Abstract:
Equipment is provided for issuing IC cards packed in transparent films, etc. without damaging the card or the packaging. The equipment includes a dispenser which can be loaded with s large number of cards in simple and at short time. An elevator for the card bodies is provided with a flexible rack a driving mechanism for moving the rack in up and down directions, a movable base which arranged at the bottom end, for carrying card bodies. The dispenser includes the elevator with the movable base as well as a fan for taking up the top most card body on the movable base and a tire or wheel for sending out the card body which is taken up at the fan.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a dispenser for sending out cards one by one. Especially, this invention relates to a dispenser for surely sending out cards each as one sheet, without damaging a card body of little thickness. More particularly, the invention relates to equipment for sending out IC cards or cards in transparent film or the like. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Card dispensers for IC cards have been variously developed. For example, a card dispenser by this applicant has been disclosed in Japanese Utility Model publication 7-26276 (Japanese Utility Model Application 63-60147). U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,587 is based on this Japanese application. In the above patent specification, a dispenser for thin cards such as telephone cards, or the like is disclosed. In the equipment disclosed, a rubber roller is used in order to send out a thin card. In addition, the equipment has been devised so that the sending out of the thin cards in a piled state, for example two cards, may be prevented. 
     As descried above, conventional card dispensers have been considered only as to thin cards such as telephone cards, etc. Therefore this does not adapt to a slightly thicker card in order to surely send these out one by one. For example, IC cards and cards with a manual, which are together packed in transparent films, etc. can not effectively be sent out. It was anticipated that the packaging film, etc. would be damaged, since a rubber roller arrangement is used. Further, in conventional dispensers a part, which stores a plurality of cards or a cassette part, is included in the equipment main body. Therefore, design changes, etc. had to be made in cases which the size and type of cards, etc. were changed. 
     As a result, improvements are required in view of the management difficulties and in order to provide a dispenser for many types of cards. 
     SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention has been developed, considering the above problems in prior art. The primary object of this invention is to provide equipment in which thick cards are surly sent out one by one without damages. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide equipment in which IC cards and/or cards with a manual, togther packed in transparent films, etc. are sent out without damages. 
     It is still another object of this invention to provide a dispenser which can be loaded with a large number of cards in a simple and in a short time. 
     Further, it is an object of this invention to provide a dispenser in which dispensing problems for dispensing various cards are not present and in which convenience in the management of the cards is enhanced. 
     According to the invention an elevator mechanism for card bodies includes a flexible rack, a driving means for moving the rack in up and down directions and a movable base, which is arranged at the bottom end, for carrying a card bodies. The movable base is remove-ably arranged at the bottom end of rack. 
     The movable base is mounted in a cassette for the card bodies. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, a dispenser for card bodies is provided with a flexible rack, a driving means for moving the rack in up and down directions, a movable base, which is arranged at the bottom end, for carrying a card bodies, a fan for intake or take up of the most top card body on the movable base; and a tire or wheel for sending out the card body which is absorbed or taken up at the fan. The movable base may be remove-ably arranged at the bottom end of the rack. 
     The movable base may be mounted in a cassette for card bodies. 
     The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of card body disposition equipment according to an embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a taken apart view showing a cassette detached from the equipment of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a partially cut-away perspective view which shows the feature inside the equipment of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a taken apart perspective view which shows the cassette and the lift structure of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 5 is an explanatory view which shows the main section of the lift structure which is shown in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a front elevation view which shows the attraction structure and the delivery structure of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 7A is an explanatory view which shows an operating condition of the lift structure of FIG. 5 
     FIG. 7B is an explanatory view which shows an operating condition of the lift structure of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 8A is a perspective view which shows an operating condition of card body staggering mechanism; 
     FIG. 8B is a perspective view which shows an operating condition of card body staggering mechanism; 
     FIG. 9 is a front elevation view which shows a modification of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 10A is an explanatory drawing which shows an operating condition of the main section of FIG. 9; and 
     FIG. 10B is an explanatory drawing which shows an operating condition of the main section of FIG.  9 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings in particular, FIG. 1, shows an oblong box that is a dispenser generally designated  100 . The dispenser  100  is for dispensing card bodies. An oblong board shown at the left in FIG. 1 is a door  02  for storing a cassette. An upper part  04  of door  02  is an insertion mouth for a key. Insertion mouth  04  accepts key  04 K for opening and closing of door  02  for storing a cassette. The boards which are shown in FIG. 1 to the side are side boards  06  which constitute parts of dispenser  100 . The side boards  06  are paired facing each other. 
