Card supply mechanism
AssigneeAssa Abloy AB
InventorChad Everett Beery
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems, devices, methods, and machine-readable media configured to dispense cards for card printing are provided. A card hopper can include a base, sidewalls extending from the base, the sidewalls configured to hold a stack of cards therebetween, a card lifter assembly including a ramp, the card lifter assembly mechanically coupled to the base, a lifter mechanism situated on the ramp, the lifter mechanism including a card retainer, the card retainer configured to transfer weight of cards of a stack of cards to the lifter mechanism, and a gate located in a sidewall of the sidewalls, the gate configured to allow a bottom most card of the stack of cards to pass therethrough when pushed by the card lifter assembly.
Claims20
A card hopper comprising:
- a base;
- sidewalls extending from the base, the sidewalls configured to hold a stack of cards therebetween;
- a card lifter assembly including a ramp, the card lifter assembly mechanically coupled to the base;
- a lifter mechanism situated on the ramp, the lifter mechanism including a card retainer, the card retainer configured to transfer weight of cards of a stack of cards to the lifter mechanism;
- and
- a gate located in a sidewall of the sidewalls, the gate configured to allow a bottom most card of the stack of cards to pass therethrough when the card lifter assembly is pushed in a card feeder direction towards the gate by a card pusher assembly.
A method of making a card hopper comprising:
- mechanically coupling a card lifter assembly to a base of the card hopper, the card lifter assembly including a ramp;
- obtaining a lifter mechanism, the lifter mechanism including a card retainer, the card retainer configured to transfer weight of cards of a stack of cards to the lifter mechanism;
- and
- situating the lifter mechanism within a sidewall of the card hopper and on the ramp, the sidewall extending from the base, the sidewall including a gate configured to allow a bottom most card of the stack of cards to pass therethrough when the card lifter assembly is pushed in a card feeder direction towards the gate by a card pusher assembly.
A method of using a card hopper, the method comprising:
- pushing a card lifter assembly towards a gate of the card hopper, the card lifter assembly including a ramp;
- and
- lifting, by a card retainer of a lifter mechanism situated on the ramp and as the card lifter assembly is pushed in a card feeder direction towards the gate, cards of a stack of cards away from the card lifter assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.