WO2004039711A1

WO2004039711A1 - Card buffer for temporarily buffering cards in card-processing systems

Info

Publication number: WO2004039711A1
Application number: PCT/EP2003/011849
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rudolf Gamperling
Original assignee: Böwe Systec AG
Priority date: 2002-10-30
Filing date: 2003-10-24
Publication date: 2004-05-13
Also published as: DE10250620B4; DE10250620A1

Abstract

Disclosed is a card buffer for temporarily buffering cards (110) in a card-processing system. Said card buffer comprises a plurality of card-receiving compartments (112), each of which is embodied so as to receive one card (110), a delivery device for inserting a card (110) into a card-receiving compartment (112), a device for dispensing a card (110) from a card-receiving compartment (112), and a continuous conveying device (100) that supports the plurality of card-receiving compartments (112) and is provided with at least one bent section (114, 116). The delivery device is disposed adjacent to the bent section (114, 116) of the continuous conveying device (100) so as to insert a card (110) into one of the card-receiving compartments (112), which is arranged within the bent section (114, 116) of the continuous conveying device (100). A plane (120) along which the card advances and on which the delivery device feeds a card (110) to one of the card-receiving compartments (112) is aligned relative to a card-receiving area of a card-receiving compartment (112). The continuous conveying device (100) is disposed in an inclined manner relative to the vertical line (122) and/or the plane (120) along which the card advances is arranged in an inclined manner relative to the horizontal line such that the plane (120) along which the card advances is in alignment with the card-receiving area when a card (110) is delivered.

Description

Card buffer for buffering cards in card processing systems

description

The present invention relates to the intermediate buffering of cards, in particular plastic cards, for card processing systems, and here in particular for card processing systems that work in online operation. In systems of this type, it is necessary to temporarily store the cards in a buffer, since a predetermined time elapses between reading machine-readable information from the card and printing or feeding the carrier assigned to the card.

Known card buffer systems carry out a stack buffering in that the cards to be cached are stacked on top of one another in a stack. Such stack buffer systems for cards are susceptible to variations in the card thickness and only allow the processing of cards with very small thickness tolerances. Another disadvantage of these systems is that the buffer size is limited. Another problem with this system is that the cards are only stacked on top of one another in the buffer, so that when individual cards are withdrawn from the buffer, the cards have to be separated.

In order to avoid the above-mentioned problems with conventional stack buffers, various approaches are known in the prior art for temporarily storing cards or similar elements in a buffer. For example, DE 100 36 715 AI and US-A-5, 960, 927 describe buffer arrangements in which an endless conveyor device is provided, which is guided, for example, over two deflection rollers to which a predetermined number of receiving compartments are attached is. Cards are fed into the individual compartments by means of suitable input / output devices, and are moved from the input device to the output device by means of the endless conveyor device, as a result of which the intermediate buffering is achieved. The input device and the output device are arranged on straight sections of the endless conveyor device, which extend between two deflection rollers, so that cards are inserted or removed in these areas.

In order to maximize the capacity of the buffer, the card receiving compartments are attached to the endless conveyor device in such a way that the distance between adjacent receiving compartments is sufficient to place a card between them. Such a structure is described in DE 100 36 715 AI.

The disadvantage of this close arrangement of the receiving compartments to one another is that a high accuracy of the input device is required in order to insert cards into the receiving compartments safely and reliably, in particular without disturbing the operating sequence. This is all the more difficult and complex the smaller the distance between adjacent compartments.

One way to solve this problem is to increase the spacing of the storage compartments, as described, for example, in US Pat. No. 5,960,927, which, however, runs counter to the stated goal of maximizing the buffer capacity.

Another problem may arise when using the closely spaced compartments. If the dimensions and / or the material of the receiving compartments are selected accordingly, the exception compartments can experience a deflection in the straight sections of the buffer due to the acting gravitational forces. This, in turn, can result in adjacent receptacles at their free ends touch, which makes it even more difficult to insert the cards.

Starting from this prior art, the present invention is based on the object of creating an improved card buffer in which a safe and reliable feeding of the cards into the buffer is made possible without having to accept cuts in capacity.

This object is achieved by a card buffer according to claim 1.

