JP2002183679A - Card reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a card reader capable of forming and erasing an image on and from a card using an area almost equal to a short directional width of the card or the whole surface as a display part, and proper in carrying performance of the card. SOLUTION: This card reader is a card reader provided with a card carrying passage, a carrying means for moving the card in the carrying passage, a guide arranged in the carrying passage, and regulating a position of the moving card, an image forming means for forming a visible image on the card, and an image erasing means for erasing the visible image formed on the card, and the guide is dividedly constituted in front and in the rear of the image forming means and the image erasure means.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a card reader for forming and erasing a visible image on an information recording medium such as a card.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, cards are used for various purposes and their types are various because of their convenience in portability. For example, a telephone card, a prepaid card such as a ticket, a commuter pass, a coupon, a point card, an ID card such as a bank card, a cash card, a credit card, a driver's license, a membership card, an identification card, and the like can be given. .

[0003] These cards have a magnetic recording layer, an optical recording layer, or a memory section typified by an IC memory or the like in order to record and hold information such as personal identification information, balance, and accumulated points. I have. The information recorded in these memory sections is reproduced by a dedicated card reader, but the information recorded in the magnetic recording layer, optical recording layer, and IC memory is invisible information. Cannot be confirmed directly.

Therefore, conventionally, these invisible record information have been displayed visually. For example, a write-once type display such as printing information on the card surface by various printing means such as ink jet, thermal transfer, and laser beam printer, or forming a thermal coloring layer on the card in advance and performing thermal recording is performed.

In addition, in these write-once type display methods, more information cannot be displayed due to the limitation of the display area on the card surface. Therefore, a rewritable display method has recently been adopted.

For example, when a liquid crystal display is formed on a card, or by using a thermoreversible material which can be repeatedly printed / erased by heating, display is performed.

Further, in addition to the variety of uses, information recording methods, and display methods of these cards, the materials constituting the card base material, the positions of memory portions such as magnetic stripes and IC chips, and the size of the cards Standards such as pod thickness are also diverse.

For example, as the card material, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinyl acetate (PVCA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), plastics such as biodegradable materials, paper, and synthetic paper are used. Have been. Also, JISX6301 for all identification cards and J for IC cards with external terminals
According to the rules of ISX6303, the thickness is 0.76 mm ± 0.
08 mm. In general, a configuration is known in which two vinyl chloride sheets having a thickness of 0.28 mm are laminated, and a vinyl chloride sheet having a thickness of 0.1 mm is attached to the front and back sides. Depending on the card, so-called embossing, in which the account number, the expiration date, and the owner's name are formed by physically protruding the card base material, is also performed. Not only such cards but also prepaid cards such as telephone cards have a card thickness of 0.20 to 0.28.
It is a thin card of about mm.

[0009] As described above, there are a wide variety of cards at present. An apparatus having a function of reading information from these cards (reading), recording information on the card (writing), or rewriting information displayed on the card is a card reader.

By the way, as described above, other information including invisible recording information such as personal identification information, balance, and accumulated points recorded and held in a memory section such as a magnetic recording layer, an optical recording layer, and an IC memory of a card is provided. As a method of visually displaying various information such as advertisements and promotional texts, using a card (rewrite card) in which the display portion of the card is composed of a rewrite layer made of a thermoreversible material that can be repeatedly printed and erased, There is a method of performing printing on the card with a thermal head or the like to display the card.

In recent years, a card reader having a print head and an erasing head, which has a rewrite function capable of repeatedly rewriting information printed on a display portion of the rewrite card, has been widely used. .
At present, a rewritable card having a magnetic recording layer is used in combination with a function of recording / reproducing magnetic information using a magnetic head, and is widely used in a point card system in a shopping mall or the like.

Here, an example of a conventional card reader will be described. FIG. 5 is a schematic side sectional view showing a conventional card reader, which will be described below with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 5, reference numeral 100 denotes a card reader, 2
Is a card, and a rewrite layer of a thermoreversible material that can be repeatedly printed / erased is formed as a display portion on the front surface (upper side in FIG. 5) of the card 2 and a back surface (lower side in FIG. 5). Side), and has a magnetic stripe as a memory unit. 3a is the card 2 inserted (or ejected)
The insertion slot 3b is a discharge port for discharging the card 2, the reference numeral 4 is a conveyance path for conveying the card 2, and the reference numerals 5a and (5b) are provided in the conveyance path 4 to guide both sides of the card 2.

First, the card 2 inserted from the insertion slot 3a
Is transported along the transport path 4 while its both ends are guided by the guides 5a and 5b. Then, processes such as printing / erasing on the display unit, recording / reproducing on the memory unit, and the like are performed, and the paper is ejected again from the insertion port 3a. The insertion slot 3a
After the processing is performed without being discharged from the outlet, there is a case where it is discharged from the outlet 3b.

Further, 6 to 14 are drive rollers, 15 is a pressing roller, 16 to 19 are driven rollers, and 20 and 21 are correction rollers. Reference numerals 22, 23, 24, and 25 denote rotating shafts to which the respective drive rollers 6, 7, 8, and 9 are attached, and reference numeral 26 denotes a shaft to which the pressing roller 15 is attached. Reference numeral 27 denotes a motor.

The driving roller 6 attached to the rotating shaft 22
, A driven roller 16 is opposed to the driven roller 16.
Is urged in the direction of the transport path 4 by an elastic member (not shown) such as a coil spring. The driving force of the motor 27 is transmitted to the rotating shaft 22 by transmitting means (not shown) such as a combination of a pulley and a belt, and the driving force of the driving roller 6 is transmitted from the motor 27 via the rotating shaft 22. Then, the card 2 is sandwiched between the driving roller 6 and the driven roller 16 and the card 2 is drawn into the card reader 100 from the insertion slot 3a, and is simultaneously sent out to the next roller pair.

