JPH0971344A - Automatic card dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent such a trouble that an IC card is not delivered to a card take-out port by dropping the IC card delivered from a card stacker to a card issuing unit into a clearance between the card stacker and a card chuter located in front of the card issuing unit. SOLUTION: The adjacent part of a card chuter 24 to a card stacker 7 forms a channel-shaped section guide 24A with level bottom surface 24a so that an IC card 6 can be fed horizontally. Also a supporter 24e which is supported by the right and left side rises of the guide 24A, forms a clearance slightly larger than the thickness of the IC card 6 between the supporter and the bottom surface 24a, and overlaps on both the right and left end parts of the IC card 6 is provided. Then the IC card 6 which is pushed by a pusher 23e and fed to a guide 24A is suppressed from being tilted with its front end made in contact with the supporter when the rear end of the card 6 comes out of the pusher 23e and tends to incline downward. Thus the IC card 6 is fed securely to the card chuter 24 without coming out of the pusher 23e.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a card vending machine which sells cards for using facilities in a place instead of cash at leisure facilities.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Nowadays, in the field of leisure facilities, a card application system has been put into practical use which is capable of automatically processing the use of a paid facility from the entrance to the facility and the settlement by a card. The structure of a card vending machine used in this card application system for selling IC cards is shown in FIGS. First, in FIG. 7, 2 is a card vending machine, 11 is an outer box of the card vending machine 2, 1
Reference numeral 2 is a front door, and the front door 12 has a lighting plate 13, a card sample 14 for a ticket type, a selection button 15 for a ticket type, and a bill slot 1
6, coin insertion slot 17, refund lever 18, fishing ticket return slot 1
9, a change return port 20, a card outlet 21, and the like.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a plurality of card stackers 7 for stacking and storing the IC cards 6 and a plurality of card stackers 7 are provided at predetermined card carry-out positions in preparation for the sale of a large number of IC cards. Stacker transport mechanism 22 that feeds sequentially, stacker 7 to IC based on a card issuing command
It is equipped with a pusher type card carry-out mechanism 23 for carrying out the cards 6 one by one, a card shooter 24, and a ticket issuing unit 25 arranged between the subsequent stage and the card take-out port 21. The card stacker 7 is roughly divided into a vertically long box-shaped case 8 having an open upper surface, a card push-up mechanism 9 and a case 8 which are assembled in the case 8 and push up a card stored in the case upward from the bottom side. And a ratchet-type locking claw 10 which projects into the case from both ends of the upper part and locks and holds the storage card in the case.

The case 8 has a handle 8a on its side surface,
In addition, a window hole that doubles as a card outlet is opened on the front and rear surfaces of the upper end, and the locking claw 10 projects into the case through the window hole. A pin hole 8b for fixing is opened on the bottom surface of the case 8. Further, the stacker transport mechanism 22 includes a drive motor 22a and two sets of upper and lower sprockets 22.
b, a drive chain 22c stretched between sprockets, a stacker holding frame 22d provided on the circumference of the chain 22c, a support base 22e with a pin 22f, and the like. In addition, the card carry-out mechanism 22 is shown in FIGS.
Bend motor 23a and reduction gear mechanism 23b as shown in FIG.
And the bend motor 23a through the reduction gear mechanism 23b.
A feed screw 23c that is power transmission coupled to the slider 23 and a slider 23 that is screwed into the feed screw 23c and moves forward and backward in the direction of arrow P.
d, a pusher 23e that is supported by a slider 23d in a cantilevered manner so as to be swingable via a spindle pin 23g, and a swing play allowance (the pusher 23e is the spindle pin 2).
Stopper piece 2 that regulates the range of swinging around 3g)
3h, a leading guide roller 23i attached to the tip of the pusher 23e, and a pusher claw portion 23f formed so as to project downward from the rear portion of the roller 23i. The claw portion 23f is provided with a lower surface of the guide roller 23i and a claw. Part 2
A protruding dimension H (H ≦ T) corresponding to the thickness T of one card is set between the lower edge of 3f and the lower edge of 3f.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the card shooter 24 is adjacent to the stacker and serves as an IC card introduction portion, and the guide 24A which is the subject of the present invention is integrally formed to have a key shape in a plan view. ing. Guide 2
4A has a bottom 24a having a shallow plane so that the IC card 6 can be fed horizontally. Further, the inclined portion 24D connected to the guide 24A changes the direction of the IC card 6 sent thereto at a right angle, and the bottom surface 24 inclines downward toward the lead-out portion 24G so as to guide the IC card 6 to the lead-out portion 24G located ahead of the IC card 6. The inclined surface 24d is formed. The lead-out portion 24G is arranged so that its lower surface opening faces a predetermined one of the ticket issuing units 25.

The card vending machine 2 has a large number of ICs.
One of the card stackers 7 in which the cards are stacked and stored is fixed by the pin 22f engaging the pin hole 8b, and stands by at the card unloading position. Here, when the customer inserts the total amount of the predetermined price and the deposit into the bill insertion slot 16 and the coin insertion slot 17 and selects a desired ticket type with the selection button 15, the control section (not shown) in the machine In response to this command, the pusher type card carry-out mechanism 23 operates and the pusher 23e moves forward together with the slider 23d toward the card stacker 7, where the leading guide roller 2 attached to the tip of the pusher 23e.
When 3i enters the stacker, as shown in FIG. 10B, the guide roller 23i hits the cards stacked and stored in the stacker 4 from the side, and rides on the upper surface of the card 6 arranged in the uppermost position. , The upper surface of the card is moved to lead the pusher 23e. As a result, in the standby state, the pusher 23e, which is cantilevered in a posture tilted forward by the swing play allowance with respect to the slider 23d, swings so as to slightly lift the tip, and the upper surfaces of the cards 6 arranged in the uppermost position are swung. The height of the pusher claw portion 23f is automatically corrected as a reference level. That is, the pusher's claw portions 23f are properly aligned with the rear end surface of the cards 6 arranged in the uppermost part of the stacker 7. Then, when the pusher 23e further advances, as shown in FIG.
f hooks the uppermost card 6 and pushes it forward, pushes it out sideways through the exit of the stacker 7, and carries it out toward the guide 2A of the card shooter 24 through the window hole (card exit) of the case 8.

The card shooter 24 into which the IC card 6 has been fed into the guide 24A is further pushed by the pusher IC.
The card 6 is guided to the inclined portion 24D, where the traveling direction is changed, and the card 6 is guided to the outlet portion 24G and delivered to the ticket issuing unit 25. This IC card 6 is a ticket issuing unit 25, and the specified data corresponding to the ticket type selected via the built-in antenna is IC.
The data is written in the memory section of the card, and then sent out to the card outlet 21 by the conveyance of the conveyor mechanism. When the pusher 23G advances to the stroke end, it reverses and retracts to the standby position.

On the other hand, in the stacker 7, when one IC card 6 is unloaded, the pusher 23e of the card unloading mechanism 23 retracts, and the card lifting mechanism 9 pushes the stored card upward to return to the unloading standby state. When the stacker 7 becomes empty due to repeated ticketing, the stacker transport mechanism 22 is started by receiving a signal from a sold-out detection sensor (not shown), the pin 22f is removed, and the empty stacker is retracted from the card carry-out position. At the same time, the stacker with a full card is moved from the standby position to the card unloading position and stopped to prepare for the next card sale.

[0009]

However, in the vending machine, a slight gap is generated in the installation between the stacker 7 and the guide 24A. When selling the IC card 6, the pusher 23
When the IC card 6 which is pushed by the e and crosses the gap to the guide 24A is weakened by the pusher 23e, the rear end of the IC card 6 is lowered from the claw portion 23f of the pusher 23e as shown in FIG. There is a risk of falling off and falling. As a result, a trouble occurs in which the IC card is not normally sent to the card outlet 21.

The present invention provides a card feeding device for a card vending machine, which can prevent a trouble that the IC card pushed out from the stacker is surely fed to the guide so that the IC card is not delivered to the card outlet. The purpose is to do.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, the stacker is provided between a stacker for accommodating and accommodating cards and a ticket issuing unit having a data recording device for the card and a card outlet. In a card vending machine equipped with a guide that supports the lower surface of a card that is provided adjacent to the card and that is pushed out from the card stacker by the pusher and further pushed by the pusher, the guide contacts the upper surface of the card. Support to regulate the card substantially horizontally.

When the IC card falls into the gap, the IC
The front part of the card is on the guide, and the rear end comes off the pusher and the front end lifts. Therefore, by restraining the front end from being lifted by the support, the IC card is kept substantially horizontal and is continuously pushed by the pusher without being disengaged from the pusher and is reliably fed to the guide.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[Embodiment 1] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention, in which parts common to or the same as those in FIGS. 7 to 13 are designated by the same reference numerals. 1 to 13, a support 24e is provided between the guide 24A and the bottom plate 24a at both ends thereof so as to form a gap slightly larger than the thickness of the IC card 6. The entrance side of the support 24e is inclined upward so that the IC card 6 can be fed without any trouble. Further, the vertical leg 24f having a hook-shaped cross section is superposed on the rising portions 24d at both ends of the guide 24A, and is fixed by a small screw 24g.

In the above-mentioned structure, the IC card 6 pushed out from the stacker 7 by the pusher 23e has the pusher 23 while the center of gravity of the card does not move to the guide 24A side.
e If the rear end is inclined to lean downward due to the downward force applied by the claw 23f of the pusher 23e even if the pushing force weakens or the center of gravity moves to the guide 24A side, the end of the guide 24A The front end, which serves as a fulcrum and tends to tilt upward, abuts the support 24e and is prevented from tilting.
Therefore, the IC card 6 is always kept horizontal and the pusher 23e
Securely fed into the guide 24A without coming off,
It is delivered to the card outlet 21. [Embodiment 2] FIGS. 4 to 6 show a second embodiment of the present invention. The difference from the first embodiment is a guide 24A.
A hook-shaped mounting member 24c is fixed to one of the rising edges, and a support 24g formed by a spring plate in a U-shaped cross-section as shown in the figure attaches the upper leg forming the mounting portion to the small screw 24g.
It is fixedly attached to the mounting bracket 24c by.

In this embodiment, the IC card sent to the guide 24A by the pusher 23e supports 24g.
Since it is moved while being pressed against the bottom plate 24a by an appropriate force, it is surely prevented from tilting and dropping in the middle.

[0016]

According to the present invention, a stacker for accommodating and stacking cards and a ticket issuing unit having a data recording device for the card and a card ejection slot are provided adjacent to the stacker, and a pusher is used for the card stacker. In a card vending machine equipped with a guide that supports and guides the lower surface of a card that is extruded from and further pushed by a pusher, a support for contacting the upper surface of the card with the guide and regulating the card substantially horizontally. Since the IC is installed, the IC pushed out from the stacker by the pusher
The card is prevented from falling off from the pusher on the way, and the IC card is always reliably fed into the guide.
It is delivered to the card outlet of the ticket issuing unit.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an essential part of a card vending machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an essential part of the invention shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a guide in the essential part of the invention shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of an essential part of an invention of a card vending machine showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a side view of the guide in the essential part of the invention shown in FIG.

6 is a front view of the guide shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is an external perspective view of a card vending machine to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 8 is an internal plan view of the card vending machine shown in FIG.

9 is a sectional view of the card vending machine shown in FIG. 8 taken along the line AA.

10A and 10B are explanatory views showing a configuration operation of a pusher type card unloading mechanism of the card vending machine shown in FIG. 9, where FIG. 10A is a side view in a standby state, and FIGS. Side view showing different states of

FIG. 11 is a plan view of a conventional card shooter.

12 is a cross-sectional view of the card shooter shown in FIG. 11 taken along the line BB.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a defective state of a conventional card vending machine when carrying out a card.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Card vending machine 6 IC card 7 Card stacker 23e Pusher 24 Card shooter 24A Guide 24e Support 24g Support 25 Ticketing unit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A stacker for accommodating and stacking cards and a ticket issuing unit having a card data recording device and a card take-out opening are provided adjacent to the stacker, pushed out from the card stacker by a pusher, and further pushed by a pusher. In a card vending machine provided with a guide for supporting and guiding a lower surface of a card to be pushed, the guide is provided with a support for contacting an upper surface of the card to regulate the card substantially horizontally. And card vending machines. 2. The card vending machine according to claim 1, wherein a spring plate is used as a support and elasticity is provided for abutting against the card.