     At positions along the facing boards  06 , upright elongate holes  08  extend in an up and down direction. Upright elongate and slender flexible rack  10 , shown in FIG. 1, is located centrally of each elongate hole and is made of resin. Flexible racks  10  each constitute a part of the lift mechanism or means and are able to be moved in up and down directions along oblong holes  08 . FIG. 1 also shows, in an upper region, an electric motor  12  for lifting. Motor  12  constitutes an essential part of the lift mechanism or means, and the transfer in the vertical direction of each rack  10  is controlled. Stick type pipe  14  shown centrally in FIG. 1, stores an associated one flexible rack  10 . 
     Small lever  16  shown at the upper left of FIG. 1 is a for initiating operation. This lever  16  manipulates both the combination and the release between gear mechanism elements meshing each rack  10  and motor  12  (described below). 
     FIG. 2 shows the condition in which the cassette  130  is detached from dispenser  100 . The cassette  130  is an oblong box structure. This cassette  130  stores a number of card bodies, by piling them up or stacking them. The cassette  130  is formed with a main body  32  with an angle tube shape as shown in FIG.  4 . Two oblong holes  38 A and  38 B are opened at each side of main body  32 . 
     The main body  32  has oblong holes  38 A and  38 B extending in parallel in an up and down direction, each on a side facing the other. Main body  32  inside is equipped with boxy movable base  40 , and a plurality of card bodies are piled up and carried on this movable base  40 . Two shafts  42 A and  42 B respectively penetrate into the movable base  40 . Each of the two shafts  42 A and  42 B respectively penetrates into each of the two oblong holes  38 A and  38 B. Therefore, each end of the shafts  42 A and  42 B respectively protrudes from the cassette main body  32 . A door  34  of cassette  130  is a long square ring board as shown in FIG. 2 at the left. 
     FIG. 2 shows an upper short shaft  36 A and lower short shaft  36 B which are used for detachably fixing the door  34  to the main bodies  32 . A small plate  44  of the upper region of cassette main body  32  is for switching. When the cassette  130  is installed into the dispenser  100 , the plate  44  is used to place the dispensing operation in a stand-by mode. The upper part of FIG. 3 shows a fan  18  for air suction with fan motor equipment forming the attraction means. At the lower part of the fan  18 , there is an opening (not shown) for the intake of a card body. 
     FIG. 3, at the upper part, shows an electric motor that drives a pair of rollers  22  for sending out the card bodies. Dispensing rollers  22  contact the upper surface of card body at the dispensing time. In the upper part of FIG. 3 there is shown a stationary member  24  used for fixing a substrate  70  which controls electric motors and circuits, etc. (see FIG.  6 ). FIG. 3 also shows, in a lower region, a laid down U form frame  26  for lifting, and constitutes a part of lift means. A level pair of grooves  28  are formed at inside walls which face each other in the frame  26 . The structure shown in FIG. 4 at the right side is lift means. 
     As noted above that this lift means has the frame  26  for lifting, which is a laid down U form. As noted above paired grooves  28  have been formed in the frame  26  inside. At the mounting of cassette  130 , the outside end of each shaft  42 A and  42 B is respectively inserted into each groove  28  thereof. In addition, it was also described above that the lift means has a pair of flexible racks  10 . Each of slender racks  10  is respectively fixed at each of paired side walls of frame  26  and extends to the upper direction (see FIG.  4 ). A stay  46  (FIG. 4 lower part) is used for fixing the rack  10  on frame  26 . A fixed base board  48  is provided as a rectangular board shown under frame  26 . 
     The lift means has a drive mechanism, as shown in FIG.  5 . FIG. 5 also shows the main section of the drive mechanism. The lift drive mechanism engages with two racks  10  and moves the frame  26  in upper direction. The lift drive mechanism has the electric motor  12  and a primary gear mechanism fixed on the driving shaft of this motor. In addition, this lift drive mechanism has a second gear mechanisms which engages respectively with paired racks  10 . The second gear mechanism consists of paired pinions  50  and rollers  52  for pressing, etc. The lift drive mechanism has the lever  16 . 
     The lever  16  freely engages the primary gear mechanism with the second gear mechanism each other. A flat gear  54  (shown in the upper part FIG. 5) has thirty teeth and is fixed on the driving shaft of electric motor  12  for lifting. A flat gear  56  (shown in the upper part of FIG. 5) has forty teeth and engages with gear  54  freely. This gear  56  is fixed on the same shaft as pinion  50 . Pinion  50  is engaged with flexible rack  10 . Roller  52  presses rack  10  which engages with pinion  50 . The arrow shown in FIG. 5 indicates the transfer of up and down directions of rack  10 . 
