Heatable document carrier device and document processing system

Abstract

A document carrier device is provided for supporting and transporting a document in a document processing system. The device includes a workpiece carrier having a support surface for receiving a document; a heating device having a heat conducting element for transferring heat generated; and an actuator for causing relative movement between the heat conducting element and the workpiece carrier to change between a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation. In the first mode of operation, the heat conducting element extends, without thereby being in mechanical contact with the workpiece carrier, through one or more recesses in the workpiece carrier in the region of the support surface to be able to transfer heat generated by the heating device, at least in part, to a document received. In the second mode of operation, the heat conducting element has a distance from the support surface which is increased.

Claims

1. A document carrier device for supporting and transporting a document in a document processing system, comprising: a workpiece carrier comprising a support surface for receiving a document; a heating device comprising a heat conducting element for transferring heat generated by the heating device; and an actuator for causing relative movement between the heat conducting element and the workpiece carrier in order to change between a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation of the document carrier device, wherein, in the first mode of operation, the heat conducting element extends, without thereby being in mechanical contact with the workpiece carrier, through one or more recesses in the workpiece carrier in a region of the support surface to be able to transfer heat generated by the heating device, at least in part, to a document received on the support surface of the workpiece carrier; and wherein, in the second mode of operation, the heat conducting element has a distance from the support surface which is increased when compared with its position in the first mode of operation.

2. The document carrier device of claim 1, wherein the heat conducting element comprises a plate-shaped body having a number N≥1 of protrusions which extend away therefrom from one side of the body; wherein, in the first mode of operation, each of the protrusions extend through an associated one of the recesses in the workpiece carrier without thereby being in mechanical contact with the workpiece carrier to be able to transfer heat generated by the heating device, at least in part, to a document received on the support surface of the workpiece carrier, and wherein, in the second mode of operation, the protrusions are at least partially retracted from their respective recesses so as to be at a greater distance from the support surface when compared with their respective position in the first mode of operation.

3. The document carrier device of claim 2, wherein at least one of the protrusions has a cylindrical shape.

4. The document carrier device of claim 1, wherein the workpiece carrier is resiliently supported by a suspension in such a way that, when the support surface is subjected to a contact pressure force which is directed at least partially orthogonally to the support surface, the workpiece carrier can move along a suspension travel path while at the same time giving rise to a counterforce caused by the suspension, which counterforce counteracts this movement.

5. The document carrier device of claim 4, wherein the suspension travel path is limited in such a way that the workpiece carrier, when it is moved along the entire suspension travel path, does not come into mechanical contact with the heating device or with the heat conducting element directly or indirectly via at least one other component at any point of this movement.

6. The document carrier device of claim 5, wherein a limitation of the suspension travel path is formed by a mechanical stop member for the movement of the workpiece carrier along the suspension travel path.

7. The document carrier device of claim 4, wherein the suspension comprises at least one spring element which comprises, or consists of, elastic foam material.

8. The document carrier device of claim 1, further comprising: a cover which is arranged so as to be movable between an open position and a closed position, wherein, in the open position, it exposes the support surface for loading and unloading a document and, in the closed position, it covers the support surface in such a way that, between the support surface and the cover, a receiving space which is closed on at least two sides is defined for a document to be processed.

9. The document carrier device of claim 1, wherein the actuator is configured to effect the relative movement between the heat conducting element and the workpiece carrier on a basis of a principle of magnetic action.

10. The document carrier device of claim 1, further comprising: a sensor device which is configured to detect, in a sensor based manner, a temperature of the workpiece carrier or of a document supported thereon, or another technical variable that is in a dependent relationship with said temperature; wherein the document carrier device is configured to control the heating device as a function of the temperature or other technical variable detected by the sensor device.

11. The document carrier device of claim 1, wherein, when the document carrier device is in operation, it is configured to operate the heating device to generate heat both while the document carrier device is in the first mode of operation and also while it is in the second mode of operation.

12. The document carrier device of claim 1, further comprising: at least one adapter which is configured to be received on the support surface of the workpiece carrier and to be releasably fixed there in a releasable manner by a fixing device to define at least one receiving compartment for a document to be processed, which at least one receiving compartment is laterally limited to a specific shape and size below the size of the support surface, wherein the position of the respective receiving compartment is defined by the at least one adapter in such a way that at least one of the recesses in the workpiece carrier is located in a region of the receiving compartment.

13. The document carrier device of claim 12, wherein at least one of the adapters comprises a plate having at least one recess formed therein to define a respective receiving compartment.

