Technical Sector

The present invention relates, in general, to an input hopper for plastic cards for a printer.

In particular, the present invention relates to an input hopper for plastic cards comprising a visual indicator of the amount of cards contained in the input hopper; the invention further relates to an adjusting device of the input hopper to handle cards of different thickness.

Prior Art

Input hoppers for plastic cards for a printer, for example CR 80 format cards, comprising a visual indicator of the amount of cards contained in the input hopper are known. A type of known input hoppers for plastic cards comprises a visual indicator of the amount of cards contained in the input hopper consisting of a transparent window.

These input hoppers for cards further comprise an adjusting device comprising a slide moved by lever mechanisms and arranged to adapt the input hopper to the handling of cards of different thicknesses.

The Applicant has observed that, in general, the known input hoppers for plastic cards for a printer have the drawback that they do not provide a clear indication of the amount of cards within them, especially in non-optimal lighting conditions of the environment.

Moreover, the need is felt to improve the precision in the regulation of the feeding of cards of different thicknesses .

The known devices, therefore, have a plurality of problems .

Description of the Invention

One object of the present invention is to realize an input hopper for plastic cards for a printer that solves the problem of providing a clear indication of the amount of cards within it, even in non-optimal lighting conditions of the environment.

Another object is to have an adjustment device of the input hopper that allows an accurate, reliable and inexpensive feeding of the cards.

According to the present invention, this and other objects are achieved by means of an input hopper for plastic cards for a printer as defined in the characterizing part of the accompanying claim 1.

It is to be understood that the accompanying claims form an integral part of the technical teachings provided herein the present description with regard to the invention.

Brief Description of the Figures

Further characteristic features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following detailed description provided purely by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

- figure 1 shows a perspective view of a printer and an input hopper for plastic cards for a printer according to the present invention;

- figure 2 shows a lateral section view of a printer and an input hopper for plastic cards for a printer according to the present invention;

- figure 3 shows a perspective view of an input hopper for plastic cards for a printer with a cover according to the present invention;

- figure 4 shows a perspective view of an input hopper for plastic cards for a printer according to the present invention;

- figure 5 shows a second perspective view of an input hopper for plastic cards for a printer according to the present invention;

- figure 6 shows a rear perspective view of an input hopper for plastic cards for a printer according to the present invention; and

- figure 7 shows a functioning scheme of an input hopper for plastic cards for a printer according to the present invention .

Description of Preferred Embodiments

With reference to the figures, an input hopper for plastic cards 10 for a printer in accordance with the present invention is inserted in a printer, for example a thermal transfer type printer.

The input hopper 10 comprises a closing cover 11 for protecting the cards from dirt and comprises a visual indicator 12 of the amount of cards 34 contained in the input hopper .

The visual indicator 12 consists of an opening, preferably slit-shaped, made in the cover 11; the opening preferably extends across the whole area of the cover 11 under which the cards can be located.

The opening or slit 12 is closed by means of a translucent material known to the person skilled in the art, such as polycarbonate PC or polymethyl methacrylate PMMA according to DIN 7728; the material is made translucent by a treatment of abrasion of the mold with which it is manufactured, for example by embossing; the surface roughness of the material makes it adapted to allow the passage of light in a diffuse way .

Preferably the surface finish of the visual indicator 12 is an embossing, for example of the type known by the technician in the field as satin-embossing.

As will be explained in more detail below, the height of the portion of the slit 12 illuminated by the passage of the light changes with the number of cards present in the input hopper 10, thus providing a visual indication of the amount of cards contained in the input hopper 10.

Figure 3 shows the cover 11, closed on the input hopper for plastic cards 10, and the visual indicator 12.

With reference to figures 4, 5 and 6 the input hopper 10 comprises a right flank 13 and a left flank 14 each being connectable to a rear wall 16 and a support base 15 for the cards to be printed.

The rear wall 16 and the support base 15 for the cards to be printed are adapted to connect the two right 13 and left 14 flanks .

The input hopper 10 further comprises a card passageway 19 provided between the support base 15 and the rear wall 16. In known manner the support base 15 is preferably inclined to facilitate the introduction of the card into the printer through the card passageway 19.

Preferably the stack of cards is held in place by a weight 21, and the card to be printed is fed in a known way inside the printer by means of a card feeding roller 22, placed under the support base 15.

The input hopper 10 comprises a plurality of LEDs 24 located behind windows 25 formed in the rear wall 16.

Preferably an electronic board 23 comprising a plurality of lighting LEDs 24 is connected to a first side 35 of the rear wall 16.

