Patent ID: 6082617
Filing Date: 2000-07-04
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
A system for processing chip and/or magnetic stripe cards (K), comprising the following components:at least one card supply magazine for accommodating cards to be processed;two or more chip and/or magnetic stripe processing stations for applying data/information on the chip and/or the magnetic stripe of the cards (K);at least one card body processing station for applying unchangeable data/information on the card body;a card transport system which transports the cards from the card supply magazine(s) to the chip and/or magnetic stripe processing stations and subsequently to the card body processing stations;wherein the system includesa card transport plane (x, y) with a processing sequence axis (y) and an orthogonally extending processing parallelisation axis (x) with processing stations of different processing types being arranged in a spaced relationship one behind the other along the processing sequence axis (y), wherein multiple of said processing stations of one processing type are arranged side by side along the processing parallelisation axis (x) as a processing module;wherein the system is constructed of interconnected separate modules which are arranged one behind the other along the processing sequence axis (y) in a detachable and replaceable manner, each of which includes a support frame;wherein the system includes a card supply module which comprises one or several card supply magazines which are arranged side by side along the processing parallelisation axis (x);a first card distribution module with a card distribution device which is movable along the processing parallelisation axis (x) and which is capable of receiving a card (K), accommodating said card or discharging said card to a processing station, respectively, from a card supply magazine or a processing station after moving into a card receipt or a card discharge position, respectively;a chip and/or magnetic stripe processing module which comprises two or more chip and/or magnetic stripe processing stations which are arranged side by side along the processing parallelisation axis (x);a second card distribution module with a card distribution device which is movable along the processing parallelisation axis (x) and which is capable of receiving a card (K), accommodating said card or discharging said card to a processing station, respectively, from a card supply magazine or a processing station after moving into a card receipt or a card discharge position, respectively;at least one card body processing module which comprises one or several card body processing stations which are arranged side by side along the processing parallelisation axis (x).