14. The document carrier device of claim 12, wherein at least one of the adapters comprises a clamping mechanism for releasably fixing a document in the receiving compartment defined by the adapter or in a receiving compartment defined by the adapter.

15. The document carrier device of claim 12, comprising at least a first and a second one of the adapters, which differ from each other in such a way that the first adapter defines a first receiving compartment for receiving a document which, at least substantially, laterally fills the first receiving compartment in a first orientation, and the second adapter defines a second receiving compartment for receiving a document, which, at least substantially, laterally fills the second receiving compartment in a second orientation which is different from the first orientation, in each case relative to the workpiece carrier, wherein the position of the respective receiving compartment is defined by the respective adapter in such a way that at least one of the recesses in the workpiece carrier is located in a region of the respective receiving compartment.

16. The document carrier device of claim 12, wherein at least one of the adapters can alternatively be fixed on the support surface in a first orientation or in a second orientation in a releasable manner, such that, in dependence upon the orientation of the adapter, the receiving compartment has a corresponding orientation that is different depending on the orientation of the adapter.

17. The document carrier device of claim 1, wherein the workpiece carrier has a layer for shielding the support surface from magnetic fields.

18. A document processing system comprising: the document carrier device of claim 1, wherein the document carrier device can be moved within the document processing system between: a document loading position, at which the support surface of the workpiece carrier is accessible for the purpose of receiving a document; at least one document processing position, at which a respective processing operation of a document which, at that time, is carried by the document carrier device on the support surface can be carried out by at least one document processing device which is associated with the respective document processing position; and a document unloading position, at which the support surface of the workpiece carrier is accessible for the purpose of unloading a document therefrom.

19. The document processing system of claim 18, further comprising: an inspection device which is configured to detect, in a sensor based manner, a position, a format or a type of document, as well as a layout of a document received on the support surface of the workpiece carrier; wherein the document processing system is configured to control at least one of the document processing devices as a function of the detected position, the detected format or the detected type of document, as well as the detected layout of the document to cause a correspondingly associated specific processing of the document.

20. The document processing system of claim 18, further comprising: a sensor device which is configured to detect, in a sensor based manner, a temperature of the workpiece carrier or of a document supported thereon, or another technical variable that is in a dependent relationship with said temperature; wherein the document processing system is configured to control the heating device or another functional unit of the document processing system or a process sequence which can be executed by this, for processing the document as a function of the temperature or other technical variable detected by the sensor device.

21. The document processing system of claim 20, wherein the document processing system is configured to control a process sequence, which can be executed by the document processing system, for processing the document as a function of the temperature or other technical variable detected by the sensor device, in such a way that the process sequence is interrupted or terminated if, according to the detection, carried out by the sensor device, of the temperature or of the variable having a dependent relationship therewith, a predetermined target temperature of the document to be processed is not reached or exceeded within a predetermined period of time.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages, features and possible applications of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description in connection with the drawings.

(2) In the drawings:

(3) FIG. 1A schematically shows a perspective view of a document carrier device in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention with the hinged cover open.

(4) FIG. 1B schematically shows a perspective view of a document carrier device in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention with the hinged cover closed.

(5) FIG. 2A schematically shows a top view of the document carrier device shown in FIG. 1 with the hinged cover closed and an adapter (a card adapter) located underneath.

(6) FIG. 2B schematically shows a top view of the document carrier device shown in FIG. 1 with the hinged cover closed and without the card adapter, but with two example positions of the receiving compartment of a card adapter indicated in the drawing.

(7) FIG. 3 schematically shows a top view of the document carrier device shown in FIG. 1 with the hinged cover closed and, underneath, a passport document accommodated in the document carrier device.

(8) FIG. 4A schematically shows a lateral cross-sectional view in the cross-sectional plane A-A, shown in FIG. 2A of the document carrier device of FIG. 1A, in a first mode of operation for heating a document.

(9) FIG. 4B schematically shows a lateral cross-sectional view in the cross-sectional plane A-A, shown in FIG. 2 in a second mode of operation with a heating device which has been placed in a safety position.

(10) FIG. 5 schematically shows a lateral cross-sectional view of a document processing system with a document carrier device, in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention.

(11) In the figures, the same reference signs are used throughout for the same or for mutually corresponding elements of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(12) The example embodiment of a document carrier device 100 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B comprises a workpiece carrier 105 with a support surface which is divided into a plurality of portions or partial surfaces 105a and 105b for receiving a document D to be processed (cf. FIGS. 4A and 4B). The two portions 105a and 105b are separated by an intermediate gap 105c. This serves in particular to enable booklet-like documents, such as for example passports, to be processed with ease, since here the spine of the booklet can be accommodated in the intermediate gap 105c, while opposite sides of the passport are supported by the two portions 105a and/or 105b of the support surface. However, embodiments are also possible in which the workpiece carrier 105 and/or its support surface are of a continuous construction, and in which the need for an intermediate gap 105c is thus eliminated.

