JP3696468B2 - Card reader - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a card reader. More specifically, the present invention relates to a structure for preventing card fraud in a card reader.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the conventional card reader 101, as shown in FIG. 4, a shutter 102 that is opened and closed by a solenoid, for example, is provided at the card insertion slot to prevent foreign objects other than the card 103 from being inserted and jammed in the card reader. The card reader 101 is secured so that the card 103 is not taken out illegally and stolen. In the card reader 101, when the card 103 is inserted from the card insertion slot 104, the shutter 102 is retracted from the card passage so that the inserted card 103 can be taken into the card reader 101. Further, when the card 103 enters from the shutter 102, the shutter 102 is closed to prevent the card 103 from being taken out by an illegal act.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional card reader 101, as shown in FIG. 5, when an unauthorized person performs an illegal act such as intentionally clogging the card 103 on the opening / closing position of the shutter 102 by performing some kind of work, the shutter 102 Cannot be closed completely and cannot function as a shutter. At this time, if the position where the card 103 is jammed is a place where it is difficult to pick up the card 103 with a finger, the user cannot take out the card 103. May end up. There is a possibility that an unauthorized person takes out the card 103 using a tool or the like and takes it away.
[0004]
Thus, even in the conventional card reader 101 provided with the shutter 102, there remains a problem that the card 103 can be taken out and taken away by a clever trick to steal the card 103.
[0005]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a card reader that can prevent unauthorized removal of a card even when the shutter is not closed.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve this object, the invention according to claim 1 is provided with an openable / closable shutter that allows the card to be taken into the card reader at the card insertion slot, and the card is inserted when the card is a regular card. A card reader configured to perform predetermined processing after being taken into the reader is provided with a blocking mechanism having a blocking portion for blocking the movement of the card within the range of the length of the card from the shutter, and the shutter is in the open position. When an abnormal stop of the card is detected, the blocking mechanism is operated so that the movement of the card can be blocked by the blocking unit.
[0007]
Therefore, even if a fraudulent act (hereinafter simply referred to as a fraudulent act) in which some tricks are applied to defraud the card and the card is intentionally stopped on the opening / closing position of the shutter, this abnormal stop is detected, When the blocking mechanism operates, the blocking unit blocks the movement of the card.
[0008]
The invention according to claim 2 is the card reader according to claim 1, further comprising an abnormal stop detecting means for detecting an abnormal stop of the card, and the blocking portion as a pressure contact member that presses against the card surface. Is provided with a drive source that is electrically controlled.
[0009]
In this case, when the card is abnormally stopped on the opening / closing position of the shutter, the abnormal stop detection means detects this, and when the blocking mechanism including the electrically controlled drive source is activated, the blocking portion which is a pressure contact member The card surface is pressed to prevent the card from moving.
[0010]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the card reader according to the second aspect of the present invention, the pressure contact member is a rubber pad or a protruding member having a sharp tip at the portion that is pressed against the card surface.
[0011]
In this case, when an abnormality is detected, the blocking mechanism operates and the rubber pad or the protruding member with a sharp tip is pressed against the card surface. In the case of a rubber pad, the movement of the card is prevented by a strong frictional force, and in the case of a protruding member with a sharp tip, a part of the tip bites into the card.
[0012]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the card reader according to the second or third aspect, the detection means for detecting the open position of the shutter is connected to the shutter, and a plurality of abnormal stop detection means are provided. The card detection sensor is configured to detect an abnormality by detecting the movement of the card.
[0013]
Therefore, when an abnormal stop of the card occurs at the shutter opening / closing position, the card detection sensor near the card insertion slot detects the card, but the card detection sensor at the back of the card transport direction cannot detect the card. This state continues again. An abnormal stop of the card is detected from the presence or absence of the card detection by the plurality of card detection sensors. In this state, if the detecting means for detecting the open position of the shutter detects that the shutter is still open, it is determined that the card has stopped abnormally at the open / closed position of the shutter due to an illegal act or the like. To do. Therefore, the movement of the card is blocked by operating the blocking mechanism.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention will be described in detail based on an example of an embodiment shown in the drawings.
[0015]
1 and 2 show an embodiment of a card reader according to the present invention. This card reader 1 is provided with an openable / closable shutter 4 that allows the card 3 to be taken into the card reader 1 at the card insertion slot 2. When the card 3 is a regular card, the card 3 is inserted into the card reader 1. In the range of the length of the card 3 from the shutter 4, a blocking mechanism 6 having a blocking portion 5 for blocking the movement of the card 3 is provided. When the card 3 is in the open position, when the abnormal stop of the card 3 is detected, the blocking mechanism 6 is operated so that the blocking unit 5 can block the movement of the card 3.