The driving rollers 7, 8, 9 and the driven rollers 17, 18, 19 are the same as the relation between the driving roller 6 and the driven roller 16, and the driven rollers 17, 18, 19 are formed of an elastic member such as a coil spring. (Not shown), the drive rollers 7, 8, 9 are urged in the direction of the conveyance path 4 to rotate the rotation shafts 23,
Driving force is transmitted from the motor 27 via 24 and 25. Also in this case, the driving force of the motor 27 is transmitted to the rotating shafts 23, 24, 25 by transmission means (not shown) such as a combination of a pulley and a belt. Then, the card 2 is sandwiched between the roller pair of the driving roller 7 and the driven roller 17, the roller pair of the driving roller 8 and the driven roller 18, and the roller pair of the driving roller 9 and the driven roller 19, and sent out to the next roller pair. .

Reference numeral 28 denotes a printing unit which is provided so as to be able to come and go with respect to the transport path 4, and 29 denotes a printing head.
Reference numeral 30 denotes a motor that raises and lowers the printing unit 28 so that the printing unit 28 can come and go with respect to the transport path 4. The printing unit 28
The correction roller 20 and the print head 29 provided in
The drive rollers 10 and 11 face each other.

When a predetermined character or the like is to be printed on the display section of the card 2, the printing unit 28 is driven by lifting / lowering driving means composed of a combination of a motor 30 and a cam or the like (not shown) to protrude into the transport path 4, The card 2 is sandwiched between the correction roller 20 and the driving roller 10, sent out while correcting deformation such as bending of the card 2, and printed on the display section of the card 2 by the print head 29. At this time, the card 2 is held by the print head 29 and the drive roller 11 opposed thereto.

When printing is not performed on the display portion of the card 2, the printing unit 28 is retracted from the transport path 4 and retracted, and the card 2 is transported at high speed through the area of the printing unit 28 in the transport path 4. In this case, the card 2 does not come into contact with the print head 29, so that the conveyance failure due to the stop of the card 2 or the destruction of the print head 29 does not occur.

Further, reference numeral 31 denotes an elastic member for urging the print head 29 fixed to the print unit 28 in the direction of the transport path 4, and 32 denotes a shaft provided in the print unit 28. The elastic member 31 directly applies a force to the shaft 32. An elastic member 33 urges the correction roller 20 in the direction of the transport path 4. As the elastic members 31, 33, a coil spring or the like is suitably used. As described above, the elastic members 31,
33 applies a pressing force. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately set the pressing force depending on the material, thickness, and the like of the card 2, and it is possible to improve reliability such as printing quality and friction.

Further, a pressing roller 15 is provided adjacent to the printing unit 28, and the driving roller 12 is provided to face the pressing roller 15. Here, an elastic member 34 urges the pressing roller 15 in the direction of the transport path 4. The pressing roller 15 is supported by a shaft 26 and is rotatable. When the elastic member 34 applies a pressing force to the shaft 26, the pressing roller 15 is urged in the direction of the transport path 4.

Further, reference numeral 35 denotes an erasing unit provided so as to be able to come and go with respect to the transport path 4, and 36 denotes an erasing head.
Reference numeral 37 denotes a motor that moves the erasing unit 35 up and down so that the erasing unit 35 can freely move in and out of the transport path 4. The erasing unit 35
The drive rollers 13 and 14 are opposed to the erasing head 36 and the correction roller 21 provided in the printer, respectively.

The erasing unit 35, like the printing unit 28, is driven by lifting / lowering driving means composed of a combination of a motor 37 and a cam or the like (not shown), and protrudes into the transport path 4. For example, in a case where the card 2 is once conveyed to the discharge port 3b side, and then reversely conveyed from there, and the erasing process is performed, the card 2 is sandwiched between the straightening roller 21 and the driving roller 14, and deformation such as bending of the card 2 is performed. The image is sent out while being corrected, and the image printed on the display section of the card 2 is erased by the erasing head 36. At this time, the card 2 is held by the erasing head 36 and the driving roller 13 opposed thereto.

When it is not necessary to delete the image printed on the display section of the card 2, the erasing unit 35 is retracted from the transport path 4 and is in a retracted position. Even when the card 2 is conveyed at high speed through the area, the card 2 contacts the erase head 36 and
There is no occurrence of transport failure due to the stop of the card 2 or breakage of the erasing head 36.

Reference numeral 38 denotes an elastic member for urging the erasing head 36 fixed to the erasing unit 35 in the direction of the transport path 4, and 39 denotes a shaft provided in the erasing unit 35. The elastic member 38 directly applies a force to the shaft 39. An elastic member 40 urges the correction roller 21 in the direction of the transport path 4. As the elastic members 38 and 40, a coil spring or the like is preferably used. In this way, the elastic members 38,
A pressing force is applied by 40. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately set the pressing force depending on the material, thickness, and the like of the card 2, and it is possible to improve the erasing performance and the reliability such as friction.

Although not shown, the card reader 1
At 00, a magnetic head is provided to perform recording / reproducing processing on a magnetic stripe as a memory section of the card 2.

The pressing roller 15, the correction roller 20,
21, the width of the drive rollers 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 is set such that the width of the display portion of the card 2 in the short direction (short direction printing) is used to correct the deformation of the card 2 and stabilize the printing quality. Area).

In the card 2, the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the card 2 is conveyed is the short direction of the card 2, and the direction parallel to the direction in which the card 2 is conveyed (the same direction) is the card 2
Is defined as the longitudinal direction.

FIG. 6 is a front sectional view showing a conventional card reader. As shown in FIG. 6, guides 5a and 5b having a substantially U-shaped cross section are provided on both sides of the transport path 4. One guide 5a is urged toward the other guide 5b by a guide urging member (not shown) made of an elastic member such as a spring. By providing the guides 5a and 5b in the transport path 4 as described above, it is possible to transport the card 2 while regulating the position of the card 2.