The present invention provides a card buffer for buffering cards in card processing systems

a plurality of card receiving compartments, each card receiving compartment being designed to receive a card,

a feed device for inserting a card into a card receiving compartment,

an issuing device for issuing a card from a card receiving compartment, and

an endless conveyor that supports the plurality of card receiving compartments, the endless conveyor comprising at least one bent portion;

characterized,

that the feed device is arranged adjacent to the curved section of the endless conveyor, in order to insert a card into one of the card receiving compartments, which is arranged in the curved section of the endless conveyor. The advantage of the present invention is that the fact that the card is fed to the card buffer in the already bent section ensures reliable feeding there, because due to the deflection of the endless conveyor in the already bent section, for example by a deflecting roller, and the Attaching the receiving compartments to the endless device, the distance between the receiving compartments increases in one direction away from the deflection roller, so that the card can be fed in in a simple manner without the capacity having to be reduced. If the dispensing device is also arranged in the region of the curved section, the outflow of the card from the buffer is also facilitated here.

Another advantage of the present invention is that the tolerances in the mechanics of the arrangement essentially no longer lead to malfunctions. Furthermore, due to the arrangement of the feed device according to the invention, the requirement for the positioning accuracy of the endless conveyor device, e.g. B. a belt, not so high, d. That is, the positioning accuracy of the belt no longer has to be as precise as was necessary in the conventional approaches described above with the same buffering capacity.

Another advantage of the present invention is that the cycle performance can be increased significantly if the feed device and the output device are arranged in such a way that they are arranged one behind the other in the side of the buffer in a card conveying direction, since then for the insertion or removal of a card from the Buffers only require very short distances.

According to the invention, the installation position of the buffer can vary as desired between a horizontal arrangement and a vertical arrangement. The card running plane in which the feed device feeds the card to one of the card receiving compartments is preferably aligned with a card receiving surface of the corresponding card receiving compartment.

According to a first preferred embodiment, the card buffer is inclined with respect to the vertical such that a card receiving area of a card receiving compartment, which is arranged in the bent section of the endless conveyor for receiving a card from the supply device, is arranged essentially horizontally and aligned with the card running plane of the supply device ,

According to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the card buffer is arranged essentially vertically, so that a card receiving area of a card receiving compartment, which is arranged in the bent section of the endless conveyor device for receiving a card from the supply device, is arranged at an angle to the horizontal, wherein the feed device is further arranged such that the card running plane is arranged inclined with respect to the horizontal, so that the card running plane and the card receiving surface are aligned with one another when a card is fed.

According to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the card buffer is inclined with respect to the vertical in such a way that a card receiving area of a card receiving compartment, which is arranged in the bent section of the endless conveyor for receiving a card from the supply device, and is arranged at an angle to the horizontal, and in which the feed device is further arranged such that its card running plane is also arranged at an angle to the horizontal, so that the card running plane and the card receiving surface are arranged at an angle such that they are aligned with one another. The card receiving area and the card running plane are then preferably in a common plane, the card running plane, when they are aligned with one another.

The card holder has a portion attached to the endless conveyor, and the feeder is arranged to either feed a card in a direction toward the attachment portion of the card holder, or in a direction substantially parallel to the attachment portion of the card holder supply.

According to a further preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the output device is also arranged adjacent to the bent section.

A card running plane of the dispensing device, the card running plane of the feeding device and the card receiving area of a card receiving compartment, which is arranged in the curved section of the endless conveyor device for receiving a card from the feeding device and / or for dispensing a card to the dispensing device, are preferably aligned with one another, and furthermore these are essentially in a common plane. In this case, a card is preferably moved through the card buffer in a card conveying direction, the feed device being arranged to convey a card in the card conveying device into a card receiving compartment and the output device being adapted to convey a card in the card conveying direction out of a card receiving compartment promote.

According to a further preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the card buffer comprises a control which is effective in order to control the endless conveyor device, the feed device and the output device in such a way that the buffer can be switched between online operation and offline operation. In online In operation, the cards are temporarily stored in the memory between the infeed and the outfeed, the buffer not being required in the offline mode, so that the cards are moved from the supply device to the dispensing device through the card storage compartment of the stationary card buffer without intermediate storage. The offline mode is the mode in which, in the case of a device for merging cards and card carriers, the cards and the card carriers are already provided to a corresponding device in a presorted order.

In online operation, the controller can also be effective in order to set a buffer capacity to a desired value, which is achieved, for example, in that the card receiving compartments are not moved by one card receiving compartment, but rather by one, between the supply and the issuance of a card from the buffer , depending on the desired buffer capacity specified number of card slots.