(13) In the region of the support surface, in the present example in the region of the partial surface 105a, a plurality of recesses 110 are provided in a grid-like arrangement, each of which may in particular have a circular cross-section. They serve as openings in the form of a passage for a heat conducting element 115 which is connected to a heating device 130 (cf. FIGS. 4A and 4B), which heat conducting element 115 is movably arranged below the workpiece carrier 105 and can be moved by an actuator in such a way that it can engage, at least in part, in the recesses 110 in order to be able to transfer heat generated by the heating device 130 to a document (not shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B) supported on the support surface 105a. Such heating of a document which is to be processed and which is supported on the support surface 105a, 105b may be provided in particular for the drying or fixing of ink which has previously been applied.

(14) The document carrier device 100 further comprises a cover 120, which is formed here as a hinged cover which is pivotable about a hinge 120a. It is shown in FIG. 1A in the open state and in FIG. 1B in the closed state. The hinged cover 120 preferably comprises a large area opening 120b through which, in the closed state of the hinged cover, a processing of a document D, for example the application of printing onto a document D, supported on the support surface 105a, 105b is possible.

(15) In particular, the document carrier device 100 can be used as a subsystem of a document processing system, such as for example the document processing system which is further explained below with reference to FIG. 5.

(16) FIG. 2A shows a top view of the document carrier device 100 from above with the hinged cover 120 closed, wherein an associated adapter 125, in particular a card adapter, with a receiving compartment 125a, defined by the card adapter 125, for a document D in the form of a card, such as for example a card-shaped identity card or a debit or credit card, is located on the support surface of the document carrier device 100. In particular, the receiving compartment 125a may correspond to the standardized ID-1 format mentioned above. In particular, the adapter 125 may be constructed substantially in the form of a plate and may be made of plastics material, for example. In particular, a region 125b may be defined in the receiving compartment 125a, which region 125b is intended for forming or processing an image on the card-shaped document D. This image region 125b may in particular overlap with the heating region of the document carrier device 100, and may in particular be congruent therewith, which heating region is defined by the recesses 110, so that the image region 125b can be heated by the heating device 130 and the heat conducting element 115 coupled thereto. In the present example, the adapter 125 further comprises a clamping device 125c by which a card D received in the receiving compartment can be mechanically fixed by clamping.

(17) FIG. 2B shows the same view of the document carrier device 100 again, but this time without the card adapter 125 inserted. However, for the purpose of illustrating different embodiments of the adapter, two particularly preferred possible positions 125a (corresponding to FIG. 2A) and 125d of the receiving compartment of the card adapter, together with their associated image regions 125b and 125e, are indicated in the drawing. Instead of these two positions, which are shown by way of example, other positions are also conceivable, whereby the receiving compartment 125a or 125d, in particular their respective image regions 125b or 125e, respectively, as far as defined, each need to overlap, at least in part, with the arrangement of the recesses 110 in order to make the desired supply of heat from the heating device 130 possible.

(18) In FIG. 3, a further top view of the document carrier device 100 with the hinged cover 120 closed is shown from above, wherein an open booklet-like passport document D to be processed is accommodated on the workpiece carrier, which booklet-like passport document D may in particular have the standardized ID-3 format mentioned above. On the document, a number of different layout areas L1 to L4 are indicated, each of which is to undergo an associated processing operation within the framework of a processing operation of the document D.

(19) In this context, the layout areas L1, L2 and L3 are located on a left page of the passport, in particular the page 2, as it is referred to, while the layout area L4 is located on a right page of the passport, in particular the page 3, as it is referred to. While the page 2 is typically formed of plastics material or of a laminate comprising plastic layers, the page 3 is often made of a paper material. The layout area L1 may in particular be intended to receive serial numbers, data relating to the passport holder, such as surname and first name for example, or other particularly important information. The layout area L2, which may in particular overlap with the heating region of the document carrier device or may even be congruent therewith, may in particular be intended to receive a passport photograph or an image of a passport holder, and the layout area L3 may form the core of the data page, as it is referred to (page 2), in which a number of data items, usually specific to the holder or issuer, is contained, which may in particular include the first name, surname, date of birth, place of issue and date of issue of the document D. In addition, the layout area L4 on page 3 is often intended in particular for receiving individual biometric data, such as the height or the eye color of the passport holder or also their passport photograph.

