EP3441334A1 - Ticket dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

Ticket dispenser with a mouthpiece 5 for tickets 2 to be dispensed and with a conveyor 6 for conveying the tickets 2 on a transport path 4 from a ticket feeder 3 to the mouthpiece 5, wherein the ticket dispenser 1 comprises a stacking unit 11, which is adapted to multiple tickets 2 stacked output on the mouthpiece 5 in a stacked arrangement and which is adapted to be moved from a transport position to a stacking position in which the transport path 4 is increased so that a subsequent ticket 2 is pushed over a previous ticket 2 until the desired number of tickets 2 a ticket stack 21 is reached, wherein the stacking unit 11 is adapted to be shifted from the stacking position back into a transport position in which an outer ticket 23 of the ticket stack 21 from a conveyor 12 of the stacking unit 11 against the ticket stack 21st , and this one over the other outer ticket 2 is pressed against the opposite conveying means 6, wherein the thus held ticket stack 21 is transportable in the direction of the transport path 4.

Description

The invention relates to a ticket dispenser having the features in the preamble of patent claim 1.

Ticket dispensers, also known as presenters, are used to issue tickets. The fast handling, especially of very thin paper tickets is very demanding, because the tickets are very flexible at the same time. In addition, the tickets made of paper are very curved, which is due to the fact that they are handled by a roll. The smaller the diameter of the roll becomes, the stronger the curvature becomes. Another disadvantage is that there are sharp edges around the interfaces between the tickets. This can cause the tickets to get stuck in the ticket dispenser, especially if multiple tickets are to be issued. To avoid the snagging of the tickets, be Tickets, even if they are needed in larger numbers, usually issued individually and not in a stacked form. However, this assumes that there is a chute behind the mouthpiece of the ticket dispenser, which receives several of the donated tickets.

Another problem is that tickets that are not picked up, or even faulty tickets as possible should not get back into the transport, but should be transferred to a so-called bad-ticket facility. For this purpose, the direction of movement of the entire transport path would have to be reversed, which is relatively expensive and hinders the subsequent transport or increases the overall length, because a corresponding return transport path must be present. However, relatively little space is available for ticket dispensers so that one endeavors to provide compact and very fast ticket dispensers.

Proceeding from this, the object of the invention is to disclose a ticket dispenser with which it is possible to output ticket stacks as compactly as possible.

Ticket stacks according to the invention contain at least two stacked tickets of the same shape and size, which are congruent to each other. The handling of ticket stacks is more difficult than the transport of a single ticket, because the tickets must first be positioned one above the other. For this purpose, the invention proposes a so-called stacking unit which is adapted to receive a plurality of tickets for stacked output on the mouthpiece in a stacked arrangement. For this purpose, the stacking unit is further adapted to be displaced from a transport position to a stacking position. In the stacking position, the transport path that leads past the stacking unit is increased so far that a subsequent ticket, which is brought in via the transport path, is pushed over a preceding ticket which is already in the stacking unit. This is repeated until the desired number of tickets in a ticket stack has been reached. The increase in the height of the transport path makes it possible to lead the adjacent ends of the tickets past each other or to guide one another. The stacking unit is further adapted to be shifted from the stacking position back to a transport position in which an outer ticket of the ticket stack is pressed by a conveying means of the stacking unit against the stack of tickets, so that the other outer ticket is pressed against an opposite funding. The ticket stack is held between two conveyors. The ticket stack held in this way can now be transported in the direction of the transport path to the mouthpiece. In the invention, it is important that mutually opposite conveying means are provided. If one were to convey a ticket stack only by means of a one-sided acting on the stack of tickets funding, the stack of tickets could be pulled apart in the transport direction when the static friction forces acting between the individual tickets are overcome. Although it is conceivable to arrange a very slidable guide or non-driven rollers opposite the conveyor. However, these friction reducing means are effective only on the outer ticket. With the invention, however, it is possible even tickets with a very smooth surface, z. B. plastic, in a stacked arrangement to transport, without the risk that the ticket stack is pulled apart. The ticket stack may in particular contain more than 5 tickets, in particular between 5 and 15 tickets. At a thickness of 0.25 mm / ticket stack heights of 2 mm to 4 mm can result, which can be safely moved with the ticket dispenser invention.

