GB2070571A

GB2070571A - Card conveying apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2070571A
Application number: GB8102542A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Canon Inc; Canon Electronics Inc
Current assignee: Canon Inc; Canon Electronics Inc
Priority date: 1980-01-31
Filing date: 1981-01-28
Publication date: 1981-09-09
Also published as: GB2070571B; JPS56108183A

Abstract

In a card conveylng apparatus an opposed member 20 is provided parallel to a transport path of a card (not shown). To reduce the number of parts used and enhance the mounting accuracy of the parts and the reliability of the apparatus the member 20 carries a number of different functional parts. As shown the member 20 carries a card side pressure plate 22, projection 20a corrects any unwanted bend in a card (to improve the operation of magnetic head 18), blocks engaging shafts 17a, 17b so that the member 20 is attachable to plate 10 and blocks 20b, 20c to tension spring 24 and aid positioning the bead 18 respectively. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Card conveying apparatus Background of the Invention Field of the Invention This invention relates to a card conveying apparatus in which a plurality of convex portions are formed on opposed member provided in opposed relationship with a card and a plurality of functions are set up for these convex portions.

Description of the PriorArt The development of the system utilizing magnetic cards is remarkable and such system has widely spread as cash cards particularly in banks and other financial organizations. Magnetic card devices for effecting writing of information into magnetic cards (cash cards or the like) or reading of information from magnetic cards have nowadays been incorporated in various system instruments.

In the conventional magnetic card conveying apparatus, the member provided in opposed relationship with the card to press the card comprises a plate spring coupled to other member and it has not been possible to endow the plate spring with a plurality of functions. This had led to the necessity of mounting separate parts around the plate spring in accordance with respective functions, which in turn has led to an increased number of parts. Moreover, a high degree of working and assembly accuracy has been required of each member and this has led to a poor working property during assembly, regulation and maintenance.

One aspect of the invention aims to endow the opposed member with a plurality of functions to thereby reduce the number of parts used.

Another aspect of the invention aims to improve the reliability of the apparatus.

A further aspect of the invention aims to correct the bend of the card.

A still further aspect of the invention aims to ensure good contact of the magnetic head with the magnetic card.

Yet another aspect of the invention aims accurately to fix the opposed member to a member which provides a reference.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a rear view of a card conveying apparatus according to the present invention; FIGURE 2 is a side view of the card conveying apparatus of Figure 1; FIGURE 3 is an internal side view showing the card conveying apparatus of Figures 1 and 2 with some parts removed therefrom; FIGURES 4A, B and C are exploded perspective view of the card conveying apparatus of the preceding Figures with some parts removed therefrom.

In the apparatus disclosed herein, a member opposed to a card is endowed with plurality of functions to render easier the assembly, adjustment, maintenance, etc. of the apparatus and improve the reliability of the apparatus.

In the card conveying apparatus of Figure 1, a motor 2 is fixed to a reference plate 1 and the rotary shaft 2a of the motor 2 horizontally extends through the reference plate 1. A support plate 1-1 is mounted on the ends of bars 1 a, 1 b mounted to the reference plate 1 and the end of a bar, not shown, and covers one side of the apparatus, but a member concerned with the function of the apparatus is not mounted. Figure 2 is a side view of the apparatus as seen in the direction of arrow A of Figure 1. Description will hereinafter be made of the drive force transmission path. A belt 4 of poor resiliency (made of polyester tape) passed over the rotary shaft 2a of the motor 2 and a fly-wheel 3 has a tension imparted thereto by a roller 5 rotatably supported with respect to the reference plate 1.

Shafts 6a, 6b and Sc are rotatably supported on the reference plate 1, and a pulley 7a, a fly-wheel 3 and a pulley 7b are fixed to the shafts 6a, 6b and 6c. Integral pulleys 3a and 3b are attached to the fly-wheel 3, and a belt 8a of rich resiliency is passed over the pulley 3a and the pulley 7a and a belt 8b of rich resiliency is passed over the pulley 3b and the pulley 7b. Thus, when a shock created by an unshown card being inserted has been transmitted to the shafts 6a--6c, such shock is absorbed by the resiliency of the belts 8a, 8b and the inertia of the fly-wheel 3 and therefore, the shock is never transmitted to the roller 5 and the rotary shaft 2a through the belt 4.If the grooves of the pulleys 3a, 3b, 7a and 7b are formed into Vshape and the cross-sections of the belts 8a and 8b are made into diamond shape, slip will be reduced. In Figure 2, when the rotary shaft 2a of the motor 2 is rotated in left-hand direction, the roller 5 will be rotated in right-hand direction and the fly-wheel 3 in left-hand direction. The lefthand rotation of the pulleys 3a and 3b which are integral with the fly-wheel 3 will cause left-hand rotation of the pulleys 7a and 7b. The diameters of the pulleys 3a, 3b, 7a and 7b are substantially equal and therefore, the shafts 6a, 6b and 6c fixed to the respective pulleys will be rotated in lefthand direction at a substantially equal rotational speed.

