The card hopper structure of the self-service hand card receiving and sending equipment first reduces card jams caused by misaligned stacking by optimizing the initial stacking guide design. An inclined guide surface with a width-matched entry channel is installed at the hopper entrance. Cards slide naturally along the inclined surface when inserted, preventing edge compression and misalignment caused by misaligned insertion. Flexible guide strips are designed on both sides of the entry channel to prevent card insertion while also slightly correcting any misalignment. This ensures that each card enters the hopper in a roughly parallel position, paving the way for subsequent stacking and preventing misalignment caused by the tilt of the first card.
The internal tiered dividers and elastic stoppers of the card hopper on the self-service hand card receiving and sending equipment effectively prevent left-right shifting or vertical arching during stacking. To accommodate different card sizes (such as thickness and width), adjustable elastic stoppers are installed within the card hopper. These stoppers adapt to the card edges by elastically fitting to accommodate cards of varying widths while also preventing them from sliding sideways during stacking. This prevents uneven stacking due to left-right misalignment, which can cause card jams. Furthermore, some card hoppers feature shallow vertical ribs. These ribs are significantly lower than the card thickness, ensuring they don't affect stacking height while guiding the cards neatly along the ribs. This prevents any localized buckling caused by the card's inherent softness (such as with paper cards), ensuring a consistently flat stack and minimizing the risk of jams.
The low-friction surface treatment and rolling-assist structure on the inner wall of the card hopper in self-service hand card receiving and sending equipment reduces frictional resistance during card stacking and movement, preventing jams caused by excessive resistance. The inner walls and bottom of the card hopper are made of a highly smooth material or coated with a low-friction coating to reduce the friction between the cards and the hopper walls. This allows for smooth movement during stacking, preventing excessive localized friction that could cause a card to stall and other cards to continue stacking, leading to jamming. Furthermore, micro-rolling components (such as small rollers or ball bearings) are embedded in key movement paths at the bottom of the card hopper. These components are concealed within the hopper floor, with only a portion of their surface exposed to contact with the cards. When stacking cards, the rotation of these rolling components replaces sliding friction, significantly reducing movement resistance. This ensures that cards move smoothly along the hopper floor, both when stacking and when removing them, and avoids jamming caused by friction.
Dynamic compaction and anti-overhead structural designs eliminate the "overhead jam" caused by excessive gaps during card stacking. Some card holders (such as plastic cards with raised edges) tend to form tiny gaps between layers when stacked. As the stack height increases, these gaps can accumulate, causing the upper cards to "lift" and prevent them from fitting tightly with the lower ones. This can lead to jamming during subsequent transport due to uneven force. Therefore, an elastic pressure plate is installed at the top of the card hopper. This plate uses its elasticity to apply gentle and even pressure to the stacked cards, minimizing gaps between layers and ensuring a tight stack without loose cards. Furthermore, the pressure of the elastic pressure plate dynamically adjusts with stack height: as the stack height increases, the pressure plate naturally presses downward, maintaining a stable pressure; as the stack height decreases, the pressure plate rises, preventing excessive pressure from hindering card replenishment and maintaining a tight stack, preventing loose cards and jamming.
The gradual width design and guide mechanism at the card hopper outlet are key to preventing jamming during card delivery. The outlet is the most vulnerable point for card jamming as it is transported from the hopper to the equipment. If the outlet width does not match the card specifications or there is a lack of guidance, the edges of the cards can easily become stuck at the outlet. Therefore, the card hopper exit features a gradual width change—the width gradually narrows from inside the hopper to outside, and the degree of narrowing is tailored to the thickness and width of the card. This guides the card into the conveyor channel with precision, preventing edge collisions and jams. Furthermore, rotatable guide wheels are symmetrically positioned on either side of the exit. As the card passes through, the guide wheels rotate with the card, correcting its direction and reducing friction between the card and the exit edge. This ensures a smooth transition from the hopper to the conveyor mechanism, preventing jams at the exit.
Adaptive structural adjustments tailored to different card materials can prevent stacking jams caused by varying material properties. Paper cards can easily become soft and wrinkled due to moisture, while plastic cards can easily cling to each other due to static electricity. These material characteristics can both cause stacking jams. Therefore, the card hopper structure has been optimized specifically. For paper cards, subtle ventilation holes are provided (without affecting the dustproofing of the equipment) to maintain a dry interior and prevent moisture, softening, and wrinkling of the cards. An antistatic coating is also applied to the hopper walls to reduce static cling between the paper cards and the hopper walls. For plastic cards, the density of the roller assembly at the bottom of the hopper has been increased, and an extremely thin separator film is installed between the layers (which can be transported along with the cards and does not affect their use). This prevents static cling and the inability to separate the plastic cards during stacking. Adaptive material design accommodates the differences in characteristics of different cards and reduces the risk of jamming.
The hopper's adjustable height and easy-to-maintain structure ensure smooth stacking over the long term, preventing jamming caused by accumulated problems over time. As card sending and receiving increases, dust and debris may accumulate in the hopper, or component wear may reduce stacking accuracy, leading to jamming. Therefore, the hopper is designed to be partially removable or openable, allowing staff to regularly open the hopper to clean impurities, inspect components such as the roller assembly and elastic pressure plate, and replace worn parts promptly. At the same time, the height of the card bin can be adjusted according to the daily stacking volume of hand cards, avoiding excessive pressure on the bottom hand cards and difficulty in movement due to the stacking height being too high, or frequent replenishment of hand cards and increased probability of jamming due to the stacking height being too low. Through maintainability and adjustability design, the card bin can be ensured to maintain a good stacking state for a long time, reducing jamming problems.