Also, guides 5a and 5b are provided, and one guide 5a is moved by a guide urging member to the other guide 5b.
The card 2 is urged in the short direction (FIG. 6).
The position of the guide 5 can be regulated
The positions of the card 2 in the thickness direction (vertical direction in FIG. 6) are regulated by making the shapes of a and 5b substantially U-shaped in cross section.

The conventional card reader 100 having such a configuration is widely used in a point card system and the like as described above, but recently, a magnetic recording layer such as a magnetic stripe is used as a memory portion of a rewritable card. So-called IC with IC memory as well as with
The spread of cards is also expected.

Also, an IC card has an IC inside the card.
And a contact-type IC card having an electrode connected to the IC on the surface of the card, and a non-contact IC card having an antenna which has an IC inside the card and can transmit and receive data wirelessly. is there. In particular, in this non-contact IC card, since no connection electrode with the IC is required on the card surface, the entire surface of the card can be used as a display unit. Since the entire surface of the card serves as a printing area and large characters can be printed and displayed, visibility can be improved.

In addition to the non-contact IC card, it is desired to use the entire surface of the card as a display unit in order to improve visibility or display more information.

[0035]

However, the configuration of the conventional card reader 100 described above has the following problems when the entire surface of the card 2 is used as a display unit.

When the entire surface of the card 2 is used as the display section, the width of the display section in the short direction of the card 2 (print area in the short direction) is equal to the width of the card 2 itself in the short direction. Then, the widths of the pressing roller 15, the correcting rollers 20, 21, and the driving rollers 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 are set to be shorter than the width of the card 2 in order to correct the deformation of the card 2 and stabilize the printing quality. It is necessary that the width be equal to or greater than the width in the direction. Further, the widths of the print head 29 and the erase head 36 are also equal to or larger than the width of the card 2 itself in the lateral direction.

In this case, the pressing roller 15, the correction roller 2
0, 21 and drive rollers 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 guide both ends of the card 2 when the card 2 is conveyed.
This interferes with the guides 5a and 5b that regulate the position in the short direction and the position in the thickness direction, and thus it is impossible to correct the deformation of the card 2 and stabilize the printing quality.

If the guides 5a and 5b are removed, the position of the card 2 cannot be regulated, stable conveyance cannot be performed, and printing and erasing cannot be performed at an accurate position on the card 2. Further, when the card 2 is deformed, particularly when there is a concave deformation in the longitudinal direction,
There is also a problem that the print head 29 and the erase head 36 are destroyed.

Therefore, the present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and provides an area substantially equal to the width of the card in the lateral direction.
Alternatively, it is another object of the present invention to provide a card reader capable of forming and erasing an image on a card whose entire surface is a display portion and having excellent card transportability.

[0040]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A card reader according to the present invention includes a card transport path, transport means for moving the card in the transport path, and a guide provided in the transport path for regulating the position of the moving card. A card reader comprising: an image forming unit for forming a visible image on a card; and an image erasing unit for erasing a visible image formed on the card, wherein the guide is divided before and after the image forming unit and the image erasing unit. This is the configuration that has been made.

[0041]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention according to a first aspect of the present invention is directed to a card transport path, transport means for moving the card in the transport path, and a guide provided in the transport path for regulating the position of the moving card. A card reader comprising: an image forming unit for forming a visible image on a card; and an image erasing unit for erasing a visible image formed on the card, wherein the guide is divided before and after the image forming unit and the image erasing unit. The card reader is characterized in that a visible image is formed on the entire surface of the card, or the formed visible image can be erased.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a card reader according to the first aspect, wherein the image forming means and / or the image erasing means is provided so as to be able to come and go in the conveying path. The card can be conveyed at a high speed when the image is not formed or erased on the card. Further, the card does not contact the image forming means and the image erasing means,
There is no occurrence of transport failure due to the stoppage of the card, and no destruction of the image forming means and the image erasing means occurs.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the card reader according to the first or second aspect, the width of the image forming means and the width of the image erasing means are wider than the width of the card. A visible image can be reliably formed, and the formed visible image can be surely erased.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first to third aspects, the guide is provided between the image forming means and the guide in proximity to the image forming means and / or the image erasing means and the guide in proximity to the image erasing means. The card reader is characterized in that a card straightening means is provided between the card reader and the card reader, which can suppress warpage of the card and can stably convey the card. Furthermore, the card does not come into contact with the image forming means and the image erasing means, and no transport failure occurs due to the stoppage of the card.
The destruction of the image forming means and the image erasing means does not occur. Further, the card can be transported at a high speed.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first to fourth aspects, the image forming means is on the guide side close to the image forming means and / or the image erasing means is on the guide side close to the image erasing means. A card reader provided with a card correcting means, which can suppress the warpage of the card and can stably convey the card. Further, the card does not come into contact with the image forming means and the image erasing means, the conveyance failure due to the stop of the card does not occur, and the image forming means and the image erasing means do not break. Further, the card can be transported at a high speed.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a card reader according to the fifth aspect, wherein the card straightening means is a card straightening roller. , And can be stably conveyed.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect, the moving distance when the image forming means moves toward and away from the card is shorter than the moving distance when moving and approaching the card. Wherein the card does not come into contact with the image forming means, no transport failure occurs due to the stoppage of the card, and the image forming means does not break down.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the sixth and seventh aspects, when the image forming means is at a position retracted from the conveyance path, the card straightening roller is closer to the conveyance path than the image forming means. The card reader is characterized in that the card does not come into contact with the image forming means, no transport failure occurs due to the stoppage of the card, and the image forming means does not break down.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in accordance with the sixth to eighth aspects, the image erasing means makes the moving distance when the card straightening roller separates and contacts the card shorter than the moving distance when the card correcting roller separates from the card. Card reader,
A card reader characterized by shortening a moving distance when approaching and leaving a card, wherein the card does not come into contact with the image erasing means, no transport failure occurs due to the stop of the card, and the image erasing means is destroyed. Does not occur.

