JP2000226126A - Card feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily enforce replenishment of cards without stopping an operation of a machine by attachably/detachably mounting card stockers on a slide table and movably providing the slide table so that the card stockers may move between a card supply position and a card replenishment position. SOLUTION: A slide table 4 is provided with a card supply position P1 for supplying cards C in a card stocker 1 mounted on a slide table to succeeding process by using a card supply pad 3. Between the card supply position P1 and a card replenishment position P2 for replenishing cards to the inside of the card stocker 1, the slide table 4 is moved by a stocker moving device. The card stocker 1 moves between each of the card supply position P1 and the card replenishment position P2. When one of the card stockers is located at the card supply position P1, the other card stocker is moved so as to be located at the card replenishment position P2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a card feeder for feeding mutually stacked cards one by one, and more particularly to a card feeder which can reduce the time required for replenishing cards during a processing operation, and which can also be used for IC cards. The present invention relates to a card feeder capable of reliably feeding even a card locally having portions having different thicknesses as described above.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional card feeder, cards are stored in a stacked state in a card holder incorporated in the card feeder, taken out one by one by a card feeding pad, and sent to a subsequent processing step such as printing. Was. Since the card holder for storing the card is fixed to the card feeder, when the card in the card holder runs out, the operation of the machine must be stopped to replenish the card.

[0003] This means that the operation of the machine must be stopped every four to five minutes, the card must be replenished, and then the operation must be restarted. Not only is it costly, but it also has an adverse effect on subsequent processing steps due to the need for standby time (for example, the heat processing temperature changes in the case of heat processing or the ink is stored in the case of printing). And the printing at the time of resuming becomes darker).

[0004] In recent years, the use of I
In the case of the C card, since the IC chip is embedded in the card, the thickness of the card locally increases, and when a plurality of cards are held in a stacked state, the surface of the card located at the uppermost end is locally The card supply pad cannot reach the card supply pad and the card cannot be fed.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, it is possible to easily replenish cards without stopping the operation of the machine, thereby reducing running costs and avoiding adverse effects upon restarting operation. It is another object of the present invention to provide a card feeder which can reliably feed a card by a card supply pad even if the card locally has portions having different thicknesses.

[0006]

A card feeder according to the present invention comprises at least two card stockers for storing cards in a stacked state, and one end of the card stocker when the cards stored in the card stockers are stacked. And a card supply elevator for moving the card stored in the card stocker from the other end of the card stocker and supplying the card to a subsequent processing step.

Each card stocker is movably disposed between a card supply position for supplying a card to a subsequent process by a card supply pad and a card supply position for replenishing a card therein. And, when one of the card stockers is at the card supply position, the other card stocker is configured to be at the card supply position.

When the card in the card stocker that is supplying the card runs out, the card can be continuously supplied by exchanging the position of the card with another card stocker filled with the card, and the card is emptied. The card stocker can be removed to replenish the cards.

In the card feeder according to the present invention, each card stocker is removably mounted on a slide table.
A slide table may be provided movably so that the card stocker moves between the card supply position and the card supply position. Accordingly, the position exchange of the card stocker can be achieved only by moving the slide table, and the mechanism for the position exchange can be configured as a simple and highly reliable mechanism.

The card feeder according to the present invention further includes a card detector for detecting the presence or absence of a card in the card stocker at the card supply position, and a card detector for detecting that the card in the card stocker has disappeared. A stocker moving device for moving the card stocker at the card supply position to the card supply position at the same time as moving the card stocker at the card supply position to the card supply position can be provided. Since the position exchange of the card stocker can be automatically performed, supply and replenishment of the card can be performed without stopping the operation.

[0011] Further, a card supply elevator of a card feeder according to the present invention comprises a screw rod rotated by a moving motor, and a moving nut screwed to move axially on the screw rod by rotation of the screw rod. A support arm having one end fixed to the moving nut; and a card held rotatably at the other end of the support arm and abutting against a card at one end of the card stocker and stored in the card stocker. A cradle to be moved, and a tilt for tilting the cradle in accordance with a tilt angle generated between a surface of the card normally located at the other end of the card stocker and a predetermined work reference surface of the card supply pad. It can also be composed of a motor.

When a locally thickened card, such as an IC card, is stacked on a receiving table, the inclination angle between the uppermost card surface and the working reference surface of the card supply pad. The top surface of the card and the working reference surface of the card supply pad can be matched, so that the card supply pad cannot reach and the card cannot be fed. Can be reliably prevented.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIG. 1, a card feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a plurality (two in the illustrated case) of card stockers 1, 1 for storing cards C in a stacked state. And a card supply elevator 2 for moving the cards stored in the card stocker 1 from the lower end to the upper end of the card stocker in a stacked state, and taking out the card C stored in the card stocker 1 from the upper end of the card stocker. And a card supply pad 3 for supplying to subsequent processing steps (not shown) such as printing.

Each card stocker 1 has a slide table 4
Removably attached to. The slide table 4 includes a card stocker 1 mounted on the slide table.
And a card supply position P1 for supplying the card C in the following to the subsequent process using the card supply pad 3.
The slide table 4 is moved by a stocker moving device (not shown) composed of an air cylinder or the like so that the slide table 4 moves between a card supply position P2 for replenishing cards into the inside.

The card stocker 1 is moved between the card supply position P1 and the card supply position P2 by moving the slide table 4 by the stocker moving device, and one of the card stockers is at the card supply position P1. At this time, the other card stocker is moved so as to be located at the card supply position P2. Card stocker 1
Can be detached from the slide table 4 at least at the card replenishment position P2 to prevent the slide table from being accidentally detached from the slide table during movement or card supply, and at the card supply position P1. At this time, it is preferable that the slide tail 4 is fixed.

