Apparatuses and methods for dispensing magnetic cards, integrated circuit cards, and other similar items

• US 7,815,071 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2004
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Coinstar Asset Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Coinstar Incorporated (Outerwall Inc.)
• Inventors: Waechter, Mark L., Winters, Gregory P., Martin, Douglas A., Dean, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; John Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Butler; Michael E.
• Application Number:
  US10/995,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20050139606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,157 Days
• Field of Search: 221/92, 221/131, 221/133
• US Class Current: 221/92
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 1/06 for separation from bottom of pile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 1/28 compartmented to receive piles side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/42322 from bottom of the pile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2403/46 worm gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/3311 for storing articles horizontally or slightly inclined
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1914 Cards, e.g. telephone, credit and identity cards
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/24 by pushers engaging the edges of the articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/44 Simultaneously, alternately, or selectively separating articles from two or more piles
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/103 using mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/045 for sheet shaped or pliable articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/24 Rotary or oscillatory members

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for dispensing cards and other items. In one embodiment, a card dispensing apparatus includes at least first and second card hoppers and a movable card carriage. The card carriage is movable between a first position proximate to the first card hopper and a second position proximate to the second card hopper. The card carriage is configured to receive a first card from the first card hopper when in the first position and a second card from the second card hopper when in the second position. In one aspect of this embodiment, the card carriage can dispense at least the first card into a card outlet chute when the first card has been sufficiently read by a card reader. Alternatively, the card carriage can dispense the first card into a card escrow chute when the first card has not been sufficiently read by the card reader.

Claims

1. A card dispensing apparatus comprising:

a first card hopper configured to hold a first plurality of cards in a first vertical stack;

at least a second card hopper configured to hold a second plurality of cards in a second vertical stack;

a card outlet for dispensing acceptable cards;

a card escrow bin for holding unacceptable cards;

a card carriage selectively movable between a first position proximate to the first card hopper, a second position proximate to the second card hopper, a third position spaced apart from the first and second positions, and a fourth position spaced apart from the third position, wherein the card carriage is configured to receive at least a first card from the first vertical stack when the card carriage is in the first position, wherein the card carriage is configured to receive at least a second card from the second vertical stack when the card carriage is in the second position, and wherein the card carriage is further configured to optionally transfer at least one of the first and second cards to the card outlet when the card carriage is in the third position or to the card escrow bin when the card carriage is in the fourth position;

a card outlet chute operably coupled to the card outlet; and

a card escrow chute operably coupled to the card escrow bin, wherein the card carriage is configured to transfer at least one of the first and second cards to the card outlet chute when the at least one card is an acceptable card, and wherein the card carriage is further configured to transfer at least one of the first and second cards to the card escrow chute when the at least one card is an unacceptable card.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the card outlet is at least generally accessible to a user of a vending machine when the first and second card hoppers are enclosed within the vending machine, and wherein the card escrow bin is at least generally inaccessible to the user of the vending machine when the first and second card hoppers are enclosed within the vending machine.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a card reader positionable proximate to the card carriage, wherein the card reader is configured to read information from at least one of the first and second cards.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the card reader is configured to read information from a magnetic stripe formed on the at least one of the first and second cards.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the card carriage includes a carriage body and a card selector movably supported by the carriage body, wherein the card selector is configured to remove at least the first card from the first card hopper when the card carriage is in the first position, and wherein the card selector is further configured to remove at least the second card from the second card hopper when the card carriage is in the second position.

6. A card dispensing apparatus comprising:

a first card hopper configured to hold a first plurality of cards in a first vertical stack;

at least a second card hopper configured to hold a second plurality of cards in a second vertical stack;

a card carriage selectively movable between a first position proximate to the first card hopper and at least a second position proximate to the second card hopper, wherein the card carriage is configured to receive at least a first card from the first vertical stack when the card carriage is in the first position, and wherein the card carriage is further configured to receive at least a second card from the second vertical stack when the card carriage is in the second position;

a card reader affixed to the card carriage, wherein the card reader is configured to read information from at least the first card; and

a card outlet, wherein the card carriage is configured to transfer the first card to the card outlet when the card reader has sufficiently read the information from the first card, and wherein the card carriage is further configured to transfer the first card to a card holding bin when the card reader has insufficiently read the information from the first card.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the card carriage is selectively movable to a third position offset from the first and second positions, and wherein the card carriage is further configured to transfer at least one of the first and second cards to the card outlet when the card carriage is in the third position.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the card carriage includes a card selector movably supported by a carriage body, wherein the card selector is configured to remove at least the first card from the first card hopper when the card carriage is in the first position, and wherein the card selector is further configured to remove at least the second card from the second card hopper when the card carriage is in the second position.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the card carriage is selectively movable to a third position offset from the first and second positions, and wherein the card carriage is further configured to transfer at least one of the first and second cards to the card outlet when the card carriage is in the third position.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the card carriage includes a card selector movably supported by a carriage body, wherein the card selector is configured to remove at least the first card from the first card hopper when the card carriage is in the first position, and wherein the card selector is further configured to remove at least the second card from the second card hopper when the card carriage is in the second position.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a card outlet passage in communication with the card outlet, wherein the card carriage is further configured to transfer at least one of the first and second cards to the card outlet passage for transfer to the card outlet.

12. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the card carriage is selectively movable to a third position offset from the first and second positions, and wherein the card carriage is further configured to transfer at least one of the first and second cards to the card outlet when the card carriage is in the third position.