(20) The layout areas for a card in the ID-3 format substantially correspond to those of the passport document D in the ID-1 format, but are smaller and/or adapted to the size of the card. In the case of the front of the card introduced into the receiving compartment of the adapter, the layout areas L2 and L3 may correspond to those of the booklet-type passport document D, in particular with respect to the information items which are to be applied to the document in the respective ones of these layout areas. Then, in the case of the back of the card inserted in the receiving compartment of the adapter, the layout areas L1 and L4 may also correspond to those of the booklet-type passport document D.

(21) Preferably, the size of the receiving surface of the workpiece carrier 105 is determined in such a way that, on the one hand, it is already configured for the receipt of a common document format (for example ID-3) without the use of an adapter 125, while, on the other hand, document formats (for example ID-1) which are smaller when compared with this, can also be received with ease and fixed for processing through additional use of an adapter 125. When an adapter 125 is not used, the fixing of the document D to the workpiece carrier 105 is done by a clamping action exerted on the document D by the cover 120 in the closed state thereof. If an adapter 125 is used, the fixing of the document may instead be done, as has already been described above, in particular by a clamping mechanism 125c of the adapter 125 itself, in which case the adapter 125 is then advantageously fixed as a whole on the workpiece carrier 105 by a clamping action by the closed cover 120 and, if necessary, by mechanical alignment by one or more wall surfaces of the workpiece carrier 105 delimiting the support surface.

(22) FIGS. 4A and 4B show the document carrier device 100 in the cross-sectional plane A-A of the document carrier device of FIGS. 1A and 1B, which cross-sectional plane A-A is shown in FIG. 2A and passes through the image region 125b of the receiving compartment 125a. In each of the views shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the hinged cover 120 is closed and a document D in the form of a card is received in the receiving compartment 125a of the card adapter 125 for processing on the support surface of the workpiece carrier 105. The workpiece carrier 105 is resiliently supported so that it can exert a clamping action on the card adapter 125 in cooperation with the closed hinged cover 120. Here, by way of example, the suspension is formed by an elastic foam mat 140.

(23) A mechanical stop member in the form of a sleeve 145 is provided in order to limit the suspension travel path. Optionally, as shown, a layer 150 may be provided in or on the workpiece carrier 105 in order to shield the receiving area for the document D and, if applicable, the card adapter 125 from potentially interfering electromagnetic waves. Such interfering electromagnetic waves could in particular originate from the interior of a personalization system of which the document carrier device 100 may form a part, and could in particular act on any magnetic layers of the document D that may be present, in particular data storage layers, and thus damage or even erase data already stored on these. In particular, the layer 150 may comprise a ferrimagnetic oxide ceramic (ferrite) or may entirely be formed of this.

(24) Below the image region 125b formed by the recesses 110 in the workpiece carrier 105, a heating device 130 is provided which has a heat conducting element 115 which is mounted thereon and which is formed as a plate having cylindrical protrusions 115a. The protrusions 115a correspond to the recesses 110 and are shaped and dimensioned in such a way that, in a first mode of operation of the document carrier device 100 illustrated in FIG. 4A, they extend through the recesses 110, or at least into the recesses 110, without touching them, in order to conduct heat generated by the heating device 130 towards the document D received in the receiving compartment 125a (operating position).

(25) The heating device 130 is (optionally) supported in an associated heating device carrier 130a and can be moved by an actuator in a direction perpendicular to the support surface 105a, 105b in order to switch between the first mode of operation and a second mode of operation illustrated in FIG. 4B, in which the heating device and the heat conducting element are positioned further away from the support surface (safety position) than in the first mode of operation. Here, the actuator is constructed in the form of a solenoid with a movable part 135a (armature) and a fixed part (coil) 135b in correspondence thereto. In the second mode of operation or the safety position, the protrusions 115a of the heat conducting plate 115 heated by the heating device 130 are thus retracted into the recesses 110, or even out of the recesses 110, and are thus protected from unintentional contact by a user (protection from burns).

(26) While the first mode of operation is thus used for processing the document and for simultaneously subjecting it to a heat treatment, the second mode of operation is in particular a safety mode which can be used in particular when loading the document carrier device 100 with a document D and/or unloading a document D from the document carrier device 100 (with the hinged cover 120 then at least temporarily open for this purpose). Due to the protection from burns made possible in this way, the heating device 130 can be heated continuously irrespective of whether the document carrier device 100 is currently in the first mode of operation or in the second mode of operation, so that, in particular, time-consuming and energy-consuming heating and cooling processes for each individual document D to be processed can be omitted, and thus the efficiency can be increased.