In the vicinity of the card stocker 1 at the card supply position P1, there is provided a card detector 5 for detecting that the remaining number of cards in the card stocker 1 is equal to or less than a predetermined number including zero. I have. Although the card detector 5 is constituted by an appropriate detecting means such as a photoelectric element, it is not always necessary to accurately count the number of cards stored in the card stocker 1 and to instruct the movement of the card stocker described later. It is sufficient if the instruction signal can be transmitted to the stocker moving device at a timing at which card feeding can be performed continuously. For example, it is also possible to detect that the card in the card stocker has run out.

When the card detector 5 detects that the number of remaining cards in the card stocker 1 has become equal to or less than a predetermined number (or has disappeared), the card detector 5 activates the stocker moving device, As shown in FIG. 2, the card stocker 1 at the card supply position P1 is moved to the card supply position P1.
2 and at the same time, the card stocker 1 with the card at the card replenishment position P2
1 and supply of the card is continued. The empty card stocker 1 moved to the card replenishing position P2 is replenished with cards at that position and / or removed from the slide table 4.

As shown in more detail in FIG. 3, the card supply elevator 2 is rotated by a moving motor (not shown), and a screw rod 6 is rotated by the rotation of the screw rod 6 to move axially on the screw rod. Nut 7 screwed as described above, a supporting arm 8 having one end fixed to the moving nut 7, and a rotatably held at the other end of the supporting arm 8 for contacting the card on the lower end side of the card stocker 1. A receiving tray 9 for moving the cards C stored in the card stocker in contact with each other in a stacked state, a surface of the card C located at the upper end of the card stocker 1 in a normal state, and a predetermined work reference surface P of the card supply pad 3; And an inclining motor (not shown) for inclining the pedestal 9 by an angle α corresponding to the angle of inclination generated between them.

Thus, when cards having locally thickened cards, such as IC cards, are stacked on a receiving table, the surface of the card C located at the top and the working reference surface P of the card supply pad 3 are obtained. The pedestal 9 is inclined according to the inclination angle between the uppermost card and the uppermost card surface and the work reference surface of the card supply pad can be matched. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the card supply pad 3 from reaching and the card from being unable to be fed. This cradle 9
Is different depending on the number of cards in a stacked state, and therefore, it may be configured to correct each time one card is supplied. However, in general, the difference in local thickness of the cards is small, Since the supply of the card can be performed as long as the surface of the uppermost card C is located within the allowable working range of the card supply pad 3, the correction can be performed for each of a plurality of cards.

[0020]

According to the present invention, cards can be continuously supplied by alternately arranging a plurality of card stockers 1 at the card supply position P1, and empty card stockers 1 can be replenished with cards. Since the card can be replenished by removing it at or at the position P2, the card can be easily replenished without stopping the operation of the machine, thereby reducing the running cost and stopping the operation. Various adverse effects that occur in the case can be avoided.

Further, since the remaining card in the card stocker is detected by the card detector 5, and when the remaining card is exhausted, the stocker moving device is operated to replace the card stocker. The position exchange of the card stocker 1 can be automatically performed.

In addition, the receiving table 9 is tilted by the tilting motor so that the surface of the card stored in the card stocker can coincide with the work reference surface of the card supply pad 3, so that the thickness of an IC card or the like can be reduced. A non-uniform card can be reliably supplied.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a card feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state where the position of a card stocker of the card feeder shown in FIG. 1 has been exchanged.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a card supply elevator of the card feeder shown in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Card Stocker 2 Card Supply Elevator 3 Card Supply Pad 4 Slide Table 5 Stocker Moving Device 6 Card Detector 9 Receiving C Card P1 Card Supply Position P2 Card Supply Position

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2C005 HA17 LB45 LB46 3F343 FA15 FB07 FB09 GA01 GB01 GC01 GD01 GE02 GE04 GE17 HA12 HA33 HA37 HB04 HD16 HD17 JB02 JB19 JB24 LA04 LA14 LA15 LC02 LC19 LD24 MA02 MA09 MA23 MA24 5B023 HA

Claims (4)

[Claims] At least two card stockers for storing cards in a stacked state, and cards for moving the cards stored in the card stockers from one end to the other end of the card stockers in a stacked state A supply elevator, and a card supply pad for taking out the card stored in the card stocker from the other end of the card stocker and supplying it to a subsequent processing step,
Each of the card stockers is movably disposed between a card supply position for supplying cards to a subsequent process by a card supply pad and a card supply position for replenishing cards therein. Wherein one of the card stockers is at a card supply position and the other card stocker is at a card supply position. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the card stockers is detachably mounted on a slide table, and the slide table is movably provided so as to move the card stocker between a card supply position and a card supply position. The card feeder according to claim 1, wherein: 3. A card detector for detecting the presence or absence of a card in a card stocker at the card supply position, and card supply when the card detector detects that the card in the card stocker has run out. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a stocker moving device for moving the card stocker at the position to the card supply position and simultaneously moving the card stocker at the card supply position to the card supply position. Card feeder. 4. A card feeding elevator comprising: a screw rod rotated by a moving motor; a moving nut screwed to move axially on the screw rod by rotation of the screw rod; A support arm having one end fixed to the support arm, and a receiving table rotatably held at the other end of the support arm and abutting against a card on one end side of the card stocker to move a card stored in the card stocker. A tilting motor for tilting the cradle according to a tilt angle generated between a surface of the card located at the other end of the card stocker and a predetermined work reference surface of the card supply pad in a normal state. The card feeder according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein