JPS6362026B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for counting the number of plastic cards.

For example, the following methods have been used to count plastic cards such as credit cards and cash cards. Part 1 is
The side of the stacked cards is scanned by a reflective photoelectric sensor, and the reflected light from the card center layer (white core) is integrated and counted.The second method is to feed the cards one by one using a mechanical feeder. The number is counted using a photoelectric sensor or the like while being transported.

However, the first type, which has recently become available in the market, has a colored layer with poor light reflectivity, which is impossible to count, and the second type requires a complicated mechanism for conveyance. There is a problem that it is impossible to count if they are tied together with a belt or the like.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and focuses on the fact that plastic cards have a transparent layer on their surface, and provides a method for counting the number of cards by transmitting light through this transparent layer. It is something.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a plurality of plastic cards stacked one on top of the other. Reference numeral 1 denotes a card in which a transparent layer B is coated or fused on the surface of a core portion A, respectively. Both the core part A and the transparent layer B are usually made of vinyl chloride or the like, but their optical properties are different. That is, when the cards 1 are stacked in the thickness direction, a light-transmitting layer perpendicular to the card thickness direction is formed between the cards. Therefore, when the cards are stacked and viewed from the thickness direction of the cards, the core part A and the transparent layer B are sequentially overlapped, and this is called a state in which the light-shielding part A and the transparent part B are overlapped. It can be replaced.

Therefore, if the emitter and receiver are installed so that the optical path is formed in the direction perpendicular to the card thickness direction, and the card stack and the emitter and receiver are moved relative to each other,
Light shielding portions A and light transmitting portions B alternately appear between the emitter and receiver. Since this appears for each card, the number of cards can be measured by measuring the number of times light is blocked or transmitted.

Figure 2 shows this measurement method, in which cards 1 are stacked in the thickness direction, and the emitter and receivers 2 and 3 are arranged to form an optical path in the width direction of the cards 1. Scanning is performed by moving the card from left to right in the diagram. The projector 2 is preferably one that can generate a narrow beam of light, such as a laser oscillator.

Figures 3a, b, and c show the scanning operation mode of the emitter and receiver. Figure 3a shows when the emitter side is moved, Figure 3b shows when the receiver side is moved, and Figure 3c shows the scanning operation mode of the emitter and receiver. The case where both the emitter and receiver are moved is shown.

First, in the case shown in FIG. 4A, spot light Ls is projected from a moving light projector, and the light that passes through the card 1 is applied to the light receiving element 3 via the condenser lens 4. spot light
Assuming that Ls has a diameter smaller than the thickness of the core portion A of the card 1, the light receiver 3 performs optical detection every time the spot light Ls reaches the transparent layer between the cards. Therefore, by measuring the number of times the light receiver 3 detects light, the number of cards can be determined.

In addition, in the case of figure b, the parallel light beam is
Lb is projected, the light receiver 3 is moved, and the number of cards is measured by the number of times light is detected during the movement.

Further, in Figure c, both the emitter and receiver are moved in the thickness direction of the card, and spot light is used.

FIG. 4 shows the setting direction of the optical path between the emitter and receiver, and only three examples are shown here. That is, there are three examples: the width direction, the longitudinal direction, and the direction diagonally across the corner of the card.

Any one of these may be selected, or a plurality of them may be combined. Alternatively, scanning may be performed twice back and forth, and each scan may be compared.

As described above, the present invention uses the transparent layer of a plastic card to measure the number of cards by a light transmission method, so unlike the conventional light reflection method, the light reflection characteristics are determined by the card material. It is possible to avoid problems such as a large difference in the number of sheets, which makes it impossible to measure, and it is possible to reliably measure the number of sheets. Moreover, since cards are not transported one by one, there is no need for mechanical complexity.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a plurality of plastic cards stacked on top of each other, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the measuring method of the present invention, and FIGS.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the scanning method of the light receiver, and is a diagram showing the direction in which the optical path is set with respect to the card. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Card, 2... Emitter, 3... Light receiver, A... Core part (light-shielding part), B... Transparent layer (light-transmitting part), L... Light.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Plastic cards having a translucent layer provided on the surface of a core portion with low translucency are placed one on top of the other in the thickness direction, and light is directed through the cards in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the plastic cards. A method for counting the number of plastic cards, in which the number of plastic cards is detected by projecting light and detecting the discontinuity of light passing through the plastic card.