The card is preferably a plastic card (e.g. CR-80), as used today e.g. is used for credit cards or the like. However, the present invention is not limited to such plastic cards. In fact, any card can be handled, whereby “card” in the sense of the present invention not only means plastic cards, but also includes other cards or card-like elements or data carriers, e.g. mini-disks or mini-CDs, SIMM cards, etc.

In a preferred embodiment, the plastic cards are mailed and include, among other things, credit cards, health insurance cards, driver's licenses and identity cards, loyalty cards, such as. B. Miles & More, etc.

Preferred developments of the present application are defined in the subclaims. Preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

1 shows an example of an embodiment of an endless conveyor for the card buffer according to the invention;

2A shows a first exemplary embodiment of the card buffer according to the invention, in which the card buffer is inclined with respect to the horizontal or with respect to the card running plane;

FIG. 2B shows a top view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 2A in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2A.

3A and B show two further exemplary embodiments for the possible arrangement of the card buffer according to the invention;

4 shows the arrangement of a feed device and an output device with respect to the endless conveyor device according to a preferred exemplary embodiment; and

5A-C show alternative arrangements for the feed device and the output device with respect to the endless conveyor device of the card buffer.

1, an endless conveyor device for the card buffer according to the invention in accordance with a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention is first described in more detail. The following description of the preferred exemplary embodiments is based on plastic cards, but the present invention is not limited to this, but applies to any card or similar element.

1 shows an endless conveyor device, which is provided with the reference number 100 in its entirety. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the endless conveyor device 100 comprises a belt 102 which is guided around a first deflection roller 104 and a second deflection roller 106. The belt 102 can, for example, be a toothed belt, the deflection rollers 104 and 106 then being formed by corresponding toothed belt pulleys. A plurality of cleats 108 are attached to the belt 102. The lugs 108 are arranged along an outer surface of the belt 102 at substantially equal distances from one another, the distance between adjacent lugs 108 being selected such that a plastic card 110 can be arranged between them. Card receptacle compartments 112 are thus defined by the studs 108, a corresponding card receptacle area of a compartment 112 being defined by the studs 108. The lugs 108 include a first end 108a remote from the belt 102 and an end 108b adjacent the belt 102. At the end 108b, the cleats 108 are attached to the belt 102.

Preferably, the card buffer shown in FIG. 1 or the endless conveyor 100 shown surrounds a housing which at the same time ensures that the plastic cards do not fall out of the exception compartments 112 when the plastic cards are being transported.

As can be seen from the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a first curved section 114 and a second curved section 116 of the endless conveyor device 100 are defined by the two deflecting rollers 104 and 106 over which the belt 102 is guided. Between the curved sections 114 and 116 extend in the substantially straight sections 118a and 118b of the endless conveyor 100.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the inner ends 108b of the studs, to which they are attached to the belt 102, are equally spaced in all sections of the endless conveyor 100, but the spacing of the outer ends 108a of the corresponding studs in FIGS curved portions 114 and 116 compared to the distances in the straight portions 118a and 118b. This increase in the spacing of the outer ends 108a of the cleats 108 which occurs automatically due to the deflection of the belt 102 is used according to the invention in order to avoid the problems encountered in the prior art when inserting plastic cards into the receiving compartments 112, without this being necessary would be to change the configuration of the endless conveyor, especially with regard to the capacity, that is, the number of compartments. According to the invention, the problems mentioned above when inserting the plastic cards into the receiving compartments 112 are avoided by inserting the plastic cards 110 in the region of the straight sections 118a and 118b, in which the distance between the outer ends 108a of the studs 108 is small is carried out in one of the curved sections 114 or 116, so that a safe and simple insertion is made possible here, since the distance between the outer ends 108a of successive studs is now sufficiently large.

The above-described problems due to the contact of the free ends of the studs are also avoided by the approach according to the invention, since in the curved sections 114 and 116 the distance between the outer ends 108a of adjacent studs 108 is sufficiently large that a deflection of the studs there also occurs outer ends 108a does not lead to contacting of adjacent outer ends 108a, but there is always a sufficient distance that a enables safe and reliable insertion of the plastic cards into the corresponding compartments 112.

With regard to the output of the plastic cards 110 contained in the buffer, it is pointed out that this export can in principle be carried out at any position along the belt, that is to say either along one of the straight sections 118a or 118b or also along one of the curved sections 114 and 116 In an embodiment of the present invention, which will be described in more detail later, the plastic cards are output from the buffer in the same curved area in which the cards are also fed into the buffer.