     FIG. 6 shows the attraction means and delivery means. In the center of FIG. 6, there is shown the fan  18  for adsorption which is a fan motor equipment and constitutes the attraction means. The delivery means has a tire  60  made of rubber. This tire  60  contacts the upper surface of card body C and sends out this card body C, which was adsorbed at the fan  18 . The delivery means has rollers  22  and support rollers  22 A for dispensing, respectively. These rollers  22  and  22 A sandwich and send out the card body C which is transported by the tire  60 . In addition, the delivery means has inversion rollers  62  for preventing the double feed therefrom. 
     The inversion rollers  62  engage with the support rollers  22 A and contact with the underside of transported card body C. When card body C is dispensed, the inversion rollers  62  in this practical example prevent two card bodies C from being sent out. The delivery means has drive means such as electric motor  20  and a belt  64  (see FIG.  6 ). The belt  64  is extended on pulleys (not shown) which are arranged at the outside of the side board  06 . This drive means rotates the tire  60  and rollers  22  for dispensing in the same direction. 
     For the attraction means and delivery means, known devices of the applicant&#39;s may be used and employed. For example, it is possible to use the technology described in Japanese patent laid-open 10-1235 publication (Japanese patent application 8-188006). The technology described in this publication is based on thin sheet bodies such as paper money and telephone card etc. being dispensed. This technology uses only paired rollers which send out a sheet body by the holding action, however, a means including the inversion roller  62  is not provided. A small boxy switch  66  is shown in FIG. 6 in the center. This switch  66  is turned on by a small plate  44  (see FIG.  4 ). 
     When cassette  130  is installed in dispenser  100 , switch  66  is turned on and the dispensing operation placed in stand-by mode. A light switch  68  of the actuator style is provided near the switch  66 . The light switch  68  is a light sensor and light interrupter. When the most top card body which is taken up or absorbed at the fan  18  comes to the desired position, light switch  68  makes the electric motor  12  stop. Near the dispensing rollers  22  and  22 A, light switch  68 B is provided (see FIG.  9 ). This light switch  68 B makes the fan  18  stop, when the dispensed card body is inserted between rollers of  22  and  22 A. 
     The substrate  70  for control is fixed by stationary member  24 . A plurality of piled up card bodies are transported above by the lift means. Only the most top card body of a plurality of card bodies transported above is adsorbed. In addition, the adsorbed or taken up card body is sent out by the dispensing means in this practical example. As this result dispensing of each one card body without damage is attained. 
     The lift means includes racks  10 , electric motor  12 , frame  26 , grooves  28 , movable base  40 , shafts  42 A and  42 B, pinion  50 , press roller  52 , etc. The delivery means includes tire  60 , rollers  22  and  22 A, inversion roller  62 , motor  20 , belt  64 , etc. Cassette  130  is mounted/dismounted freely on the lift means in dispenser  100  (see FIG.  4 ). Therefore, in this practical example, it is possible to separately prepare the cassettes in proportion to types and sizes, etc. of card bodies. 
     When the type, etc. of card body is to be change, the cassette in proportion to the change can be used immediately. This practical example provides the use of the cassette with free mounting/dismounting so that a large number of card bodies can be stored in a short time and easily. Significant convenience is obtained in controlling various card bodies. 
     Another example of the invention is shown in FIGS. 7-10. As is clear from the preceding, the lift drive mechanism in FIG. 5 is an enlarged view directed at the lift drive mechanism in FIG. 4 from the back. On the driving shaft of electric motor  12 , a small flat gear  54  is fixed, for a deceleration gear train  12 G. The drive mechanism is housed integrally in a little large U-form case  16 C (see FIG.  4 ). Then, this case  16 C is rotatably hinged at  16 H between side boards  06 . 
     Lever  16  for operation is a small pistol form, and the center thereof is hinged at  16 N on case  16 C (see FIG.  7 ). Then, hook  16 F is formed at the tip of lever  16  (see FIG.  5 ). A small circle (FIG. 7 upper part) is a protrusion  06 p which is formed on the inside wall of side board  06 . This protrusion  06 P can be freely meshed with hook  16 F. Case  16 C becomes swingable around the hinge shaft  16 H within the dispenser  100 . When the hook  16 F of lever  16  engages with the protrusion  06 P, gear  54  will engage with large gear  56  (see (A) in FIG.  7 ). 