Figure 3 is an internal side view of the apparatus as seen in the direction of arrow B after the bars 1 a, 1 b the support plate 1-1 and an opposed member 20 have been removed from the reference plate 1 of Figure 1 and a card bed 21 has been sectioned along a dot-and-dash line C.

The construction of each member will hereinafter be described.

In Figure 3, the shafts 6a--6e rotatably fitted to the reference plate 1 are the shafts 6a--6e of Figure 2 as seen in the opposite direction, namely, in the front-to-back relation. Accordingly, in Figure 3, the shafts 6a-Sc are rotated in righthand direction at a substantially equal rotational speed, and feed rollers 9a, 9b and 9c are fixed to the shafts Sa, 6b and 6c, respectively. Lightreceiving portions 23a-23d are provided to the card bed 21.

Figures 4A, B and C are perspective views exploded with some components omitted to make the contents of Figure 3 better understood.

Figure 4A shows a guide plate 10 fixed to the reference plate 1 and a plate-like lever 11 placed on the guide plate 10. Pins 1 2a and 1 2b are secured to the reference plate 1, and the opposite ends of a spring 1 3a are secured to the pin 1 2a and one end of the plate-like lever 11, respectively, and the opposite ends of a spring 1 3b are secured to the pin 1 2b and the other end of the plate-like lever 11, respectively, whereby urging the lower surface of the plate-like lever 11 against the upper surface of the guide plate 10.

The plate-like lever 11 rotatably supports pressing rollers (pressing means) 1 4a, 1 4b and 14c. The pressing rollers 1 4a, 1 4b and 1 4c lie at positions opposed to the feed rollers 9a, 9b and 9c, respectively, and the spacing between the pressing rollers and the feed rollers is set to a value smaller than the thickness of a magnetic card (not shown).Further, the spacings between the feed rollers 9a and 9b, between the feed rollers 9b and 9c, between the pressing rollers 14a and 14b and between the pressing rollers 1 4b and 1 4c are set to a value smaller than the length of the magnetic card in the feed direction (arrow 29) and therefore, the unshown magnetic card may be conveyed on a conveyance plane 1 5 (the locus formed by conveyance of the card) in the direction of arrow 29 while being held between at least one set of the feed rollers 9a-9c and the pressing rollers 1 4a-1 4c.

The reference plate 1 is provided with apertures 16a, and 16c, and one end of shafts 17a, 17b and 17c (Figure 4B) is fixed to these apertures respectively.

In Figure 4B, one end of a head lever 19 to which a magnetic head 18 is fixed is rockably fitted on the shaft 1 7c and, as shown in Figure 4C, the shafts 1 7a and 1 7b are fitted in the apertures of a mounting convex portion projectedly provided on one end of the opposed member 20 (substantially parallel to the plane of the card) and are fixed by screws 17-1 and 17-2, respectively. In Figure 4B, the end of the protruded portion 21 a of the card bed 21 is cantilevered on one side of the guide plate 10, and the protruded portion 21a hasrecesses2l-1,21-2 and 21-3 surrounding the feed rollers 9a, 9b and 9c, respectively.The protruded portion 21 a of the card bed 21 is set to a width shorter than the width of the magnetic card with respect to a direction perpendicular to the magnetic card feed direction, and a part of the magnetic card is spaced apart from and opposed to the recessed portion 21 b of the card bed 21. Light-receiving portions 23a-23d are provided in the recessed portion 21 b of the card bed 21 to detect passage of the card. A dot-and-dash line D, like the dotand-dash line C shown in Figure 1, is for representing the cross-sections of the lightreceiving portions 23a-23d (see Figure 3).As shown in Figure 1, light sources 23 for illuminating the light-receiving portions 23a-23d may be provided adjacent to the other end of the opposed member 20 and in opposed relationship with the light-receiving portions 23a-23d, respectively.

