the aid of a motor along a substantially horizontal extraction path, said dispenser being constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore 25 described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

11. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, in which an extraction marker is provided to adjust the height of an extraction slot for the data media.

12. A dispenser for receiving a stack of data media which are each placed in a protective sheath, and dispensing the media one by one by substantially horizontal extraction of the lowest medium with the aid of a motor along a substantially horizontal extraction path, said dispenser being constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

1% -1,2_ Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A dispenser for receiving a stack of data media which are each placed in a protective sheath, and dispensing the media one by one by substantially horizontal extraction of the lowest medium with the aid of a motor along a substantially horizontal extraction path, said dispenser comprising pushing means mounted in such a way as to slide under the action of the motor in order to push the lowest data medium from the rear onto a first part of the extraction travel path, at the end of which rotating rollers arranged to be driven by the motor, continue to convey the lowest medium in a sliding manner onto a second and final part of the extraction travel path, means being provided and arranged in order, at the end of the first part of the extraction travel path, to disengage the pushing means from the motor and means are provided for returning the disengaged pushing means to the beginning of this first part of the travel path.

2. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1, in which lower and upper extraction rollers are arranged to receive between them the front of the lowest data medium before the end of the first part of the extraction travel path.

3. A dispenser as claimed in claim 2, in which the lower extraction roller is mounted to be rotationnaly driven by the motor during the first part of the extraction travel path at the end of which it is disengaged from the motor and the upper extraction roller is rotationally driven by the motor.

4. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the pushing means are arranged to be driven by the motor via a free wheel, and are disengaged from the motor by reversing the direction of rotation of the motor.

5. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, in which the extraction rollers are arranged to be driven by the motor via free wheels.

1 't 1 0 " 1) 1 6. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the pushing'means comprise a carriage carrying a transverse pushing wire disposed to cooperate with the rear section of the lowest data medium.

7. A dispenser as claimed in claim 6, in which the carriage is firmly fixed to an endless drive belt.

8. A dispenser as claimed in claim 6, in which the carriage comprises a drive rack.

9. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, in which means are arranged to press at least the data medium adjacent to the lowest medium towards the lowest medium.

Is 10. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, in which an extraction marker is provided to adjust the height of an extraction slot for the data media.