The functioning of the endless conveyor device 100 shown in FIG. 1 is such that it receives plastic cards in the area of one of the bent sections 114 or 116 when the plastic card buffer is in operation, and the belt 102 depends on one receiving compartment or a plurality of receiving compartments after receiving a card is moved further by a set, desired capacity of the buffer, for example in the direction of arrow 119 shown in FIG. 1. In this way, the inserted plastic cards are moved from the entrance to the exit by means of the endless conveyor device and are output there.

With regard to the embodiment of the endless conveyor device 100 shown in FIG. 1, in which the belt 102 is guided over two deflection rollers 104 and 106, it is pointed out that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. In fact, the belt 102 can be guided in any desired manner, with only a curved section having to be formed at one point for receiving the cards.

The belt 102 can, for example, be guided over a multiplicity of rollers, so that instead of the two straight sections 118a and 118b shown in FIG. number of straight sections. Instead of using the deflection rollers / toothed belts shown, a suitably shaped running surface can be provided for the belt, which either replaces the deflection rollers 104 and 106 or is additionally provided in order to fix a corresponding guidance in the sections between the two rollers. The surface on which the belt runs can be, for example, a curved surface which enables the belt to be guided in an arcuate section between the two deflection pulleys. It is thereby achieved that the belt length can be increased, and at the same time the number of card-receiving compartments 112 arranged thereon.

Instead of the belt 102 described above, other suitable conveyor devices, such as. B. chains or the like, to which appropriate studs or compartments are attached can be used.

A first preferred exemplary embodiment of the card buffer according to the invention is described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows the card buffer according to the invention, which in the exemplary embodiment shown comprises an endless conveyor device 100 which essentially corresponds to that which was described with reference to FIG. 1. The endless conveyor device 100 is not described again, and only the reference numbers which are required for the subsequent description of the functionality of the card buffer are given in FIG. 2 for the sake of clarity.

2 shows a card travel plane 120, which is preferably oriented horizontally. Furthermore, a vertical standing on the card travel plane 120 is indicated at 122. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the endless conveyor device 100 is inclined with respect to the vertical 122 such that in the first curved section 114 of the endless conveyor device 100 there is a receiving compartment 124 which is ready to accept cards so that whose tunnels or card receiving surface 126 are essentially aligned with the card running plane 120 or lie in this card running plane 120. In this way, a plastic card 110, which is transported in the card running plane 120, can be inserted into the receiving compartment 124 by a feed device, not shown in FIG. 2, and moved in the direction of the arrow 119 to an output device, also not shown in FIG. 2 become.

The card buffer also includes a housing 128 which surrounds the endless conveyor 100. The housing 128 includes an opening 130 to enable the plastic cards 110 to be fed in or out of the buffer. Furthermore, a controller 132 is assigned to the card buffer, which, according to a preferred exemplary embodiment, enables the buffer to be operated in different operating modes. On the one hand, the buffer can work in the online mode by inserting cards into the buffer, temporarily storing them there and then outputting them again for further processing. In this operating mode, the buffer capacity can also be produced by setting the number of storage compartments that are moved a predetermined distance during an operating cycle. With maximum design, for example, the operation will be such that one receiving compartment is continued with each clock cycle, whereas in operating modes in which a lower capacity is sufficient, a plurality of receiving channels are moved during a clock cycle, so that, for example, only every second, third or fifth receiving compartment is occupied when feeding plastic cards.

Alternatively, the card buffer can also be switched to offline mode, in which the plastic cards are passed through the buffer when the endless conveyor device or belt 102 is at a standstill without intermediate buffering taking place. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 2A and the exemplary embodiment described there, the input device and the output device of the buffer are arranged in the same card running plane 120, as will be explained in more detail below with reference to FIG. 2B. FIG. 2B shows a view of the card buffer according to the invention in the direction of the arrow A shown in FIG. 2A. The card buffer 100 and its housing 128 are shown schematically in FIG. 2B. Vertical 122 and card run plane 120 are also shown. FIG. 2B schematically shows a feed device 134 which is arranged in the card running plane 120 and which introduces cards into the compartment 124 (see FIG. 2A). An output device 136 is also shown, and the arrangement thereof in the card running level 120 means that the functionality of the buffer described in FIG. 2 is such that when a compartment provided with a plastic card reaches position 124, the first The plastic card contained therein, which has already passed through the buffer once, is removed from the compartment 124 by means of the output device 136, and then a new card is inserted, which is then moved in the direction of the arrows 119 in the buffer until the initial position is reached again and is then output via the output device 136.