In Figure 4C, a card side pressure plate 22 (the portion indicated by dot-and-dash line) formed of an elastic material and pressing the end surface of the magnetic card is fixed to the other end of the opposed member 20 by means of screws 22a-22e. Further, an arcuate convex portion 20a (protruded portion) having a diameter greater than the diameter of the roller 9b is provided at the other end of the opposed member 20 adjacent to the extension of the roller 9b. The spacing between the opposed member 20 and the card bed 21 is set to a value somewhat greater than the thickness of the magnetic card and therefore, usually, the magnetic card may be conveyed without contacting the opposed member 20. The bearing 1 9a of the head lever 19 is fitted on the shaft 17c, and a spring 24 is mounted on the outer periphery of the bearing 1 9a.The opposite ends of the spring 24 bias the head lever 19 and the convex portion 20b. Accordingly, the magnetic head 18 attached to the head lever 19 is pressed in the direction of arrow 25 about the shaft 1 7c.

The convex portion 20b is situated at one end of the opposed member 20 and is fitted to the shaft 1 7b through the aperture of the mounting convex portion to fix the opposed member 20 and has a plurality of depressed grooves 24a and 24b to which one end of the spring 24 is secured.

In Figure 3, a screw 26 is attached to the other end of the head lever 19, and the end 26a of the screw is in contact with a convex portion 20c shown in Figure 4C (which is provided at one end of the opposed member 20). Accordingly, if the amount of projection of the end of the screw 26 is adjusted, the magnetic head 1 8 can be prevented from contacting the feed roller 9b and also the spacing between the magnetic head 1 8 and the feed roller 9b can be set to a value smaller than the thickness of the magnetic card (not shown).

An electric circuit 27 (an information processing circuit) necessary for the processing of the signal of the magnetic head 1 8 is mounted on the reference plate 1.

The conveyance of the magnetic card will now be described by reference to Figure 3. In Figure 3, when the magnetic card 28 is inserted in the direction of arrow 29, the light-receiving portion 23a detects the arrival of the magnetic card 28 and rotates the motor 2. Thereby, the feed rollers 9a, 9b and 9c are rotated in right-hand direction, so that the feed roller 9a and pressing roller 1 4a convey the magnetic card 28 in the direction of arrow 29 while holding the magnetic card therebetween.Said detection by the lightreceiving portion 23a also operates an unshown amplifier, etc. (located in the electric circuit 27) connected to the magnetic head 1 8. When the light-receiving portion 23b detects the arrival of the magnetic card 28, the apparatus becomes ready to process information and subsequently, the feed roller 9b and the pressing roller 1 4b hold the magnetic card 28 therebetween. The pressing rollers 1 4a-1 4c are provided in the plate-like lever 11 which in turn rests on the guide plate 10 and therefore, when the pressing roller 1 4a is raised in accordance with the thickness t of the magnetic card 28, the pressing roller 1 4b is also raised through the plate-like lever 11 and thus, the shock when they hold the magnetic card 28 is reduced.Next, when the light-receiving portion 23c detects the arrival of the magnetic card 28, writing and reading of information is effected on the unshown magnetic stripe provided on the magnetic card 28 by the magnetic head 1 8. When the magnetic card 28 is further conveyed in the direction of arrow 29, the feed roller 9c and the pressing roller 1 4c convey the magnetic card 28 while holding the card therebetween. When the light-receiving portion 23d detects the arrival of the magnetic card 28, it can reverse the rotation of the motor 2 and cause the magnetic card 28 to be conveyed in the direction opposite to the arrow 29.Also, the light-receiving portion 23d does not ooerate when it detects the leading end of the magnetic card 28, but can stop the operation of the motor 2 and electric circuit 27 when it detects the trailing end of the magnetic card (that is, when it detects that the magnetic card 28 has been discharged to the right end in Figure 3). However, where the magnetic card 28 is conveyed in the direction opposite to the arrow 29 as described previously, the operation of the motor 2 and electric circuit 27 is stopped by the light-receiving portion 23a.

A magnetic card is generally carried about by the user and therefore, it is unreasonable to expect that it forms a plane and in fact, in most cases, it is deformed into a convex plane or a concave plane.