The central component of the ticket dispenser according to the invention is the stacking unit. The stacking unit acts as a kind of lift, which relocates the tickets from the stacking position to the transport position. The stacking position is in particular a lowered position, wherein the tickets are stored by gravity down. It is important that the rear end of a ticket in the transport direction does not collide with the subsequent front end of the next ticket. The rear end must therefore be lowered very quickly. It is therefore considered advantageous if the stacking unit has a rear area adjacent to the ticket feeder and a front area facing away from the ticket feeder, wherein in the stacking position the transport distance is increased more in the rear area than in the front area. The tickets are then stored at an acute angle to the transport route, with the front Ends of tickets closer to the transport path remain as the rear ends. This makes it possible to lower the rear ends of the tickets in the rear area faster and stronger, which is not required in the region of the front ends. The stacking unit preferably has a stacking surface inclined at an acute angle to the transport path. During stacking, the stacking unit may behave essentially statically. Your job is to pick up tickets. After the desired number of tickets have arrived in the stacking unit, a conveying element which can be displaced relative to the stacking surface comes into action, which in the stacking position is at equal or greater distance than the stacking surface from the transporting path and at a smaller distance in the transporting position than the stacking surface. The displaceable part of the stacking unit therefore consists at least of the conveying means. The conveyor may be part or all of the stacking area while the tickets are being stacked. It is within the scope of the invention possible, but not essential, to move both the complete stacking surface and only the movable components of the stacking unit, ie the conveying means, away from the transport path or from the transport path. Preferably, only the conveyor is raised or lowered.

The conveyor is in particular linearly displaceable. It can be moved very quickly, for example via solenoids from a stacking position to a transport position of the stacking unit. The reset can be done under the influence of a spring force.

The conveying means of the stacking unit is in particular a belt or roller conveyor, which is displaceable in free spaces of the stacking surface. The stacking surface may be defined by rails or Auflagerleisten, in particular parallel to a conveyor in the form of a belt conveyor. Such a belt conveyor in particular has two mutually parallel bands.

It is considered advantageous if the conveyor on top and bottom of the tickets are each formed by belt or roller conveyors whose bands or rollers are directly opposite. Since preferably not only individual tickets but ticket stacks are to be transported, cause the immediately opposite bands that the tickets within the stack with a sufficient contact force are pressed against each other. The top and bottom conveyor are synchronized with each other so that they can move the ticket stack without mutual offset of the individual tickets to each other in the transport direction to the mouthpiece with the same conveying speed. Rolls over which the tapes are guided are preferably located directly opposite one another, so that higher pressure forces can be transmitted to the stack of tickets.

In one embodiment of the invention, an adjustable shutter is provided. The shutter or closer is used to lock or release the transport route. For stacking the shutter locks the transport route. As a result, tickets to be stacked are stopped behind the stacking unit. They push their front ends against the shutter, so that the back ends of the tickets in the stacking position can fall down by gravity and clear the way for subsequent ticket. If the desired number of tickets has been reached, the stacking unit is raised to the transport position, then the shutter is opened and the ticket stack is issued for removal.

The shutter is preferably located adjacent to the mouthpiece to protect the transport path from external manipulation. The shutter thus has a double function: on the one hand it serves as a barrier and protection against manipulation from the outside, on the other hand it serves as a limit for stacking the tickets for the stacked output.

In one development of the invention, the stacking unit can be moved from the transport position into the stacking position in order to transfer a ticket or a stack of tickets that is not to be output directly from the stacking unit to a second output. The second exit leads to a so-called bath ticket facility. These incorrect tickets can be cancellations or tickets that have not been picked up. These can very easily be brought into the area of the stacking unit by reversing operation of the conveying means, if tickets have already been partially led out of the mouthpiece. Of course, the missing tickets can also be handed over to the mouthpiece directly from the stacking unit to the Bad-Ticket-Facility without previous attempt at dispensing. The advantage is that the missing tickets are no longer returned to the production line must, such as a separation unit, which separates the coming of a roll of paper tickets from each other or to a printing or magnetizing unit.

The output within the stacking unit is via a second output which normally, i. H. in the stacking position, is blocked by a barrier blocking the second exit. The lock is displaceable from a blocking position to a release position. If tickets are to be output via the second exit, the lock is opened. The lock may always be open in the transport position to allow quick delivery via the second exit. The output is made by reversing the conveying direction.

The ticket dispenser according to the invention has the advantage that it can be used independently of each upstream production facility. Read / write devices or printer devices may be upstream of the ticket dispenser according to the invention. The ticket dispenser has the sole function of issuing or retaining tickets individually or in a stacked form. Upstream production units can be simpler since they do not have to be designed to take back bad tickets. The ticket dispenser therefore has an advantageous effect on the configuration of upstream production facilities.

Figur 1

einen Ticketspender in perspektivischer Ansicht und teilweise im Schnitt;

Figur 2

den Ticketspender der Figur 1 bei der Ausgabe eines Ticketstapels über das Mundstück und

Figur 3

den Ticketspender der Figur 1 bei Ausgabe des Ticketstapels über den zweiten Ausgang.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to embodiments shown in schematic drawings. Show it:

FIG. 1

a ticket dispenser in perspective view and partly in section;

FIG. 2

the ticket donor the FIG. 1 when issuing a ticket stack through the mouthpiece and

FIG. 3

the ticket donor the FIG. 1 when issuing the ticket stack via the second exit.

