Patent ID: 7083088
Filing Date: 2006-08-01
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
1. A card dispensing apparatus, comprising: a support unit for supporting a plurality of cards arranged in a stack, the support unit being driven by a third motor to move in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction; a pickup unit disposed adjacent to the stack of cards for attracting a first card of the plurality of cards, the pickup unit being a vacuum unit driven by a first motor, the first card being bent so that a predetermined portion of the first card is displaced from alignment with a card dispensing passageway; a position sensor disposed adjacent to the pickup unit for detecting when a card is adjacent to the pickup unit and outputting a position sensor signal; a transporting unit disposed adjacent to the pickup unit for receiving and moving the first card attracted by the pickup unit along the card dispensing passageway, the transporting unit being driven by a second motor; a biasing unit for urging a predetermined portion of the first card towards the card dispensing passageway, the biasing unit having at least one biasing roller, the biasing roller including at least one radial projection for contacting the predetermined portion of the first card; a control unit for receiving a dispensing request signal and the position sensor signal and activating the first electric motor, the second electric motor and the third electric motor to dispense one card from the stack of cards; a duplicate detecting sensor for outputting a duplicate signal indicating more than one card is being dispensed; wherein the control unit receives the duplicate detecting signal and outputs a dispensing stop signal and an alarm signal and deactivates the first motor and the second motor.