The tenth aspect of the present invention provides the sixth to ninth aspects.
In, when the image erasing means is at a position retracted from the transport path, the card straightening roller, than the image erasing means,
A card reader characterized by being close to a transport path, wherein the card does not come into contact with the image erasing means, no transport failure occurs due to the stop of the card, and the image erasing means is destroyed. There is no.

The eleventh aspect of the present invention relates to the sixth to first aspects.
0, a card reader provided with an opposing roller facing the card straightening roller, wherein the card is sandwiched between the card straightening roller and the opposing roller. Can be transported.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the eleventh aspect, when the image forming means and the card straightening roller are at positions protruding into the conveyance path, a gap is provided between the roller between the card straightening roller and the opposing roller. The card reader is characterized in that the gap is smaller than the thickness of the card, and reduces the impact between the card and the card straightening roller, so that image formation by the image forming means can be performed favorably. .

The thirteenth aspect of the present invention provides an eleventh aspect,
In 12, the image erasing means and the card straightening roller,
A card reader characterized by having a gap between the card correcting roller and the opposing roller when located at a position protruding into the transport path, wherein the gap is smaller than the thickness of the card. The impact between the card and the card correction roller can be reduced, and the image can be erased satisfactorily by the image erasing means.

The invention according to claim 14 is the invention according to claims 1 to 1.
In 3, the guide is a card reader characterized in that both sides of the card are guided by a fixed guide and a movable guide to regulate the position, and the card can be stably and reliably conveyed.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in the card reader according to the fourteenth aspect, the fixed guide and / or the movable guide has a substantially U-shaped cross section. Position control can be performed more reliably.

According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transport path for a card, transport means for moving the card in the transport path, image forming means for forming a visible image on the card, and transfer of the visible image formed on the card. A card reader having an image erasing unit to be erased, wherein the image forming unit and the image erasing unit are:
The image forming means and the image erasing means are provided so as to be able to protrude and retract in the transport path, and the card correcting rollers are respectively provided. When the image forming means and the image erasing means are at the position retracted from the transport path, the respective card correcting rollers are A card reader which is closer to the transport path than the image forming means and the image erasing means, wherein the card does not come into contact with the image forming means and the image erasing means, and is conveyed by stopping the card. No failure occurs, and no destruction of the image forming means and the image erasing means occurs.

According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, when the image forming means and the card straightening roller are at a position protruding into the conveyance path, a gap is provided between the card straightening roller and the opposing roller. The card reader is characterized in that the gap is smaller than the thickness of the card, and reduces the impact between the card and the card straightening roller, so that image formation by the image forming means can be performed favorably. .

The invention according to claim 18 is the invention according to claim 16,
In 17, the image erasing means and the card straightening roller are
A card reader characterized by having a gap between the card correcting roller and the opposing roller when located at a position protruding into the transport path, wherein the gap is smaller than the thickness of the card. The impact between the card and the card correction roller can be reduced, and the image can be erased satisfactorily by the image erasing means.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a card reader according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing the card reader according to one embodiment of the present invention. In addition,
In the present embodiment, FIGS.
Are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a card reader, and 2 is a card. The surface of the card 2 (upper side in FIG. 1)
In addition, a rewrite layer of a thermoreversible material that can be repeatedly printed and erased is formed as a display unit, and as a memory unit,
For example, the card 2 has a magnetic stripe on the back surface (lower side in FIG. 1).

3a is an insertion slot into which the card 2 is inserted (or ejected), 3b is an ejection slot from which the card 2 is ejected,
Reference numeral 4 denotes a transport path on which the card 2 is transported.

Further, 51a, (51b) and 52a,
(52b) is a guide provided on the transport path 4 for guiding both sides of the card 2. And as shown in FIG. 1, it is divided by guides 51a and 51b and guides 52a and 52b.

As described above, in the conventional card reader 100, the guides 5a and 5b are provided continuously to the transport path 4, whereas in the card reader 1 of the present embodiment,
The divided guides 51a, 51b and guides 52a, 52
b, but the guides 51a, 51b
The configurations of the guides 52a and 52b are the same as those of the guides 5a and 5b shown in FIG. Therefore, the guides 51a and 51b and the guides 52a and 5
The configuration of 2b will also be described with reference to FIG. First,
The cross section is substantially U-shaped, and one guide 51a,
52a is urged toward the other guides 51b and 52b by a guide urging member made of an elastic member such as a spring. By providing the guides 51a and 51b and the guides 52a and 52b in the transport path 4 as described above, it is possible to transport the card 2 while regulating the position of the card 2. By biasing one of the guides 51a, 52a toward the other guide 51b, 52b by a guide biasing member, the position of the card 2 in the short direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 6) can be regulated. The guides 51a and 51b and the guides 52a and 52b are formed to have a substantially U-shaped cross section, thereby regulating the position of the card 2 in the thickness direction (vertical direction in FIG. 6).

The card 2 inserted from the insertion slot 3a
Are connected to the guides 51a, 51b and 52a, 5
The sheet is conveyed along the conveyance path 4 while being guided by 2b.
Then, processes such as printing / erasing on the display unit, recording / reproducing on the memory unit, and the like are performed, and the paper is ejected again from the insertion port 3a.
In some cases, after the processing is performed without being discharged from the insertion port 3a, the paper is discharged from the discharge port 3b.

Further, 6 to 14 are driving rollers, 15 is a pressing roller, 16 to 19 are driven rollers, and 20 and 21 are correction rollers. Reference numerals 22, 23, 24, and 25 denote rotating shafts to which the respective drive rollers 6, 7, 8, and 9 are attached, and reference numeral 26 denotes a shaft to which the pressing roller 15 is attached. Reference numeral 27 denotes a motor.