In other words, the device according to the invention works in the exemplary embodiment shown in such a way that the feed device 134 effects a feed of a card 110 into the buffer in a direction which is essentially parallel to a fastening section of the receiving compartment 126, that is to say essentially parallel to a section, where the inner end 108b of the studs are attached to the belt 102. The cards are moved out of the buffer in a corresponding direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this special embodiment, as will be explained in more detail below.

Before the various possibilities for feeding and executing the plastic cards from the buffer or from the endless conveyor device are described in more detail, first further exemplary embodiments with regard to the possible arrangement of the endless conveyor device and the feed device are described.

FIG. 3A shows an example in which the endless conveyor device 100 is inclined with respect to the vertical 122, similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, but here the card travel plane 120 does not coincide with the horizontal 138. In other words, both the insertion device 134 and the endless conveyor device 100 are arranged inclined once with respect to the horizontal and once with respect to the vertical, in order to ensure that the necessary for a compartment 124 into which the card is to be imported and / or exported Alignment of the receiving surface with the card running plane 120 is ensured.

Fig. 3B shows an example in which the endless conveyor is arranged substantially vertically, with a card travel plane 120, in which the feeder feeds the card, so inclined with respect to the horizontal 138 that there is a feed to one in the bent portion 116 arranged compartment allows, in which case the corresponding receiving surface in the compartment 124 is aligned with the card travel plane 120. In the exemplary embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the input devices or feed devices are arranged in such a way that the corresponding alignment of the card running plane 120 is ensured. Depending on a support level in which the cards are moved in the overall system, it would then still be necessary to have one provide appropriate deflection device to move the plastic cards from this conveying plane into the card running plane 120.

The feed and output devices 134 and 136 can be mounted in a conventional manner, e.g. B. in the manner described in DE 100 36 715 A.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention, which has already been explained schematically with reference to FIG. 2B, is described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows a top view, sectional illustration of the card buffer shown in FIG. 2A in the region of the compartment 124 and of the first deflection roller 104.

FIG. 4 shows a part of the lower deflection roller 104 which is arranged on an axis 140. The axis 140 extends through the housing 128 and is rotatably supported by suitable bearings 142 and 144 embedded in the housing 128. FIG. 4 also shows a part of the belt 102 to which the cleat 126 is fastened with its inner end 108b in order to form the receiving compartment 124. Thus, at the connection point at which the inner end 108b of the stud 126 is connected to the belt 102, the compartment 124 comprises a fastening section 146 which extends essentially parallel to the axis 140 or the deflection roller 104.

4, there is also shown a conveyor belt 148 which, similar to the belt 102, comprises a plurality of pairs of studs 150, 152, 154, the studs of each pair being spaced apart by a sufficient distance around a plastic card 110a , 110b or 110c in the manner shown in FIG. 4. The belt 148 extends from the feed device through the housing of the buffer to the output device, the belt 148 being guided in this way and the studs 150, 152 and 154 being designed such that when the Belt with the cleats through the buffer no hindrance to further movement of the cleats forming the receiving compartments occurs, as can also be seen from FIG. 4. Here it is shown that the cleats 152 and the outer edge 108a of the receiving compartment 124 are spaced apart from one another, so that the edge 108a can be easily guided past the cleats 152 and the belt 148.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the plastic cards are moved in the direction of arrow 156, that is to say in a direction essentially parallel to the fastening section 146 or essentially parallel to the longitudinal extension of the deflection roller 104 or parallel to the axis 140. In the feed device the plastic cards are introduced into the conveyor belt 148, more precisely into the compartments defined by the studs 150, 152 and 154 and moved in the direction of the buffer. FIG. 4 shows a situation in which the belt 148 is arranged such that a plastic card 110b, which is currently in the receiving compartment 124 of the buffer, is received in the compartment formed by the studs 152. Likewise, a plastic card 110c that has already been extended or a card 110a provided for insertion into the buffer is shown. After the situation shown in FIG. 4 has been reached, that is to say the buffer has brought the card 110b into the position shown by appropriate timing of the receiving compartments, the buffer is stopped and the conveyor belt 148 is driven. As a result, the card 110b is extended from the receiving compartment 124 and at the same time the card 110a is moved into the receiving compartment 124. The buffer is then moved again, so that the card 110a now inserted is moved out of the receiving area and buffered temporarily. If the card 110a reaches the compartment 124 again after one round, it is moved out of the buffer in the manner described above. In the following, further exemplary embodiments of the present invention are explained with reference to FIG. 5 with regard to the arrangement for feeding and executing cards into the card buffer.

