Patent ID: 7980420
Filing Date: 2011-07-19
Classification: B65H,G06K

Abstract:
1. A card dispensing apparatus in which a surface of the lowest card in a stack of cards is pressed toward a fixed base comprising: a conveying member, in contact with a card surface via an opening in the base, is moved in a predetermined direction, thereby dispensing cards, one by one in the predetermined direction, wherein the conveying member has a flat contact surface; and a movement unit advances a portion of the conveying member into the base opening from a predetermined advancing position to make a surface contact with the card surface, the movement unit linearly moves in a predetermined direction while maintaining a contact state to dispense the card, and subsequently retracts from the opening to a retracted position, and then again moves to the predetermined advancing position for a subsequent dispensing action, wherein the movement unit includes a reciprocating member that linearly reciprocates in the card dispensing direction and moves in a direction forming a right angle with the dispensing direction, the reciprocating member includes a first reciprocating member that linearly reciprocates in the card dispensing direction and a second reciprocating member that reciprocates in a direction forming a right angle with a moving direction of the first reciprocating member, wherein the second reciprocating member has an L shape, the second reciprocating member has a plurality of elongated holes extending in a direction forming a right angle with a moving direction of the first reciprocating member and is pivotally supported by the first reciprocating member, the elongated holes accommodate crank pins inserted therein, the crank pins make contact with a cam that moves, in the course of rotation, integrally with the first reciprocating member from an area near a most retracted position of the first reciprocating member to an area near a most advancing position thereof, and, with the crank pins making contact with the cam, the second reciprocating member is caused to make a pivotal movement to cause the conveying member to move in a direction away from the first reciprocating member.