The driving roller 6 attached to the rotating shaft 22
, A driven roller 16 is opposed to the driven roller 16.
Is urged in the direction of the transport path 4 by an elastic member (not shown) such as a coil spring. The driving force of the motor 27 is transmitted to the rotating shaft 22 by transmitting means (not shown) such as a combination of a pulley and a belt, and the driving force of the driving roller 6 is transmitted from the motor 27 via the rotating shaft 22. Then, the card 2 is sandwiched between the drive roller 6 and the driven roller 16 and the card 2 is drawn into the card reader 1 from the insertion slot 3a, and is simultaneously sent out to the next roller pair.

The driving rollers 7, 8, 9 and the driven rollers 17, 18, 19 are the same as the relationship between the driving roller 6 and the driven roller 16, and the driven rollers 17, 18, 19 are formed of an elastic member such as a coil spring. (Not shown), the drive rollers 7, 8, 9 are urged in the direction of the conveyance path 4 to rotate the rotation shafts 23,
Driving force is transmitted from the motor 27 via 24 and 25. Also in this case, the driving force of the motor 27 is transmitted to the rotating shafts 23, 24, 25 by transmission means (not shown) such as a combination of a pulley and a belt. Then, the card 2 is sandwiched between the roller pair of the driving roller 7 and the driven roller 17, the roller pair of the driving roller 8 and the driven roller 18, and the roller pair of the driving roller 9 and the driven roller 19, and sent out to the next roller pair. .

Reference numeral 28 denotes a printing unit provided so as to be able to come and go with respect to the transport path 4, and 29 denotes a printing head.
Reference numeral 30 denotes a motor that raises and lowers the printing unit 28 so that the printing unit 28 can come and go with respect to the transport path 4. The printing unit 28
The correction roller 20 and the print head 29 provided in
The drive rollers 10 and 11 face each other. In the area of the printing unit 28 in the transport path 4, the guides 51 a and 51 b do not exist, and are interrupted before the correction roller 20.

When a predetermined character or the like is to be printed on the display section of the card 2, the printing unit 28 is driven by lifting / lowering driving means composed of a combination of a motor 30 and a cam or the like (not shown) to protrude into the transport path 4, The card 2 is sandwiched between the correction roller 20 and the driving roller 10, sent out while correcting deformation such as bending of the card 2, and printed on the display section of the card 2 by the print head 29. At this time, the card 2 is held by the print head 29 and the drive roller 11 opposed thereto.

When printing is not performed on the display section of the card 2, the printing unit 28 is retracted from the transport path 4 to a retracted position, and the card 2 is transported at high speed in the area of the printing unit 28 in the transport path 4. In this case, the card 2 does not come into contact with the print head 29, so that the conveyance failure due to the stop of the card 2 or the destruction of the print head 29 does not occur.

Further, reference numeral 31 denotes an elastic member for urging the print head 29 fixed to the printing unit 28 in the direction of the transport path 4, and 32 denotes a shaft provided in the printing unit 28. The elastic member 31 directly applies a force to the shaft 32. An elastic member 33 urges the correction roller 20 in the direction of the transport path 4. As the elastic members 31, 33, a coil spring or the like is suitably used. As described above, the elastic members 31,
33 applies a pressing force. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately set the pressing force depending on the material, thickness, and the like of the card 2, and it is possible to improve reliability such as printing quality and friction.

The pressing roller 15 is provided adjacent to the printing unit 28, and the driving roller 12 is provided to face the pressing roller 15. Here, an elastic member 34 urges the pressing roller 15 in the direction of the transport path 4. The pressing roller 15 is supported by a shaft 26 and is rotatable. When the elastic member 34 applies a pressing force to the shaft 26, the pressing roller 15 is urged in the direction of the transport path 4.

Further, reference numeral 35 denotes an erasing unit provided so as to be able to come and go with respect to the transport path 4, and 36 denotes an erasing head.
Reference numeral 37 denotes a motor that moves the erasing unit 35 up and down so that the erasing unit 35 can freely move in and out of the transport path 4. The erasing unit 35
The drive rollers 13 and 14 are opposed to the erasing head 36 and the correction roller 21 provided in the printer, respectively. And
Although no guide exists in the area of the erasing unit 35 in the transport path 4, the guide 52 is located behind the straightening roller 21.
a, 52b are provided.

The erasing unit 35, like the printing unit 28, is driven by lifting / lowering driving means composed of a combination of a motor 37 and a cam or the like (not shown) to protrude into the transport path 4. For example, in a case where the card 2 is once conveyed to the discharge port 3b side, and then reversely conveyed from there, and the erasing process is performed, the card 2 is sandwiched between the straightening roller 21 and the driving roller 14, and deformation such as bending of the card 2 is performed. The image is sent out while being corrected, and the image printed on the display section of the card 2 is erased by the erasing head 36. At this time, the card 2 is held by the erasing head 36 and the driving roller 13 opposed thereto.

When it is not necessary to delete the image printed on the display section of the card 2, the erasing unit 35 is retracted from the transport path 4 to a retracted position. Even when the card 2 is conveyed at high speed through the area, the card 2 contacts the erase head 36 and
There is no occurrence of transport failure due to the stop of the card 2 or breakage of the erasing head 36.

Further, reference numeral 38 denotes an elastic member for urging the erasing head 36 fixed to the erasing unit 35 in the direction of the transport path 4, and 39 denotes a shaft provided in the erasing unit 35. The elastic member 38 directly applies a force to the shaft 39. An elastic member 40 urges the correction roller 21 in the direction of the transport path 4. As the elastic members 38 and 40, a coil spring or the like is preferably used. In this way, the elastic members 38,
A pressing force is applied by 40. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately set the pressing force depending on the material, thickness, and the like of the card 2, and it is possible to improve the erasing performance and the reliability such as friction.