5A summarizes the feed directions of plastic cards in the buffer which are possible according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5A schematically shows a top view sectional view similar to that shown in FIG. 4. The receiving compartment 124, which is formed by the lug 126, comprises a receiving surface 158, which is aligned with the plane 120 for feeding from the input device or from the feeding device 134 or 134 ', and is preferably arranged in the plane 120. In a first exemplary embodiment, which has already been described with reference to FIG. 4, the plastic card is fed in the direction of arrow 156, that is to say in a direction essentially parallel to the fastening edge 146, with which the inner end 108b of the stud 126 on the in Fig. 5 strap not shown is attached. Alternatively, the feed can also take place in the direction 156 'shown in FIG. 5A by means of a suitable feed device 134', the feed device then taking place in a direction essentially perpendicular to the fastening section 146. Although it is shown in FIG. 5A that the feed in the first example takes place from the side on the left in FIG. 5, it is obvious that a corresponding feed can also take place from the side on the right in FIG. 5.

5B shows two exemplary embodiments with regard to the execution of the cards from the buffer. The first exemplary embodiment corresponds to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, in which the supply and the execution take place in the same direction 156, that is to say essentially parallel to the fastening section 146. In the alternative embodiment, instead of executing the card in the same direction in which it was inserted, de in a direction substantially perpendicular to it. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 5B, this is shown by the arrow 156 ^' , which, by means of a suitable alternative execution device 136', enables the card to be executed in a direction essentially perpendicular to the fastening section 146.

FIG. 5C shows yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in which the feeding takes place by means of a suitable feeding device 134 ′ in a direction 156 ′, which is essentially perpendicular to the fastening section 146. The export takes place in direction 156, that is to say essentially parallel to the fastening section 146, either through the output device 136 to the right and / or through the output device 136 ′ to the left.

With regard to the exemplary embodiments described in FIG. 5, it is pointed out that any desired combinations of supply and output can also be implemented. B. the supply from two sides, and the export to one side, as is readily apparent to a person skilled in the art from the possible combinations described in FIGS. 5A to 5C.

In the above description of the preferred exemplary embodiments, the feed device / the feed devices and the output device / the output devices are always arranged in the same plane 120, which is advantageous with regard to an increase in the cycle power, since it is carried out here quickly due to the resulting short distances during insertion and running the cards to obtain clock performance improvements. However, the present invention is not restricted to the configuration described in these exemplary embodiments. Rather, it is possible to provide the dispenser / dispensers at other positions along the endless conveyor. In the exemplary embodiments described above, an endless conveying device was shown that is inclined with respect to the vertical, which also includes the possibility of inclining the endless conveying device, for example shown in FIG. 2A, by 90 ° with respect to the vertical, so that the connecting line between the two Axes of the deflection rollers 104 and 106 coincide with the horizontal, in which case a feed is then carried out to the card receiving compartment, which has the bent section of a receiving surface 158, which is aligned with the card running plane 120.

Furthermore, instead of the configuration of the feed device described in the preferred exemplary embodiments, provision can be made for arranging it in such a way that a card travel plane thereof is essentially perpendicular to the horizontal, so that, for example, in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3B, a feed to the adjacent one to the vertical 122 arranged storage compartment would take place.

Claims

claims

Card buffer for buffering cards (110) in a card processing system, with

a plurality of card receiving compartments (112, 124), each card receiving compartment (112, 124) being designed to receive a card (110);

a feed device (134) for inserting a card (110) into a card receiving compartment (112, 124);

an issuing device (136) for issuing a card (110) from a card receiving compartment (112, 124); and

an endless conveyor (100) which supports the plurality of card receiving compartments (112, 124) and comprises at least one bent portion (114, 116);

characterized,

that the feed device (134) is arranged adjacent to the curved section (114, 116) of the endless conveyor (100) to insert a card (110) into one of the card receiving compartments (112, 124) which is in the curved section (114, 116) of the endless conveyor (100) is arranged to introduce

that a card running plane (120), in which the feed device (134) feeds a card (110) to one of the card receiving compartments (112, 124), is aligned with a card receiving surface (158) of a card receiving compartment (112, 124), and

that the endless conveyor device (100) is arranged so inclined with respect to the vertical (122) and / or the card running plane (120) is arranged inclined with respect to the horizontal (138), so that the card running plane (120) and the card receiving surface (158) are aligned with one another when a card (110) is fed.

