Tamura Electric Works, Ltd.

Tosiaki Watanabe

Shinji Fukaya

Hiroshi Sasou

Mitsuhiro Okazaki

Tomoki Kaya

Takashi Yoshioka

Akio Inoue

A task processing apparatus includes a main CPU, a plurality of sub-CPUs, a first starting section, a second starting section, and a notification section. The plurality of sub-CPUs independently execute a series of difference tasks set in advance in accordance with a predetermined sequence. The first starting section is arranged in the main CPU to output a first starting signal for starting the first sub-CPU, of the plurality of sub-CPUs, which executes a first task at the start of the series of tasks. The second starting section is arranged in each of the sub-CPUs except for the last sub-CPU. When the task in a given sub-CPU is completed, the second starting section outputs a second starting signal for starting the next sub-CPU which executes the next task. The notification section is arranged in the last sub-CPU of the plurality of sub-CPUs. The notification section supplies a processing completion signal indicating completion of the series of tasks to the main CPU when the last task is completed.

Task processing apparatus

A card loading device includes an elevator, a roller, a card loading port, and two sensors for detecting the feeding of cards, exhausting the feeding of cards and the reloading of cards. The elevator raises/lowers a plurality of accumulated cards. The roller is arranged at a card feed position and rotated clockwise to feed a card located at an uppermost position of the accumulated cards and brought into contact with the roller when the elevator is raised. The card loading port has an opening slightly larger than a thickness of a card and loads a card fed by the roller. The two sensors can detect the proper and the improper loading of a fed card at the card loading port. When a card has been improperly loaded, the sensors send a signal that reverses the roller direction (counterclockwise) and lowers the elevator, thereby exhausting the card from the card loading port. When the card loading port is empty, the sensors send another signal, again reversing the roller direction (clockwise) and raising the elevator, thus reloading the cards into the loading port.

Card loading device

A card convey device includes a first convey path, a second convey path, a third convey path, jam detector, convey controller, and card sorter. The first convey path conveys a loaded card. The second convey path is branched from the first convey path and conveys a non-defective card distributed from cards conveyed from the first convey path. The third convey path is branched from the first convey path and conveys a defective card distributed from the cards conveyed from the first convey path. The jam detector detects jam of a card occurring in each of the first, second, and third convey paths. The convey controller conveys a card through each of the first, second, and third convey paths at a predetermined speed, stops a convey operation of the card when the jam detector detects jam of the card, and reconveys the card in response to a reconvey command. The card sorter distributes the card conveyed from the first convey path to one of the first and second convey paths on the basis of non-defective/defective information of the card, and forcibly distributes a reconveyed card from the first convey path to the third convey path.

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Tokyo, Japan

Tosiaki Watanabe