As described above, in the area from the printing unit 28 to the erasing unit 36 in the transport path 4, the guide 51
a, 51b and 52a, 52b do not exist and are divided. The guides 51a and 51b are interrupted before the correction roller 20 of the printing unit 28, and the erasing unit 3
Guides 52a and 52b are provided behind the fifth straightening roller 21.

Next, the printing unit 28 and the erasing unit 3
A lifting mechanism that raises and lowers 5 and makes the carriage 5 freely move into and out of the transport path 4 will be described. Since the lifting mechanism of the printing unit 28 and the erasing unit 35 are the same, the lifting mechanism of the printing unit 28 will be described here with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, 41 is a gear, 42 is a reduction gear, 43 and 44 are cams, 43a is a gear portion provided on the cam 43, and 45 is a shaft to which the cams 43 and 44 are attached.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the motor 30 is driven, the gear 41 attached to the motor 30 rotates, and the rotation is transmitted to the gear 43a provided on the cam 43 via the reduction gear 42. . The transmitted torque is transmitted to the cam 4
3. The shaft 45 to which the cam 43 is attached is transmitted to the cam 44 attached to one end of the shaft 45 to rotate. The shaft 32 pressed by the elastic member 31 shown in FIG.
With the rotation of the cams 43 and 44, the shaft 32 moves up and down (vertical direction in FIG. 1), and the printing unit 28 to which the shaft 32 is fixed also moves up and down, and projects to the transport path 4 and retracts.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are side sectional views showing a printing unit of a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 3B shows a state in which the printing unit 28 protrudes into the transport path 4. FIG.
1 is a top plan view showing a printing unit of a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3A and 3B, reference numeral 20a denotes a shaft on which the correction roller 20 is mounted, 28a denotes a print head holder, and 28b denotes a print head holder.
A groove 46 formed in a is a shaft stopper for holding the shaft 20a.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the print unit 28 has a print head 29 and a shaft 32 fixed to a print head holder 28a serving as a main body. Also, the groove 28b of the print head holder 28a
, The shaft 20a of the correction roller 20 is hung, and the correction roller 20 can move up and down in the groove 28b.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the printing unit 3
When the roller 2 is retracted from the conveying path 4, the shaft 20a of the correction roller 20 is located at the bottom of the groove 28b and is urged by the elastic member 33 as shown in FIG. Its position is regulated. At this time, the correction roller 20 is closer to the transport path 4 than the print head 21 is. The correction roller 20 preferably stays within the height of the guides 51a and 51b.

Here, the advantage of the correction roller 20 staying closer to the transport path 4 than the print head 21 when the print unit 28 is retracted from the transport path 4 will be described.

When the card 2 simply passes through the area of the printing unit 28 in the transport path 4 without printing, the card 2
Is transported from the insertion slot 3a side (the left direction in FIG. 3A),
If the card 2 is bent or deformed, the guide 51
At the moment when the card 2 comes out of the a and 51b, the card 2 may warp to the printing unit 28 side, and the card 2 may collide with the printing head 29.

However, since the correction roller 20 stays closer to the transport path 4 than the print head 29, the warpage of the card 2 can be suppressed and the card 2 can be transported stably. At this time, since the print head 29 is located at a position retracted from the transport path 4 with respect to the correction roller 20, collision with the card 2 can be avoided. Then, even if the card 2 is not guided by the guides 51a and 51b and is deformed, the position of the card 2 is regulated by first contacting the correction roller 20.
The correction roller 20 can guide and transport the card 2. Further, if the degree of approach of the correction roller 20 is within the height of the guides 51a and 51b, the position of the card 2 to be conveyed is regulated within the height of the guides 51a and 51b, and the card 2 is conveyed while suppressing deformation. It becomes possible.

Next, as shown in FIG.
When the printing unit 28 is in a state of protruding into the transport path 4 in order to perform printing on the display section, the shaft 20a of the correction roller 20 remains at a position separated by a distance L from the bottom of the groove 28b. Although the shaft 20a is urged by the elastic member 33 as shown in FIG. 1, its position is regulated by the shaft stopper 46, and there is a gap between the straightening roller 20 and the opposing drive roller 10. I'm making it. As shown in FIG. 4, reference numerals 1a and 1b denote left and right chassis of the card reader 1, respectively. Shaft stoppers 46 are provided on the chassis 1a and 1b to regulate the position of the shaft 20a of the correction roller 20.

Here, in order to print on the display section of the card 2, when the printing unit 28 is in a state of protruding into the transport path 4, there is a gap between the correction roller 20 and the opposing drive roller 10. The advantage of the above will be described.

In order to print on the display section of the card 2, the printing unit 28 is in a state of protruding into the transport path 4, and the card 2 is transported from the insertion slot 3a side (left direction in FIG. 3B). When the card 2 passes between the straightening roller 20 and the driving roller 10 when there is no gap between the straightening roller 20 and the driving roller 10 when passing between the straightening roller 20 and the opposing driving roller 10. Then, the card 2 hits the correction roller 20 and pushes up the correction roller 20 to pass through. The impact at that time causes a print hit (unevenness) by the print head 29 immediately after the correction roller 20.