When such a magnetic card which does not form a planar configuration is inserted into a magnetic card apparatus, the contact between the magnetic head 18 and the opposed magnetic stripe (not shown) on the card sometimes becomes insufficient depending on the state of said deformation. As a result, an error is liable to occur in the writing or reading of information on the magnetic card 28. However, in the described apparatus, as shown in Figures 1 and 4C, the card bed 21 has a protruded portion 21 a and a recessed portion 21 b and therefore, where the magnetic card, not shown, is bent downwardly (namely, upwardly convex), the bend is escaped at the end portion of the magnetic card by the depression of the recessed portion 21 b to thereby reduce the resistance when the magnetic card is conveyed.Also, where the magnetic card is bent upwardly (namely, upwardly concave), the bent portion of the card is depressed by the convex portion 20a of the opposed member 20 to correct the bend of the card. The convex portion 20a forms an arcuate shape having a diameter greater than the diameter of the feed roller 9b, as mentioned previously, and therefore, it corrects the bend of the magnetic card immediately before the magnetic card is held between the feed roller 9b and the pressing roller 14b. Thus, the magnetic card well contacts the magnetic head, thereby avoiding occurrence of an error in the writing or reading of said information.

In addition to the convex portion 20a, the opposed member 20 has a convex portion 20b (to which one end of the spring 24 is secured to fix the opposed member 20 to the shaft 17b), a convex portion 20c (which contacts the screw 26 to thereby adjust the position of the magnetic head 1 8) and a card side pressure plate 22 and therefore, simply by fitting the opposed member 20 to the shafts 17a and 17b provided in the reference plate 1, the mounted positions of said mounting convex portion and the convex portions 20a--20e having different functions and the card side pressure plate 22 are determined properly.

Accordingly, the accuracy of the mounted position of each member is enhanced and the parts are simplified to thereby make reduced cost possible and in addition, facilitate the maintenance and check-up of the apparatus and enhance the reliability of the apparatus.

Claims

1. A card conveying apparatus comprising conveying means for conveying a card, opposed means provided in substantially parallel opposed relationship with the plane of the locus formed by the conveyance of said card, and a plurality of projected convex portions provided on said opposed means and having different functions.

2. A card conveying apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein one of said convex portions has the function of correcting the bend of said card.

3. A card conveying apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein said one convex portion correcting the bend of said card comprises an arcuate protruded portion.

4. A card conveying apparatus comprising conveying means for conveying a card, reference means provided along the direction in which said card is conveyed, opposed means mounted to said reference means in substantially parallel opposed relationship with the plane of said card, and a plurality of projected convex portions provided on said opposed means and having different functions.

5. A card conveying apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein at least one of said convex portions has the function of mounting said opposed means with respect to said reference means.

6. A card conveying apparatus comprising conveying means for conveying a card, a magnetic head for effecting recording or reproduction of information on said card, a resilient member having a resilient force for biasing said magnetic head toward said card and pressing the same, opposed means provided in substantially parallel opposed relationship with the plane of the locus formed by the conveyance of said card, and a plurality of projected convex portions provided on said opposed means and having different functions.

7. A card conveying apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein one of said convex portions has the function of supporting said resilient member.

8. A card conveying apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein one of said convex portions has the function of preventing said magnetic head from contacting said conveying means.

9. A card conveying apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein one of said convex portions has a depressed portion for stably supporting said resilient member.

10. A card conveying apparatus comprising conveying means for conveying a card, reference means provided along the direction in which said card is conveyed, opposed means provided in substantially parallel opposed relationship with the plane of the locus formed by the conveyance of said card and mounted to said reference means, a convex portion for correcting the bend of said card provided on said opposed means, and a convex portion for mounting said opposed means to said reference means provided on said opposed means.

11. A card conveying apparatus comprising conveying means for conveying a card, a magnetic head for effecting recording or reproduction of information on said card, a resilient member having a resilient force for biasing said magnetic head toward said card and pressing the same, opposed means provided in substantially parallel opposed relationship with the plane of the locus formed by the conveyance of said card, a convex portion for supporting said resilient member provided on said opposed means, and a convex portion for correcting the bend of said card provided on said opposed means.

12. A card conveying apparatus comprising conveying means for conveying a card, reference means provided along the direction in which said card is conveyed, a magnetic head for effecting recording or reproduction of information on said card, a resilient member having a resilient force for biasing said magnetic head toward said card and pressing the same, opposed means provided in substantially parallel opposed relationship with the plane of the locus formed by the conveyance of said card, a convex portion for mounting said opposed means to said reference means provided on said opposed means, and a convex portion for supporting said resilient member provided on said opposed means.

13. A card conveying apparatus according to Claim 12, wherein said opposed means is further provided with a convex portion for correcting the bend of said card.

14. A card conveying apparatus according to Claim 12, wherein said convex portion for supporting said resilient member is provided on the convex portion for mounting said opposed means to said reference means.

15. A card conveying apparatus according to Claim 13, wherein said convex portion for correcting the bend of said card comprises an arcuate protruded portion.

16. A card conveying apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.