(27) Finally, FIG. 5 illustrates an example embodiment of a document processing system 200, in which the document carrier device 100 mentioned above can be used as a subsystem. In the document processing system 200, the document carrier device 100 can be moved between different positions within the document processing system 200. For this purpose, the document carrier device 100 may be guided in particular by a miniature guide and may be movable by toothed belts and a motor (not shown in FIG. 5).

(28) Said positions include, in particular, a loading position 205 as well as an unloading position 210 for loading the document carrier device 100 with a document D to be processed or already processed, or for unloading a document D to be processed or already processed from the document carrier device 100. In the example shown, these two positions 205 and 210 coincide. However, it is also conceivable to provide the loading position 205 at a different location from the unloading position 210, for example in such a way that the document carrier device 100 can be moved between these two positions 205 and 210 without change of direction and that, during the course of this, it can be processed at one or more processing positions of the document processing system 200 located along this path.

(29) At one of the positions (inspection position), in particular an inspection of the document carrier device 100 loaded with a document D may be carried out. Expediently, for this purpose, the document processing system 200 may comprise an image sensor or a camera 220, in the field of view 220a of which the document carrier device 100, and thus the document accommodated thereby, is located when it stops at, or passes through, the inspection position. The visual inspection may serve in particular to determine an exact position of the document D in the document carrier device 100 and to carry out the further processing steps based thereon, in particular in the sense of an alignment of the associated document processing according to the exact position of the document which has been determined. In this way, variations in the exact position of the document that may possibly occur due to tolerances can be effectively compensated for, and thus a consistently high processing quality can be achieved. A determination of the type of document or a check with regard to whether the document is inserted incorrectly or is damaged can also be carried out within the framework of the inspection.

(30) In particular, a printing device 225, for example an inkjet printing device, as well as a laser processing device comprising a laser 230 may be provided for processing the document. Such laser processing can be used in particular for applying information onto plastic materials or for introducing information into plastic materials, such as for example the “page 2” of a passport document or cards mentioned above. In particular, it is also possible to compose a combined image by combining the application of printing by the printing device 225 with a laser treatment. This can for example be done in the known CMYK color space in such a way that the color components C, M and Y are applied to the document D by inkjet printing and the further color component K (“key”, black) by laser treatment. In the document processing system 200 illustrated in FIG. 5, the printing is envisaged at position 225a and the laser treatment is envisaged at position 230a, which is in the effective region of the laser 230.

(31) In particular, it is possible to configure the direction from which the laser beam impinges on the surface of the document D to be processed, so that CLI or MLI processing is possible, in particular selectively. However, instead or cumulatively, it is also possible to achieve such different processing directions through the use of different card adapters with different orientations of the respective receiving compartments 125a or 125d, as is illustrated in FIG. 2B.

(32) In order to introduce data into a memory device of the document D to be processed, a programming device may also be provided, which may in particular comprise a programming head 235, for example a magnetic or electric programming head 235, in order to store data in the document at a data transfer position 235a. In particular, the programming device may be constructed in the form of a read/write device for contactless or contact-based data transfer to or from a chip contained in the document, for example in the form of an RFID read/write device.

(33) Ideally, the data transfer is carried out after processing of the document by printing and before processing of the document by laser. In this way, the ink has a little more time to dry after printing before the laser treatment is started.

(34) In addition, the document processing system 200 may comprise a human-machine interface 215, in particular a touch screen, for its operation and for outputting information regarding current operating conditions or error messages or other information regarding the document processing system 200 or an ongoing document processing operation, which information may be relevant to a user of the document processing system 200. In particular, this may be configured in such a way that a selection of specific document processing operations (job selection) or of processing jobs can be carried out via the human-machine interface 215, or that an image of the document D captured by a camera can be displayed at at least one point in time during the processing of the document D by the document processing system 200. In addition, the human-machine interface 215 may be configurable so that, through this, a target layout for the document and its target position can be compared or viewed, in particular in real time, in relation to an actual layout and an actual position of the document as detected in a sensor based manner.

(35) While at least one example embodiment has been described above, it is to be noted that a large number of variations thereto exist. In this context it is also to be noted that the example embodiments described herein only illustrate non-limiting examples, and that it is not intended thereby to limit the scope, the applicability, or the configuration of the devices and methods described herein. Rather, the preceding description will provide the person skilled in the art with instructions for the implementation of at least one example embodiment, whereby it is to be understood that various changes in the functionality and the arrangement of the elements described in an example embodiment can be made without thereby deviating from the subject matter respectively set forth in the appended claims as well as legal equivalents to this.