The card buffer according to claim 1, wherein the endless conveyor (100) is inclined with respect to the vertical (122) in such a way that a card receiving area (158) of a card receiving compartment (124) which is in the bent section (114) of the endless conveyor (100) is arranged for receiving a card (110) from the feed device (134), is substantially horizontal and is aligned with the card travel plane (120) of the feed device (134).

3. Card buffer according to claim 1, wherein the endless conveyor (100) is arranged substantially vertically so that a card receiving surface (158) of a card receiving compartment (124), which is in the bent section (114) of the endless conveyor (100) for one Receiving a card (110) is arranged by the feed device (134), is arranged at an angle to the horizontal (138), and in which the feed device (134) is arranged such that the card running plane (120) with respect to the horizontal ( 138) is arranged inclined so that the card travel plane (120) and the card receiving surface (158) are aligned with one another when a card (110) is fed.

4. The card buffer according to claim 1, wherein the endless conveyor (100) is arranged inclined with respect to the vertical (122) such that a card receiving surface (158) of a card receiving compartment (124) which is in the bent section (114) of the endless conveyor ( 100) for receiving a card (110) from the feed device (134), is arranged at an angle to the horizontal (138), and in which the feed device (134) is arranged such that that the card running plane (158) is arranged at an angle to the horizontal (138), the card running plane (120) and the card receiving surface (158) being arranged at an angle such that they are aligned with one another.

5. Card buffer according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the card receiving area (158) of a card receiving compartment (124) and the card running plane (120) of the feed device (134) lie essentially in a common plane when they are aligned with one another.

6. Card buffer according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the card receiving compartments (124) have a portion (148) with which they are attached to the endless conveyor (100), and in which the feed device (134) is arranged such that a card (110) can be fed in a direction (156 ') towards the fastening section (146) of the card receiving compartment (124).

7. Card buffer according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the card receiving compartments (124) have a portion (146) with which they are attached to the endless conveyor (100), and in which the feed device (134) is arranged such that a card (110) can be fed in a direction (156) substantially parallel to the fastening section (146) of the card receiving compartment (124).

8. Card buffer according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the output device (136) is arranged adjacent to the bent section (114, 116).

A card buffer according to claim 8, wherein a card run plane (120) of the dispenser (136), the card run plane (120) of the feeder (134) and the Card receiving area (158) of a card receiving compartment (124), which is in the curved section (114) of the endless conveyor (100) for receiving a card from the feeder (134) and / or for dispensing a card (110) to the dispenser (136) is arranged, are aligned with one another and lie essentially in a common plane.

A card buffer according to claim 9, wherein a card (110) is movable in a card form through the card buffer, the feeder (134) being arranged to insert a card in the card request direction into a card receiving compartment (124), and wherein Output device (136) is adapted to request a card in the card request direction from a card receiving compartment (124).

11. Card buffer according to one of claims 1 to 10, in which the endless requesting device (100) has a further bent section (116), the endless requesting device (100) having an essentially straight section (118a, 118b) which is different from extends the bent portion (114) to the further bent portion (116).

The card buffer of claim 11, wherein a portion of the continuous feeder (100) that extends from the further bent portion (116) to the bent portion (114) has any shape.

13. Card buffer according to one of claims 1 to 12, in which the bent section (116) of the endless conveyor (100) is formed in that an endless belt (102) of the endless conveyor (100) on which the card receiving compartments (112) are arranged, is at least partially guided around a deflection roller (104, 106).

4. Card buffer according to one of claims 1 to 13, with a control device (132) which is effective to control the endless conveyor device (100), the feed device (134) and the output device (136) such that the buffer between an online mode and an offline mode can be switched over, the online mode in which the cards (110) are temporarily stored in the buffer between the supply and the export and / or a buffer capacity can be set to a desired value in that between the supply and the output of cards, the endless conveyor device (100) is moved forward by a predetermined number of card receiving compartments (112), and wherein in offline mode the cards (110) are moved from the feed device (134) to the output device (136) without intermediate storage.