However, the shaft 20a of the straightening roller 20 remains at a position away from the bottom of the groove 28b by a distance L, that is, the shaft 20a is
6, the position of the card 2 is regulated, and a gap is provided between the straightening roller 20 and the opposing driving roller 10, thereby reducing the impact when the card 2 passes between the straightening roller 20 and the driving roller 10. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of print hits (unevenness) in the print head 29.
Also, the larger the gap, the more the card 2 is
When passing between the drive roller 10 and the correction roller 20, the impact due to the contact with the correction roller 20 is also reduced. Further, the straightening roller 2
If the gap is such that the contact with the correction roller 20 and the drive roller 10 is eliminated, the card 2
Cannot be transported satisfactorily. Therefore, the straightening roller 20
By setting the gap between the drive rollers 10 opposite to each other to be smaller than the thickness of the card 2, the card 2 can be transported between the correction roller 20 and the drive roller 10. Also,
The presence of the gap makes it possible to reduce the impact.

As described above, when the print unit 28 is used and the lifting mechanism and the print unit 32 are retracted from the transport path 4, the correction roller 20 is moved to the transport path 4 rather than the print head 21. Benefits of staying close,
In order to print on the display section of the card 2, the printing unit 2
The advantage of providing a gap between the correction roller 20 and the opposing drive roller 10 when the projection 8 protrudes into the transport path 4 has been described, but the same applies to the erasing unit 35. In this case, the correction roller 20
Is the correction roller 21, and the drive roller 10 is the drive roller 14.
The print heads 29 correspond to the erase heads 36, respectively.

Although not shown, the card reader 1
Is provided with a magnetic head, and performs a recording / reproducing process on a magnetic stripe as a memory unit of the card 2.

As described above, the card reader 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the transport path 4, the guides 51a, 51
b, 52a, 52b, a print unit 28 (print head 29) as image forming means, an erasing unit 35 (erasing head 36) as image erasing means, and the like. Further, the card reader 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The pressing roller 15, the correction rollers 20, 21,
The width of the drive rollers 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 is determined by the width of the display portion in the short direction of the card 2 (short direction print area) in order to correct the deformation of the card 2 and stabilize the print quality. That is, when the entire surface of the card 2 is used as the display section, it is preferable that the width of the card 2 itself be equal to or larger than the width in the short direction.

As the print head 29 provided in the print unit 28, a thermal head is preferably used.

As the erasing head 36 provided in the erasing unit 35, a heating resistor (a heater having a configuration in which a heating element is provided on a substrate and a protective film such as glass or silica is provided so as to cover the heating element) is used. Etc. are preferably used.

Further, instead of the correction roller 20 provided in the printing unit 28, a correction roller may be provided alone between the guides 51a and 51b and the printing unit 28.
Similarly, instead of the correction roller 21 provided in the erasing unit 35, a correction roller may be provided alone between the guides 52a and 52b and the erasing unit 35. In any case, the card 2 is connected to the guides 51a and 51a.
b (52a, 52b), and even if the card 2 is deformed, the position of the card 2 is regulated by contacting the correction roller.

Further, the card reader 1 can be provided with data recording / reproducing means for reading out data from the card 2 or performing at least one operation of recording data on the card 2. In the present embodiment, the card 2 has a magnetic stripe and the magnetic head is used as an example of the data recording / reproducing means. However, the data recording / reproducing means optically records data other than the magnetic head. Alternatively, an optical head that performs at least one of reproduction and reproduction (in this case, an optical stripe, a bar code, or the like is provided on the card 2) may be used. In addition, Card 2
In addition to the magnetic stripe and optical stripe memory,
In the case of a contact / non-contact IC card having a C memory unit, a contact / non-contact IC lead unit may be provided. The contact IC lead unit has at least one electrode that is in contact with an electrode provided on the surface of the card 2 that is a contact IC card, and the card 2 can internally transmit and receive data to and from an IC. So-called non-contact IC with a possible antenna (coil or capacitor)
In the case of a card, a non-contact IC lead unit is provided with a configuration provided with a coil-shaped antenna and a member for generating a capacitance. In addition, these are several kinds, a plurality, a card reader 1
It may be mounted on.

The card reader 1 may be divided into two upper and lower chassis. The upper and lower two chassis are rotatably mounted, so that the card 2 is jammed, or the upper chassis is rotated about a rotation axis for internal maintenance, thereby exposing the transport path 4. Can be.

Further, the card reader 1 may be mounted on a housing, and the housing may be provided with an operation panel such as a numeric keypad, a function key, and a liquid crystal display for inputting a process to the card reader. The housing improves the design of the external appearance, and can protect the card reader 1 from entry of dust, impact from external force, and the like. Further, input of card processing to the card reader 1 and the like can be easily performed by the operation panel.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, although not described in detail, the card reader 1
A control unit including a CPU that drives and controls 7, 30, 37, and outputs a recording / reproducing control command such as a printing unit 28, an erasing unit 35, and a data recording / reproducing unit; Forming data (print data)
Circuits and devices necessary for driving and controlling the card reader 1 such as a data memory unit for storing data to be recorded / reproduced by the data recording / reproducing means, or a power supply device for supplying power to these devices Needless to say, The card reader 1 is also provided with a card detection sensor for detecting the card 2. The card detection sensor
This is for detecting the presence / absence of the card 2 to be inserted and conveyed, and for detecting its position. Computer,
An interface or the like for connecting to an externally connected device such as a POS terminal or a printing device (including a network connection) is also provided as needed.