[0016]
The blocking portion 5 is a pressure contact member that presses against the surface of the card 3. For example, a protruding member (hereinafter referred to as a needle 5) having a sharp tip can be used. The material and shape of the needle 5 are not particularly limited. However, in order to sufficiently prevent the card 3 from moving, it is desirable that the tip be sharp and sharp with a metal material having high hardness and strength. The needle 5 is pressed against or pierced to the card 3 so that the card 3 cannot be forcibly pulled out.
[0017]
The needle 5 is disposed within the length of the card 3 from the opening / closing position of the shutter 4 toward the card conveying direction indicated by the arrow A in the drawing, that is, the shutter 4 is stopped because the card 3 is stopped at the opening / closing position of the shutter 4. In a state in which cannot be closed, the tip of the needle 5 is disposed at a position facing the card 3. The needle 5 is attached to a frame (not shown) of the card reader 1 via a casing 16 so as to be perpendicular to the card conveying direction. Further, the needle 5 is arranged so as to press or butt a place other than the magnetic stripe of the card 3. Thereby, damage to the magnetic stripe can be avoided and the magnetic data can be protected.
[0018]
The casing 16 is provided with guide grooves 18 and 19, while the shaft portion of the needle 5 is provided with engagement pins 13 and 17 guided by these guide grooves 18 and 19. The engagement pin 13 is fitted in the guide groove 18 and the engagement pin 17 is fitted in the guide groove 19. The needle 5 is retracted from the card conveying path 20 (FIG. 1) and the position 5 b where the card 3 is press-contacted or pushed. (FIG. 2) so that it can move smoothly between. Further, since the needle 5 is attached to the casing 16 at the two positions of the engagement pins 13 and 17, it does not tilt even if a force acts in the card drawing direction.
[0019]
The blocking mechanism 6 includes a drive source 7 that is electrically controlled. In this embodiment, a solenoid (hereinafter referred to as a solenoid 7) is used as the drive source 7. The solenoid 7 is attached and fixed to the frame of the card reader 1. The blocking mechanism 6 is configured to suck the plunger 8 of the solenoid 7 and rotate the lever 9 that locks the needle 5 to release the lock of the needle 5.
[0020]
The lever 9 is attached to the frame of the card reader 1 so as to be rotatable about the support shaft 10, and is configured to be rotatable between a lock position 9a shown in FIG. 1 and a release position 9b shown in FIG. . Further, the lever 9 is provided with an engagement hole 11, and an engagement pin 12 provided on the plunger 8 is fitted into the engagement hole 11 so that the lever 9 is interlocked with the movement of the plunger 8 by the solenoid 7. Configured. Thus, the lever 9 is positioned at the lock position 9 a when the solenoid 7 projects the plunger 8, and moves to the release position 9 b when the solenoid 7 attracts the plunger 8. Further, at the lock position 9a shown in FIG. 1, the stopper piece 14 of the lever 9 is engaged with the engagement pin 13 of the needle 5, and the needle 5 is locked at the retracted position 5a. On the other hand, at the release position 9b shown in FIG. 2, the engagement between the stopper piece 14 and the engagement pin 13 is released, and the needle 5 is movable.
[0021]
Here, in order to prevent the card 3 from being taken out, it is necessary to press the needle 5 against the card 3 with a strong force. For this purpose, for example, a biasing force such as a spring member can be used. In the blocking mechanism 6 of the present embodiment, the coil spring 15 is provided around the axis of the needle 5 and is disposed in a compressed state between the engagement pin 17 and the spring receiving surface 16 a of the casing 16. In addition, the coil spring 15 has a spring force sufficient to allow the tip of the needle 5 to press-contact or pierce the card 3.
[0022]
When the blocking mechanism 6 operates as described above, the solenoid 7 is turned on, the plunger 8 is pulled, the lever 9 is rotated, the engagement pin 13 and the stopper piece 14 are disengaged, and the needle 5 can be moved. As a result, the urging force stored by the coil spring 15 is released, and the needle 5 guided by the guide grooves 18 and 19 pierces the card 3 and prevents the card 3 from moving. 1 shows a standby state before the blocking mechanism 6 operates, and FIG. 2 shows a state after the blocking mechanism 6 operates.
[0023]
Further, the card reader 1 is provided with an abnormal stop detecting means 21 for detecting an abnormal stop (clogging) of the card 3. As such an abnormal stop detection means 21, for example, a plurality of card detection sensors 21 that detect the presence of the card 3 in the card transport path 20 can be used. In the present embodiment, the first card detection sensor 21a is positioned in front of the needle 5, and the second card detection sensor 21b is longer than the first card detection sensor 21a on the far side in the card transport direction from the shutter 4 to the length of the card 3. In this range, the third card detection sensor 21c is disposed at a position farther from the shutter 4 than the length of the card 3 on the far side in the card transport direction from the second card detection sensor 21b.
