Plastic card reorienting mechanism and interchangeable input hopper

• US 20050104281A1
• Filed: 11/17/2003
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Entrust Datacard Corporation (Entrust Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Datacard Corp. (Entrust Corp.)
• Inventors: Schuller, Peter D., Stender, Eric C., Wickstrom, David E., Hoeve, Bryan D. B., Sobania, Mark J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,398,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 271/185
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0035 Handling copy materials differing in thickness B41J11/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/0045 concerning sheet refeed sections of automatic paper handling systems, e.g. intermediate stackers printing on both faces B41J3/60
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/103 for the sheet feeding section
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/12 specially adapted for small cards, envelopes, or the like , e.g. credit cards, cut visiting cards
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/60 for printing on both faces of the printing material
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/33214 about an axis perpendicular to the direction of displacement and parallel to the surface of material
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/33224 180°
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2402/10 Modular constructions, e.g. using preformed elements or profiles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2403/723 Wrap spring clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2557/61 for calibrating
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1914 Cards, e.g. telephone, credit and identity cards

Abstract

A card reorienting mechanism and an input hopper of plastic card processing equipment, for example a desktop plastic card printer. The card reorienting mechanism is a modular unit that permits the entire mechanism to be inserted or removed as a single unit from the printer. In addition, the input hopper is designed as an interchangeable system that permits alteration in the card capacity of the hopper.

Claims

1. A modular card reorienting mechanism for use in a card processing machine, comprising:

a chassis including a fastenerless mechanism for detachably connecting the chassis to the card processing machine;

an electric motor mounted on the chassis;

a card reorienting device rotatably mounted on the chassis; and

a drive train between the electric motor and the card reorienting device whereby the electric motor is able to rotate the card reorienting device.

2. The modular card reorienting mechanism of claim 1, wherein the fastenerless mechanism comprises a snap-fit connection system.

3. The modular card reorienting mechanism of claim 1, wherein the chassis, the electric motor, the card reorienting device and the drive train form a fastenerless assembly.

4. The modular card reorienting mechanism of claim 1, wherein the drive train includes a clutch mechanism, and further comprising a wrap spring separate from the clutch mechanism that is configured to provide one-way rotation of the card reorienting device.

5. The modular card reorienting mechanism of claim 4, further comprising a member integrally formed with the chassis that biases the clutch mechanism.

6. The modular card reorienting mechanism of claim 1, wherein the card reorienting device comprises a platform with a pair of card transport devices, the transport devices being rotatable by the electric motor.

7. The modular card reorienting mechanism of claim 6, wherein the card transport devices each comprise nip rollers that are self-loading.

8. The modular card reorienting mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a calibrating mechanism for calibrating rotation of the reorienting device.

9. A modular card reorienting mechanism for use in a card processing machine, comprising:

a chassis;

an electric motor mounted on the chassis;

a card reorienting device rotatably mounted on the chassis; and

a drive train between the electric motor and the card reorienting device whereby the electric motor is able to rotate the card reorienting device;

wherein the chassis, the electric motor, the card reorienting device and the drive train form a fastenerless assembly.

10. The modular card reorienting mechanism of claim 9, wherein the chassis is configured to snap-fit connect to the card processing machine.

11. An interchangeable input hopper system for use with a card processing machine to hold a plurality of cards and feed cards one-by-one into the machine, comprising:

first and second input hopper assemblies, each hopper assembly including a fastenerless mechanism for detachably connecting the hopper assembly to the card processing machine; and

the first input hopper assembly is configured to hold a first predetermined maximum number of one card type, and the second input hopper assembly is configured to hold a second predetermined maximum number of the same card type as the first input hopper assembly, and the first predetermined maximum number is less than the second predetermined maximum number.

12. The interchangeable input hopper system of claim 11, wherein the fastenerless mechanism comprises a snap-fit connection system.

13. An interchangeable input hopper system for use with a card processing machine to hold a plurality of cards and feed cards one-by-one into the machine, comprising:

a hopper chassis including a fastenerless mechanism for detachably connecting the chassis to the card processing machine, the chassis including an output through which a card exits the assembly into the machine when the assembly is connected to the card processing machine;

first and second input hopper shells each of which is detachably connectable to the hopper chassis, wherein the first input hopper shell is larger than the second input hopper shell so that;

i) when the first input hopper shell is connected to the chassis, the first input hopper shell and the chassis define a first hopper assembly that is capable of holding a first predetermined maximum number of one card type;

ii) when the second input hopper shell is connected to the chassis, the second input hopper shell and the chassis define a second hopper assembly that is capable of holding a second predetermined maximum number of the same card type held by the first hopper assembly; and

iii) the first predetermined maximum number is greater than the second predetermined maximum number.

14. The interchangeable input hopper system of claim 13, wherein the chassis includes a gate that controls the exiting of cards through the output.

15. The interchangeable input hopper system of claim 14, wherein the gate is configured to self-adjust to cards having differing thicknesses.

16. The interchangeable input hopper system of claim 13, wherein the fastenerless mechanism comprises a snap-fit connection system.