The card 2 which can be used in the card reader 1 of the present invention has a display section in which a rewritable layer made of a thermoreversible material which can be repeatedly printed and erased is formed, and a memory section has a magnetic stripe. , A magnetic recording layer, an optical recording layer, an IC memory, or the like. As an example of the thermoreversible material of the rewrite layer formed on the display section of the card 2, for example, an organic low molecular substance such as a higher fatty acid is dispersed in a polymer matrix which is a resin base material, and depending on the temperature. A reversible heating recording material in which a transparent state and a cloudy state are reversibly changed is mentioned, and as another example, a reversible thermochromic composition using a combination of a color former and a developer is mentioned. . Then, these materials and compositions can be appropriately selected and directly applied to the card 2 to form a coating, or a sheet or a label to which the materials and compositions have been applied can be used. Can be formed. Further, the material forming the base material of the card 2, the position of the memory portion such as a magnetic stripe and an IC chip, the size and thickness of the card, and the like are not limited. Various materials such as plastics such as vinyl (PVC), polyvinyl chloride acetate (PVCA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), and biodegradable materials, paper, and synthetic paper can be used. ~ 0.2
With a thin PET substrate of about 8 mm, 0.28
2 mm thick vinyl chloride sheets were laminated, and a 0.1 mm thick vinyl chloride sheet
mm ± 0.08 mm thick can also be used. Card 2 also contains an account number, expiration date and owner name,
A so-called embossed surface formed by physically raising the card base material may be used. Card 2
Applications include telephone cards, prepaid cards such as train tickets, commuter passes, coupons, point cards, bank cards, cash cards, credit cards, ID cards such as driver's licenses, membership cards, identification cards, etc. There is no particular limitation.

[0104]

As described above, according to the present invention, an image can be formed / erased on a card having a display area which is substantially equal to the width of the card in the lateral direction or the entire surface thereof, and the card is excellent in card transportability. Card reader can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing a card reader according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a printing unit of the card reader according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view showing a printing unit of the card reader according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic side sectional view showing a conventional card reader.

FIG. 6 is a front sectional view showing a conventional card reader.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,100 Card reader 1a, 1b Chassis 2 Card 3a Insertion opening 3b Discharge opening 4 Conveyance path 5a, 5b, 51a, 51b, 52a, 52b Guide 6-14 Driving roller 15 Pressing roller 16-19 Follower roller 20,21 Correcting roller 22, 23, 24, 25 Rotation axis 20a, 26, 32, 39, 45 Shaft 27, 30, 37 Motor 28 Printing unit 28a Print head holder 28b Groove 29 Print head 31, 34, 38, 40 Elastic member 35 Erasing unit 36 Erasing head 41 Gear 42 Reduction gear 43,44 Cam 43a Gear part 46 Shaft stopper

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Ueda 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Kadoma-shi, Osaka Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 2C005 HA03 HB03 HB09 HB13 JC02 JC06 LB08 LB26 LB45 3E044 BA04 DC05 FA03 3F101 FA01 FB02 FB04 FC07 LA07 LA11 LB09 5B023 BA01 BA05 FA03 GA01 5B058 CA03 CA31 KA05 KA06 KA12 YA18

Claims (18)

[Claims] 1. A transport path for a card, transport means for moving the card in the transport path, a guide provided on the transport path for regulating the position of the moving card, and an image for forming a visible image on the card A card reader comprising a forming unit and an image erasing unit for erasing a visible image formed on a card, wherein the guide is divided before and after the image forming unit and the image erasing unit. Card reader. 2. The card reader according to claim 1, wherein said image forming means and / or said image erasing means is provided so as to be able to protrude and retract in said transport path. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image forming means and said image erasing means have a width larger than a card width.
The card reader according to any one of the above. 4. A card straightening means is provided between said image forming means and a guide adjacent to said image forming means and / or between said image erasing means and a guide near said image erasing means. The card reader according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image forming means includes a card correcting means on a guide side adjacent to said image forming means, and / or said image erasing means includes a card correcting means on a guide side near said image erasing means. The card reader according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein 6. The card reader according to claim 5, wherein said card straightening means is a card straightening roller. 7. The card according to claim 6, wherein the moving distance when the card straightening roller moves toward and away from the card is shorter than the moving distance when the image forming means moves toward and away from the card. leader. 8. The card correction roller according to claim 1, wherein said card correction roller is closer to said conveyance path than said image formation means when said image forming means is at a position retracted from said conveyance path. The card reader according to any one of claims 6 and 7. 9. The card correcting roller according to claim 6, wherein the moving distance when the card correcting roller moves toward and away from the card is shorter than the moving distance when moving and moving toward and from the card. The card reader according to item 1. 10. The card correction roller according to claim 1, wherein said card correction roller is closer to said conveyance path than said image deletion means when said image erasing means is at a position retracted from said conveyance path. A card reader according to any one of claims 6 to 9. 11. The card reader according to claim 6, further comprising a facing roller facing the card straightening roller, wherein the card is held between the card straightening roller and the facing roller. 12. When the image forming means and the card straightening roller are located at a position protruding into the transport path, a gap is provided between the card straightening roller and the opposing roller. The card reader according to claim 11, wherein the gap is smaller than a thickness of the card. 13. When the image erasing means and the card straightening roller are located at a position protruding into the conveyance path, a gap is provided between the card straightening roller and the opposing roller. 13. The card reader according to claim 11, wherein the gap is smaller than the thickness of the card. 14. The card reader according to claim 1, wherein the guide guides both sides of the card with a fixed guide and a movable guide to regulate the position. 15. The fixed guide and / or the movable guide have a substantially U-shaped cross section.
4. The card reader according to 4. 16. A transport path for a card, transport means for moving the card in the transport path, image forming means for forming a visible image on the card, and image erasing means for erasing the visible image formed on the card. A card reader comprising: the image forming unit and the image erasing unit are provided so as to be able to protrude and retract in the transport path; the image forming unit and the image erasing unit each include a card straightening roller; When the forming unit and the image erasing unit are at a position retracted from the transport path, the respective card correction rollers are closer to the transport path than the image forming unit and the image erasing unit. Characterized card reader. 17. When the image forming means and the card straightening roller are at a position protruding into the conveyance path, a gap is provided between the card straightening roller and the opposing roller, 17. The card reader according to claim 16, wherein the gap is smaller than the thickness of the card. 18. When the image erasing means and the card straightening roller are at a position protruding into the conveyance path, a gap is provided between the card straightening roller and the opposing roller, 18. The card reader according to claim 16, wherein the gap is smaller than the thickness of the card.