Device and method for personalizing documents

A device for personalizing documents, wherein the device comprises:

• a personalization device for applying personalization information to a document to be personalized, the document being located in an operating region of the personalization device, the personalization information being associated with the document to be personalized;
• a conveying device which comprises at least two movable document carrier devices, each of which is configured:
• to receive the document to be personalized at a transfer position of the device that is the same for each of the at least two movable document carrier devices;
• to move the document received, into the operating region of the personalization device for the purpose of being personalized;
• and
• to move the document received, after personalization, back to the transfer position and to discharge it there;
• wherein the conveying device is configured, during operation, to convey each of the at least two movable document carrier devices along a respective associated path curve in the shape of a closed loop, wherein a conveying movement of each of the at least two movable document carrier devices along the respective associated path curve is carried out in a temporally staggered manner with respect to the respective conveying movement of others of the at least two movable document carrier devices in the same direction in such a way that the at least two movable document carrier devices do not collide with each other during their respective conveying movements along the respective associated path curve,
• wherein at least one of the at least two movable document carrier devices comprises a housing in which there is a cavity to at least partially receive the document, wherein the housing has at least one housing recess which is configured in such a way that a personalization of the document by the personalization device is possible through the at least one housing recess when the document is located in the operating region, and
• wherein the device for personalizing documents further comprises a hold-down device which is configured to apply temporarily, when one of the at least two movable document carrier devices is located at the transfer position, a guiding force to the document through the at least one housing recess thereof to hold down the document at least in some places while it is being received into, or discharged from, the cavity of the housing.

A method of personalizing documents, wherein the method comprises:

• picking up a document to be personalized by one of a plurality of document carrier devices of a device for personalizing documents, wherein the picking up takes place at a transfer position of the device which is the same for each of the plurality of document carrier devices;
• conveying, by a conveying device, the one of the plurality of the document carrier devices with the document picked up into an operating region of a personalization device of the device for the purpose of personalizing the document;
• applying, to the document, when it is located in the operating region of the personalization device, personalization information associated with the document;
• conveying, by the conveying device, the one of the plurality of the document carrier devices with the document picked up back to the transfer position after it has been personalized, to discharge the document there from the one of the plurality of the document carrier devices, while a further one of the plurality of the document carrier devices with a further document picked up is already being conveyed for the purpose of personalizing the further document;
• wherein:
• each of the plurality of the document carrier devices is respectively conveyed along a respective associated path curve in the shape of a closed loop;
• the conveying movement of each of the plurality of document carrier devices along the respective associated path curve is carried out in a temporally staggered manner with respect to the respective conveying movement of others of the plurality of document carrier devices in the same direction in such a way that the plurality of document carrier devices do not collide with each other during the course of their respective conveying movements along the respective associated path curve;
• and
• the method further comprises:
• detecting, by a sensor device, at one or more particular points along the respective associated path curves, one or more current movement parameters of each of the plurality of document carrier devices, and communicating the one or more current movement parameters to a control device that controls the device for personalizing documents as a function of the one or more current movement parameters;
• and
• varying, by the conveying device, the respective associated path curve of at least one of the plurality of document carrier devices as a function of a corresponding control, by the control device, on a basis of the one or more current movement parameters,
• wherein each respective associated path curve is defined by a movement path of finite length of one of the plurality of document carrier devices, such that varying of the respective associated path curve changes a movement length or a movement curvature along the movement path of the at least one of the plurality of document carrier devices.