     The lever  16  is pressed and pulled, resisting a springs  16 S (see FIG.  5 ), the hook  16 F extends off from protrusion  06 P (see (B) of FIG.  7 ). In this case, the meshing between small gear  54  and large gear  56  will be moved away as a result. When the lever  16  is pushed, resisting the weight of case  16 C, hook  16 F engages with protrusion  06 P. Small gear  54  will engage with large gear  56 . Therefore, by the operation of lever  16 , it will be able to control the interlock and release between racks  10  and motor  12 . 
     As shown in FIG. 2, when cassette  130  is drawn from dispenser  100 , lever  16  is manipulated. Lever  16  is lowered and small gear  54  is separated from large gears of  56 , and then frame  26  is lowered. Moving away the meshing between small gear  54  and large gear  56 , the moveable plate  40  is lowered. As a result of this, each outside end of shafts  42 A and  42 B comes off from cuts  28 B (see FIG. 2) on dispenser  100 . It is of course advantageous that, when a spring is arranged on the hinge shaft  16 H, hook  16 F may easily come off from protrusion  06 P. 
     The simple control the drive of racks  10  is provided with the operation of lever  16 . In FIG. 8, a card body staggering mechanism is shown, which smooths the disposition of card body. The mechanism pushes the tail edge of the most top card body which is piled up within the cassette  130 . The above-mentioned card body staggering mechanism is arranged on the rear end division of a board  69  for installing the fan  18 . A small solenoid  71  is installed on one side of mounting board  69  rear end division. A small crossbar  73  is fixed on the plunger  72  of solenoid  71 , and moves back and forth freely (see FIG.  9 ). 
     A staggering piece  75  of U-shaped form, shown in FIG. 8 (left part) is for a card body. The center of staggering piece  75  is placed swingably on board  69 , a little long hinge shaft  76 . In addition, an end part of the staggering piece  75  is coupled to the crossbar  73  via a long hole (not shown). Thus, plunger  72  is drawn, when solenoid  71  put in an on state. As a result, the staggering piece  75  is down around hinge shaft  76 , and pats the tail part of the card body (see of FIG.  8 B). 
     When solenoid  71  is put in an off state, plunger  72  is pushed out. In this case, the staggering piece  75  is up around hinge shaft  76  and is stored on mounting board  70  (see FIG.  8 A). Therefore, when solenoid  71  is changed between an on and off state, the staggering piece  75  will lightly strike the tail part of the card body. 
     At the right part of FIG. 9, the sensor mechanism for the card body is shown. By this sensor mechanism, the number of sheet feeds of sent-out card bodies is detected, one sheet or two sheets concretely. The sensor mechanism has small rollers  91  and  92  which hold one sent-out card body. The upper roller  91  is arranged and freely rotated at an inner edge of a reversed-T type mounting piece  93  (see FIGS.  8 A and  8 B). The outside edge of the mounting piece  93  is pivoted at  94  on the side board  06 . 
     A light sensor  95  has been installed at the center edge of mounting piece  93 . The bottom roller  92  is arranged and freely rotated at an inner edge of laid-L form mounting actuation piece  96  (see FIGS.  8 A and  8 B). Then, the central of mounting piece  96  is pivoted at  94  on the side board  06 . At the outside edge of the mounting actuation piece  96 , a reversed-L shape actuation piece  97  is pivotably mounted with a spring (not shown). This actuation piece  97  is for providing precise adjustment in proportion to the thickness of the card body. 
     The driven away card body is adsorbed or taken up first at fan  18 . Next, it is sent out by tire or roller  60  (refer to FIG.  9 ). The card body sent out by tire  60  is sent between paired rollers of  91  and  92 . When the sent card body is one sheet, the bottom roller  92  is moved a little, resisting a spring (not shown) (see FIG.  10 A). At this time, the actuation piece  97  is only moved a little and it is not detected by the light sensor  95 . When the sent card body is two sheets, the bottom roller  92  is moved, resisting a spring (not shown) (see FIG.  10 B). As a result, the actuation piece  97  is detected by light sensor  95  and two sheets of the card body are detected. Paired rollers  91  and  92  can be moved around the pivot  94  integrally. Therefore, the arrangement is able to surely detect two sheet feeds of card bodies, even if the type of card body is changed. Concretely, two sheet feeds of card bodies can be surely detected, even if thickness and size, etc. of the card body are changed. 
     The invention provides a sure distribution of card bodies, even very thin bodies, each single sheet without damage. It is particularly advantageous to surely distribute an IC card packed in transparent film without damage. Further, according to this invention, cassettes can be used and therefore a large number of card bodies can be placed therein easily and in a short time. In addition, this provides a significant convenience as to the management of the various card bodies 
     While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.