The FIG. 1 shows a ticket dispenser 1 in a perspective view and partially in section. The ticket dispenser 1 is preceded in a manner not shown a production unit, via which tickets 2 are supplied to the ticket dispenser 1.

The ticket dispenser 1 has the task to supply the tickets 2 from a ticket feeder 3, which is located in the image plane right, via a horizontally in the image plane transport path 4 a mouthpiece 5, which is located in the image plane on the left. At the mouthpiece 5, the tickets 2 can be removed. Within the ticket dispenser 1 there are conveying means 6. The conveying means 6 are in this case belt conveyor units, each with two belts 7, 8, which extend above the transport path 4. Approximately in the middle of the upper conveyor 6 are two support rollers 9, 10, which are located above the ticket 2 shown.

Below this conveyor 6 and below the transport path 4 is a so-called stacking unit 11. The stacking unit 11 also has a conveyor 12 in the form of a belt conveyor with also two belts 13, 14. The conveyor 12 also has on each of the bands 13, 14 a Drive roller 15 and a guide roller 16. The drive roller 15 is the aforementioned support roller 10 in the central region of the upper conveyor 6 directly opposite. The mouthpiece 5 adjacent drive roller 15 of the conveyor 12 of the stacking unit 11 is the muzzle-side guide roller 17 of the upper conveyor 6 against.

It can be seen that the lower conveyor 12 is arranged at a greater distance from the substantially horizontally extending transport path 4, as the upper conveyor 6. This is due to the fact that the stacking unit 11 is in a lowered position. It is in a stacking position. In this stacking position, the lower conveyor 12 of the stacking device is not driven. Only tickets 2 are introduced from the upper conveyor 6 via support rollers 18 adjacent ticket feeders 13 in the region of the stacking unit 11. The tickets 2 move up to a shutter 19, which blocks the transport path 4 directly from the mouth piece 5, so closes. The tickets 2 can therefore not be moved further than the stacking unit 11.

The stacking unit 11 has a rear region 20, which is located substantially in the region of the drive roller 15 or the middle support rollers 9, 10. In this area, the height of the transport path 4 is increased towards the bottom. The transport path 4 extends above the stacking unit 11 and adjoins the stacking unit 11. The individual tickets 2 do not run parallel to the top side Ribbons 7, 8, of which they are transported, but are at a distance from the belts 7, 8. They were stored in the stacking unit 11. In this case, the rear end of the ticket 2 in the transport direction in the rear area 20 of the stacking unit 11 has been lowered so far that a subsequent ticket 2 can be stored on the previous ticket 2. As a result, the ticket stack 21 recognizable in the drawing consisting of several tickets 2 is formed. The ticket stack 21 contains, for example, 5 to 10 tickets 2.

The thus stacked tickets 2 are placed on top of each other congruently. They are on a stacking surface 22 on which they rest selectively with their front and rear ends. The stacking surface 22 does not have to allow for the entire area of the tickets 2, but rather an orientation of the tickets 2 relative to the transport path 4. The conveying means 12 of the stacking unit 11 may themselves be part of the stacking surface 22.

The stacking surface 22 in particular in the form of the conveying means 12 is linear, ie transversely to the transport path 4 in the image plane up and down displaced (arrow P1). The lower end position is the illustrated stacking position. The upper end position is the transport position. She will be in FIG. 2 shown. In the upper end position, the tickets 2 or the entire stack of tickets 21 are pressed from below against the upper conveyor 6. Since the individual bands 7, 8 of the upper conveyor 6 and the bands 13, 14 of the lower conveyor 12 directly opposite and accordingly also the associated roles, the ticket stack 21 can be moved at synchronized transport speed within the ticket dispenser 1 for dispensing the mouthpiece 5, without the ticket stack 21 fanning out. For this it is sufficient that sufficient pressure is exerted on the outermost tickets 2, 23 from above and below. The intermediate tickets are held between the two outermost tickets 2, 23 and carried.

For issuing the tickets 2, a front area 24 of the stacking unit 11 has to be raised much less than its rear area 20. Above all, the rear area 20 is raised, since the front ends of the tickets 2 are already in the immediate vicinity of the shutter 19, which in turn is itself already in transport route 2.

