Card dispensing apparatuses and associated methods of operation
View Patent ↗Apparatuses and methods for dispensing magnetic stripe cards, smart cards, other cards, and/or other items from kiosks and other structures are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a card dispensing apparatus includes at least a first card hopper and a card transport assembly. The first card hopper is configured to hold a stack of cards that includes at least a first card stacked on a second card. The card transport assembly includes a card carrier moveable between a first position proximate to the first card hopper and a second position spaced apart from the first card hopper. The card carrier is configured to lift the first card off the second card when the card carrier is in the first position. The card carrier is further configured to release the first card toward an outlet when the card carrier is in the second position. In one embodiment, the card carrier can move the first card past a card reader/writer for reading information from, and/or writing information to, the card as it carries the card from the first position to the second position.
1. An apparatus for dispensing wallet-sized cards from a kiosk, the apparatus comprising:
a first hopper portion configured to hold a first stack of cards, the first stack of cards including at least a first card positioned on top of a second card;
at least a second hopper portion positioned proximate to the first hopper portion, wherein the second hopper portion is configured to hold a second stack of cards, the second stack of cards including at least a third card positioned on top of a fourth card; and
a card transport assembly positioned above the first and second hopper portions, wherein the card transport assembly includes:
a movable card carrier;
a suction cup mounted to the card carrier; and
a pump mounted to the card carrier and operably connected to the suction cup, wherein the pump is configured to least partially evacuate the suction cup to releasably attach the suction cup to a desired card;
wherein the card carrier is configured to lift the first card in an upwardly direction off the second card, move the first card away from the first hopper portion, and selectively release the first card toward one of a card outlet or a card reject bin; and
wherein the card carrier is further configured to lift the third card in an upwardly direction off the fourth card, move the third card away from the second hopper portion, and selectively release the third card toward one of the card outlet or the card reject bin.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first hopper portion is configured to hold a first vertical stack of wallet-sized cards having magnetic stripes that carry information.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the card carrier is configured to lift the first card in an upwardly direction off the second card, move the first card in a horizontal direction away from the first hopper portion, and selectively release the first card in a downwardly direction toward one of the card outlet or the card reject bin.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the card carrier includes at least one pressure relief valve in fluid communication with the suction cup and operable to vary the vacuum pressure in the suction cup.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the suction cup is a first suction cup, and wherein the card transport assembly further includes:
a second suction cup mounted to the card carrier, wherein the pump is configured to at least partially evacuate the first and second suction cups to releasably attach the first card to the card carrier.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a card reader configured to read information off the first card as the card transport assembly moves the first card past the card reader.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a card reader having a horizontal slot, wherein the card reader is configured to read information off the first card as the suction cup moves the edge portion of the first card through the horizontal slot in the card reader.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a chassis that positions the card transport assembly relative to the first hopper portion; and
a card reader fixedly attached to the chassis, wherein the card reader is configured to read information off a magnetic stripe on the first card as the card carrier moves an edge portion of the first card through a horizontal slot in the card reader.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a chassis that positions the card transport assembly relative to the first hopper portion;
a card reader fixedly attached to the chassis, wherein the card reader is configured to read information off the first card as the card carrier moves the first card past the card reader; and
wherein the card carrier is configured to release the first card toward the card outlet when the first card has been sufficiently read by the card reader, and wherein card carrier is further configured to release the first card toward the card reject bin when the first card has been insufficiently read by the card reader.
10. A method for dispensing multiple card types from an enclosure, the method comprising:
placing a plurality of cards in a card hopper in the enclosure, wherein the plurality of cards includes at least a first card positioned on top of a second card; in response to receiving a first request for a card:
positioning a card carrier proximate to the card hopper; lifting the first card in an upwardly direction off the second card with the card carrier; moving the first card past a card reader a first time; and determining if the card reader sufficiently read information off the first card as the first card moved past the card reader the first time;
when the card reader did sufficiently read the information off the first card the first time, transferring the first card to a card outlet for dispensing from the enclosure; when the card reader did not sufficiently read the information off the first card the first time:
moving the first card past the card reader at least a second time; and determining if the card reader sufficiently read information off the first card as the first card moved past the card reader the at least second time;
when the card reader did sufficiently read the information off the first card the at least second time, transferring the first card to the card outlet for dispensing from the enclosure; and when the card reader did not sufficiently read the information off the first card the at least second time, transferring the first card to a card reject bin for holding within the enclosure.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising, after the first card has been transferred to the card reject bin:
positioning the card carrier proximate to the card hopper;
lifting the second card in an upwardly direction with the card carrier;
moving the second card past the card reader; and
determining if the card reader sufficiently read information off the second card as the second card moved past the card reader.
12. The method of claim 10 wherein lifting the first card in an upwardly direction off the second card with the card carrier includes lifting the first card with at least one suction cup operably connected to a pump mounted to the card carrier.
13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising cycling a pressure relief valve to vary the vacuum pressure in the suction cup and flex the first card.
14. The method of claim 10 wherein lifting the first card in an upwardly direction off the second card with the card carrier includes lifting the first card with at least one suction cup operably connected to a pump mounted to the card carrier, and wherein moving the first card past the card reader a first time includes holding the first card with the suction cup while moving the first card past the card reader.
15. The method of claim 10 wherein lifting the first card in an upwardly direction off the second card includes bending the first card with the card carrier to break any adhesion that may exist between the first card and the second card and release the second card from the first card.
16. The method of claim 10 wherein lifting the first card in an upwardly direction off the second card with the card carrier includes activating a pump to at least partially evacuate a suction cup after the suction cup contacts the first card, and lifting the first card with the suction cup.
17. The method of claim 10 wherein lifting the first card in an upwardly direction off the second card with the card carrier includes lowering a first suction cup into contact with a first portion of the first card and lowering a second suction cup into contact with a second portion of the first card.
18. The method of claim 10 wherein lifting the first card in an upwardly direction off the second card with the card carrier includes lowering a first suction cup into contact with a first portion of the first card and lowering a second suction cup into contact with a second portion of the first card, and activating a pump to at least partially evacuate the first and second suction cups to releasably attach the first card to the first and second suction cups.
19. The method of claim 10 wherein lifting the first card in an upwardly direction off the second card with the card carrier includes lowering a first suction cup into contact with a first portion of the first card and lowering a second suction cup into contact with a second portion of the first card, wherein the first suction cup is spaced apart from the second suction cup by a raised portion; and activating a pump to at least partially evacuate the first and second suction cups to releasably attach the first card to the first and second suction cups and bend the first card over raised portion.
20. The method of claim 10 , wherein moving the first card past the card reader at least a second time includes moving the first card past the card reader a third time, and wherein transferring the first card to a card reject bin includes transferring the first card to a card reject bin when the card reader did not sufficiently read the information off the first card the third time.