[0024]
When the card detection sensor 21 is arranged as described above, if it is normal, the card detection sensors 21a, 21b, and 21c sequentially detect the card 3 as the card 3 is conveyed. However, when the first card detection sensor 21a detects the card 3, but the second card detection sensor 21b cannot detect the card 3 even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the detection, the first and second The card detection sensors 21a and 21b detect the card 3, but if the third card detection sensor 21c cannot detect the card 3 even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the detection, the card 3 has stopped abnormally. it is conceivable that. Accordingly, it is possible to detect an abnormal stop of the card 3 using the card detection sensors 21a, 21b, and 21c. Of course, the number and positions of the card detection sensors 21 to be installed are not limited to those described above.
[0025]
Further, a detection sensor 22 that detects an open position of the shutter 4 is connected to the shutter 4. Even if an abnormal stop of the card 3 is detected by the card detection sensor 21, an unauthorized person who intends to fraud the card 3 cannot take out the card 3 as long as the shutter 4 is closed. However, if the shutter 4 is in the open state, an unauthorized person can take out the card 3. Therefore, when an abnormal stop of the card 3 is detected by the card detection sensor 21 and when it is detected by the detection sensor 22 that the shutter 4 is still open, the shutter 4 is caused by an illegal act or the like. It is determined that the card 3 has stopped abnormally at the open / closed position, and the blocking mechanism 6 is operated to prevent unauthorized removal of the card 3.
[0026]
According to the card reader 1 configured as described above, illegal deprivation of a card can be prevented as follows.
[0027]
When the card 3 is inserted into the card insertion slot 2, the shutter 4 is opened, the transport roller 23 rotates, and the card 3 is taken into the card reader 1. Here, if the card detection sensors 21a, 21b, and 21c can sequentially detect the presence of the card 3 in the card transport passage 20, it is determined to be normal and the blocking mechanism 6 does not operate. When the card 3 is taken to a predetermined position, the shutter 4 is closed and a predetermined process is performed on the card 3.
[0028]
On the other hand, when the card detection sensor 21 detects an abnormal stop of the card 3 and the detection sensor 22 detects that the shutter 4 remains open, the blocking mechanism 6 is operated to activate the card 3. To prevent unauthorized removal. That is, the solenoid 7 of the blocking mechanism 6 is turned on, the plunger 8 is pulled, and the lever 9 rotates to move from the lock position 9a to the release position 9b. As a result, the engagement pin 13 and the stopper piece 14 are disengaged, and the needle 5 can be moved. As a result, the urging force stored by the coil spring 15 is released, and the needle 5 guided by the guide grooves 18 and 19 is moved from the retracted position 5a to the press contact position 5b. Since the needle 5 is formed with a sharp tip, the needle 5 is pierced into the card 3 to fix the card 3 and prevent movement. For this reason, it becomes impossible to forcibly pull out the card 3. That is, even if the user of the card 3 goes away from the card reader 1 to call an attendant, the card 3 cannot be pulled out from the card reader 1, so that it is possible to prevent the unauthorized person from taking the card 3 out. .
[0029]
In order to return the needle 5 from the pressure contact position 5b to the retracted position 5a, the needle 5 is manually moved to the retracted position 5a against the spring force of the coil spring 15. Then, the lever 9 is moved to the lock position 9a, and the stopper piece 14 is engaged with the engagement pin 13. Thus, the needle 5 is locked at the retracted position 5a in a state where the spring force of the coil spring 15 is accumulated, and the standby state shown in FIG.
[0030]
The above-described embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.
[0031]
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the position other than the magnetic stripe is pressed with the needle 5 so as not to damage the magnetic stripe of the card 3, but conversely, the position where the needle 5 is pressed against the card 3 is It may be a position on the magnetic stripe of the card 3. In this case, the data recorded on the magnetic stripe can be destroyed by the needle 5 being pressed against the card 3. Alternatively, the needle 5 may be operated after detecting the non-controllable movement of the card 3 using the card detection sensor 21 without operating the needle 5 only when the card 3 is abnormally stopped.
[0032]
Further, the pressure contact member of the blocking portion 5 is not limited to the needle 5 having a sharpened tip, but may be constituted by a rubber-like pad 24 that can sufficiently block the movement of the card 3 as shown in FIG. 3, for example. By increasing the spring force of the spring member 15 and the area where the pad 24 is pressed against the card surface, a strong frictional force can be generated to sufficiently prevent the card 3 from moving. In this case, it is possible to avoid damage to the card 3 during the press contact.
[0033]
In the above embodiment, the urging force of the coil spring 15 is used to press the blocking portion 5 against the card 3 with a strong force in order to prevent the card 3 from being taken out by illegal acts. Thus, the blocking portion 5 may be pressed against the card 3.
[0034]
Further, the drive source of the blocking mechanism 6 can be used in common with other actuators used in the card reader 1 without providing the solenoid 7 independently. For example, a switching mechanism when an abnormality occurs may be provided, and any one of an IC contact solenoid, a shutter solenoid, a transport motor, and the like may be used as a drive source.
[0035]
【The invention's effect】
As apparent from the above description, the card reader according to claim 1 is provided with a blocking mechanism having a blocking portion for blocking the movement of the card within the range of the length of the card from the shutter, and the shutter is in the open position. Sometimes when the abnormal stop of the card is detected, the blocking mechanism is operated so that the movement of the card can be blocked by the blocking unit. In some cases, the card can be prevented from moving. As a result, even if some kind of work is done on the card reader so that the card is clogged (abnormally stopped) for the purpose of stealing the card, the card reader clogs when the user leaves the card reader by calling an attendant. The card reader can be prevented from being stolen, so that the security of the card reader can be improved.
[0036]
Furthermore, the card reader according to claim 2 is provided with an abnormal stop detecting means for detecting an abnormal stop of the card, the blocking portion is a pressure contact member that presses against the card surface, and the blocking mechanism is electrically controlled drive. If the card is abnormally stopped on the opening / closing position of the shutter due to an illegal act or the like, the abnormal stop detection means detects the abnormal stop and prevents the provision of an electrically controlled drive source. By the operation of the mechanism, the blocking portion which is a pressing member can press the card surface and block the movement of the card.
[0037]
Further, as in the card reader according to the third aspect, the pressure contact member may be a rubber pad or a protruding member having a sharp tip at the portion that is in pressure contact with the card surface. By using a rubber-like pad, the card can be prevented from moving with a strong frictional force, and damage to the card can be avoided. Further, if a protruding member having a sharp tip is used, a part of the tip bites into the card, so that the card cannot be forcibly pulled out and the card can be prevented from moving. Further, if the magnetic stripe of the card is intentionally pressed by the protruding member, the magnetic data can be destroyed, so that abuse of the data can be avoided.
[0038]
In the card reader according to claim 4, the shutter is connected to detection means for detecting the open position of the shutter, and the abnormal stop detection means has a plurality of card detection sensors to move the card. Since the abnormality is detected by detecting the card, even if there is an illegal act of intentionally stopping the card on the shutter opening / closing position in order to steal the card, the card abnormally stops on the shutter opening / closing position. Can be detected, and the blocking mechanism can be operated to prevent unauthorized removal of the card.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing an example of an embodiment of a card reader to which the present invention is applied and in which a blocking mechanism is in a standby state.
FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a state after a blocking mechanism is operated in the card reader.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a blocking portion using a rubber pad as another example of the pressure contact member.
FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a conventional card reader.
FIG. 5 is a schematic side view showing a state in which a card is abnormally stopped at a shutter opening / closing position in a conventional card reader.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Card reader 2 Card insertion slot 3 Card 4 Shutter 5 Needle (blocking part, pressure contact member, protrusion member)
6 Blocking mechanism 7 Solenoid (drive source)
21 Card detection sensor (abnormal stop detection means)
22 Detection means 24 Rubber pad

Claims (4)

An openable / closable shutter that allows the card to be taken into the card reader is provided at the card insertion slot, and the card is taken into the card reader to perform predetermined processing when the card is a legitimate card. The card reader is provided with a blocking mechanism having a blocking unit for blocking the movement of the card within the length of the card from the shutter, and the card is stopped abnormally when the shutter is in the open position. A card reader characterized in that, when detected, the blocking mechanism is operated so that the blocking unit can block the movement of the card. An abnormal stop detecting means for detecting an abnormal stop of the card is provided, the blocking portion is a pressure contact member that presses against the card surface, and the blocking mechanism includes an electrically controlled drive source. Item 2. A card reader according to item 1. 3. The card reader according to claim 2, wherein the pressure contact member is a rubber pad or a protruding member having a pointed tip at a portion in pressure contact with the card surface. The shutter is connected to detection means for detecting the open position of the shutter, and the abnormal stop detection means has a plurality of card detection sensors and detects abnormality by detecting movement of the card. The card reader according to claim 2, wherein the card reader is a card reader.

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