Preferably the electronic board 23 is connected to a card presence sensor 18 and to connectors for connection to the control plate of the printer.

The input hopper 10 of the invention comprises a card thickness adjustment slide 26 adapted to slide on guides 27 connected to the rear wall 16. The card thickness adjustment slide 26 is adapted to slide on the rear wall 16, in particular on a second side 36 opposite to the first side 35 connected to the electronic board 23. The card thickness adjustment slide 26 varies the width of the card passageway 19 by sliding on the rear wall 16, for adjusting the card passageway width in order to adapt the printer to plastic cards of different thickness.

The card thickness adjustment slide 26 and the guides 27 are preferably made of a translucent or a transparent material, for example polycarbonate PC or polymethyl methacrylate PMMA according to DIN 7728; the material is made translucent by a treatment of abrasion of the mold with which it is manufactured, for example by embossing; the surface roughness of the material makes it adapted to allow the passage in a diffuse way of the light emitted by the lighting LEDs 24 that are located below the slide 26.

Preferably, the slide 26 has the side facing the LEDs 24 smooth, to allow better sliding, and is embossed only on the opposite face.

Preferably the surface finish of the slide 26 side facing the cards and the guides 27 is an embossing, for example of the type known by the technician in the field as satin-embossing. The slide 26 comprises a pin 28 that is substantially perpendicular to the slide 26 side facing the rear wall 16. The pin 28 is mounted through a first opening 31 formed in the rear wall 16 and through a second opening 32 formed in the electronic board 23.

A cam profile wheel 33 is mounted in contact with the pin 28 and adapted to move, through its rotation, the pin 28 and the card thickness adjustment slide 26 connected thereto, thus making the latter slide on the guides 27; the pin 28 is maintained in contact with the cam profile wheel 33 by known means, for example by means of springs. The cam profile wheel 33 is mounted on a pin 28 that is substantially perpendicular to the rear wall 16 and to the electronic board 23 and is actuated by known means, for example manually by the operator.

The operation of one embodiment of the input hopper for plastic cards 10 of the invention is the following.

As shown in figure 1, a stack of plastic cards 34 to be printed is placed into the input hopper, on the support base 15.

The inclination of the support base 15 brings the cards to lean against the card thickness adjustment slide 26 and the pack of cards is maintained in the printing position by the weight 21 placed on them.

Before starting the printing operations for the card, the card thickness adjustment slide 26 is moved by sliding on the rear wall 16 so as to bring it closer to or away from the support base 15, to adjust the width of the card passageway 19.

The displacement of the card thickness adjustment slide 26 is obtained by rotation of the cam profile wheel 33, which causes a displacement of the pin 28, and with it of the slide 26, so as to obtain a card passageway 19 of a height substantially equal to the thickness of the card to be printed .

Advantageously the use of the pin 28 of the slide 26 and of the cam profile wheel 33 to adjust the height of the card passageway 19 allows a precise and reliable handling of the cards .

Moreover, the slide 26 and the cam profile wheel 33 form an adjusting device of the input hopper that is reliable and affordable .

The printing phase starts when the cover 11 of the input hopper 10 is closed and the lighting of the lighting LEDs 24 is powered. Advantageously the card thickness adjustment slide 26 made of translucent material allows the passage of the light emitted by the lighting LEDs 24 that are located under the slide 26; in this way the light emitted by the lighting LEDs 24 can reach the visual indicator 12.

As shown in figure 7, due to the presence of the stack of cards 34, a first portion 12a of the visual indicator 12 remains in the shadow of the stack of cards 34, and remains dark in color, not allowing the passage of light emitted by the lighting LEDs 24.

On the contrary the second portion 12b of the visual indicator 12 is illuminated and allows the passage of the light emitted by the LEDs 24.

Advantageously, the first "dark" portion 12a of the visual indicator 12 and the second "illuminated" portion 12b of the visual indicator 12 give an indication of the amount of cards in the input hopper 10 of the invention.

Advantageously, the visual indicator of the amount of cards in the input hopper 10 for plastic cards of the invention is made in a cost-effective and reliable manner, while maintaining limited overall dimensions of the input hopper 10 and without the need for heavy modifications of the hopper. Furthermore, the translucent material which closes the opening of the visual indicator 12 allows the passage of light in a diffuse way and has the advantage of permitting a uniform reading of the amount of cards in the input hopper 10 for the entire length of the visual indicator 12.

Naturally, the description provided above may be subject to obvious modifications and/or variations as regards the dimensions, forms, materials, components and connections as well as the details of the design shown and the method of operation without departing from the invention as described in the ensuing claims.