Patent · US Expired

Card transport mechanism and method of operation

US5837991A · kind A · utility

68Cited by
31References
68Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 8, 1996
Grant dateNov 17, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 8, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06K17/00
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention is a card transport mechanism for transporting cards along a transport path and method of operation thereof. A card transport mechanism in accordance with the invention includes a pair of spaced apart channels, each channel engaging a different one of a pair of opposed edges of the cards; a carriage for holding the cards at a fixed position relative to the carriage during motion along the transport path, the carriage having first and second card contacting elements spaced apart at different positions along the transport path and projecting into the transport path for contacting and holding a card in the fixed position during motion along the transport path, the first card contacting element being compliant to move orthogonally from within the transport path to permit movement of the card along the channels while the carriage is stationary prior to contact of the card by the second card contacting element and the second card contacting element being compliant along the transport path in response to contact with the card to produce contact and holding of the opposed edges of the card with the first and second card contacting elements in the fixed position; anda …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.