If the ticket stack 21 is not ejected for various reasons, it is possible with the ticket dispenser 1 according to the invention to eject this stack of tickets 21 from the stacking unit 11 via a second exit 25 by opening a barrier 26 in the rear area 20 of the stacking unit 11 , This shows FIG. 3 , The stack of tickets 21 is ejected under the support rollers 18 by the conveyor 12 of the stacking unit 11 are moved against the usual direction of transport for the ticket 2. After ejection, the barrier 26 is closed again by the stack assembly 11 is lowered back to the stacking position ( FIG. 1 ). The barrier 26 may be a lever that prevents the tickets 2 from sliding outwardly under the support roller 18 in the stacking position. In a manner not shown, a so-called bath ticket facility is connected to the second output 25, for example, a receptacle.

The ticket dispenser 1 according to the invention has various actuators, in particular electric drives and in a manner not shown a control unit for controlling and monitoring the individual drives.

The ticket dispenser 1 according to the invention is very compact, it can be combined with different production modules. In particular, it is connected downstream of a read / write unit or a printing unit. With such a ticket dispenser 1 can handle both plastic and paper tickets. For tickets made of plastic ticket stacks can be processed up to a thickness of, for example, 6.5 mm. With stacks of tickets made of paper, a relatively high number of tickets results even at low pile heights. Here are the average heights at preferably at max. 4 mm.

Reference numerals:

1 -

ticket dispenser

2 -

ticket

3 -

ticket delivery

4 -

transport

5 -

mouthpiece

6 -

funding

7 -

Volume v. 6

8th -

Volume v. 6

9 -

Support role v. 6

10-

Support role v. 6

11 -

stacker

12 -

Funding v. 11

13 -

Volume v. 11

14 -

Volume v. 11

15 -

Drive roller v. 11

16 -

Pulley v. 11

17 -

Pulley v. 11

18 -

Support role v. 6

19-

shutter

20 -

rear area v. 11

21 -

ticket stack

22 -

Stacking area v. 11

23 -

extreme ticket

24 -

front area v. 11

25 -

second exit v. 1

26 -

barrier

P1 -

arrow

Claims (11)

Ticket dispenser with a mouthpiece (5) for tickets to be dispensed (2) and with a conveyor (6) for conveying the tickets (2) on a transport path (4) from a ticket feeder (3) to the mouthpiece (5), characterized in that the ticket dispenser (1) comprises a stacking unit (11) which is designed to receive a plurality of stacked output tickets (2) in a stacked arrangement on the mouthpiece (5) and which is adapted to be shifted from a transport position to a stacking position, in which the transport path (4) is enlarged so that a subsequent ticket (2) is pushed over a previous ticket (2) until the desired number of tickets (2) of a ticket stack (21) is reached, the stack unit ( 11) is adapted to be shifted from the stacking position back into a transport position in which an outer ticket (23) of the ticket stack (21) of a conveying means (12) of the stacking unit (11) against de n ticket stack (21), and this is pressed on the other outer ticket (2) against the opposite conveyor (6), wherein the thus held stack of tickets (21) in the direction of the transport path (4) is transportable. Ticket dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that the stacking unit (11) has a rear area (20) adjacent to the ticket feeder (3) and a front area (24) facing away from the ticket feeder (3), the transport path (4) being in the stacking position. in the rear area (20) is more enlarged than in the front area. Ticket dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the stacking unit (11) has an inclined angle to the transport path (4) inclined stacking surface (22) and relative to the stacking surface (22) displaceable conveying means (12) which in the stacking position in the same or greater distance than the stacking surface (22) from the transport path (4) are spaced and in the transport position at a smaller distance than the stacking surface (22). Ticket dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the conveying means (12) of the stacking unit (11) is linearly displaceable. Ticket dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the conveying means (12) of the stacking unit (11) is a belt or roller conveyor, which in free spaces of the stacking surface (22) is displaceable. Ticket dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the conveying means (6, 12) above and below the tickets (2) are each formed by belt or roller conveyors whose bands (7, 8, 13, 14) or Rolls are directly opposite each other. Ticket dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that an adjustable shutter (19) is adapted to lock or release the transport path (4), wherein the shutter the transport path (4) for stacking in the transport direction behind the stacking unit (11). locks to stop tickets to be stacked (2). Ticket dispenser according to claim 7, characterized in that the shutter (19) adjacent to the mouthpiece (5) is arranged to protect the transport path (4). Ticket dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the stacking unit (11) is displaceable from the transport position to the stacking position, to a ticket (2) or a ticket stack (21), or not to be issued, directly from the stacking unit (11) to a second output (25) to pass. Ticket dispenser according to claim 9, characterized in that for output via the second output (25), a second output (25) blocking barrier (26) from a blocking position to a release position is displaced. Ticket dispenser according to claim 10, characterized in that with an open barrier (26), the output to the second output by the conveying means (12) of the stacker unit (11) is effected.

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