JP2007066234A - Card reader - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a card reader having an inexpensive structure by performing reduction in the size of a machine and the number of part items. <P>SOLUTION: In this card reader, a printing head 8 and an erasing head 9 are fixed in positions on the same radius from the rotating center of a relay bracket 21 that is one rotatable movable member, and retreated from a card carrying part, and one or more platen rollers 10 are set in positions opposed to the middle of the printing head 8 and the erasing head 9. The one rotatable relay bracket 21 positively/reversely rotates to a printing state and to an erasing state according to carrying of a card, and when the printing head 8 or the erasing head 9 is located substantially vertical to the main surface of the card, the card is pressed thereto by a receiver on the reverse side of the platen roller 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

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

  Conventionally, since the card is convenient for its portability, it has been used for various purposes and various types. For example, telephone cards, prepaid cards such as boarding tickets, commuter passes, coupon tickets, point cards, bank cards, cash cards, credit cards, driver's license ID cards, membership cards, identification cards, etc. .

  In addition, these cards have a memory unit represented by a magnetic recording layer, an optical recording layer, an IC memory, or the like in order to record and hold information such as personal identification information, balance, and accumulated points. The information recorded in these memory units 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, such invisible recording information has been visibly displayed. For example, information is printed on the surface of the card by various printing means such as ink jet, thermal transfer, laser beam printer, etc., and a write-once type display such as forming a thermal coloring layer on the card in advance and performing thermal recording is performed.

  However, since these write-once display methods cannot display more information due to restrictions on the display area on the card surface, recently, a rewritable display method has been adopted. For example, when a liquid crystal display is formed on a card, or by using a thermoreversible material that can be repeatedly printed and erased by heating, the card is displayed.

  An apparatus for reading / writing a card with an image forming function using a thermoreversible material is disclosed in Patent Document 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of a basic structure of a card reader which is a reading / writing device for a recording card with an image forming function using a thermoreversible material of Patent Document 1.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the card reader has a structure having a plurality of pairs of conveyance rollers configured by a conveyance roller 1 and a driven roller 2. A print area composed of the platen roller 10 and the print head 8 and an erase area composed of the platen roller 10 and the erase head 9 exist separately. The card reader descends so that the print head 8 comes into pressure contact with the image recording portion of the card 30 in the print area constituted by the platen roller 10 and the print head 8 in accordance with the conveyance of the card 30. A pressure is applied, a voltage is applied, and an image is formed (printed).

  Similarly, in accordance with the conveyance of the card 30, the erasing head 9 descends so as to come into pressure contact with the image recording portion of the card 30 in the erasing area constituted by the platen roller 10 and the erasing head 9, and presses the print head 8. Then, a voltage is applied to erase the existing image. A recording data reading / writing unit 12 is separately provided.

JP 2002-183678 A

  In Patent Document 1 described above, since the card reader has a structure in which the printing process unit (mechanism unit) to the image recording unit and the erasing process unit (mechanism unit) of the image recording unit are separated, the card reader becomes large, There was a problem that the number of parts constituted was also large.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and its technical problem is to provide a card reader having a low-cost structure by reducing the size of the mechanism and the number of parts.

  A first invention for achieving the above object is a card reading / writing device having an image forming function corresponding to a medium using a thermoreversible material in an image forming unit, wherein the card conveying unit and the card In a card reader including a print head for forming an image, an erase head for erasing an image formed on the card, and a platen roller, the print head and the erase head are rotated by a single movable movable member. A card reader fixed at a position on the same radius from the moving center, retracted from the card transport unit, and installed at least one platen roller at a position on the opposite side between the print head and the erasing head. is there.

  According to a second aspect of the invention for achieving the above object, in accordance with the conveyance of the card, the one movable movable member rotates in the forward and reverse directions in a printing state and an erasing state, The print head or the erasing head is a card reader that presses the card with a receiver on the back side of the platen roller when positioned in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the card.

  According to the present invention, a card reading / writing device having an image forming function corresponding to a medium using a thermoreversible material for an image forming unit, a card transport unit, a print head for forming an image on a card, In a card reader having an erasing head for erasing an image formed on a card and a platen roller, the print head and the erasing head are fixed at a position on the same radius from the rotation center of one rotatable movable member. Then, it is retracted from the card transport unit, and one or more platen rollers are installed at the opposite side between the print head and the erasing head, so that printing can be performed on the image recording unit that previously used another space. The process unit (mechanism unit) and the erasing process unit (mechanism unit) of the image recording unit are integrated into one place, so that the same function as the conventional one is realized in a small space, and the number of parts is reduced.

  In addition, one rotatable movable member rotates forward and backward in the printing state and the erasing state as the card is transported, and the printing head or erasing head is in relation to the main surface of the card. When positioned in a substantially vertical direction, the printing process unit (mechanism unit) for the image recording unit and the erasing process unit (mechanism unit) for the image recording unit are the same by pressing the card with the back of the platen roller. The card is fixed so that it can be printed and erased in a space substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the card.

  As a result, it is possible to provide a card reader having a low-cost structure by miniaturizing the mechanism and reducing the number of parts.

  A card reader according to the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a sectional view schematically showing a card reader according to the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the existing image in the image recording unit of the card is erased by the card reader of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows a state where printing is performed on the image recording portion of the card by the card reader of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the card reader according to the best mode for carrying out the present invention fixes a print head 8 and an erasing head 9 to a rotatable relay bracket 21. When the card reader is not in an operating state, the print head 8 and the erasing head 9 are set in a posture retracted from the conveyance unit of the recording card 30 that is a medium using the thermoreversible material including the conveyance guide 7. Further, the conveying roller 1 and the driven roller 2 that are a plurality of roller pairs are installed in order to stably convey the card 30 in a constant state. In addition, conveyance uses the conveyance drive motor 13 as a power source.

  The print head 8 and the erasing head 9 are fixed at a position on the same radius from the rotation center of one rotatable movable member, and have a structure in which they are retracted from the card transport unit so far. The process unit that prints on the image recording unit that uses the image and the process unit that erases the image recording unit are integrated in one place. In addition, fixing the print head and the erasing head at a position on the same radius from the rotation center of one rotatable movable member is a structure in which the print head or the erasing head is moved up and down using a rotational motion. It is to do.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the relay bracket 21 rotates counterclockwise in accordance with the conveyance of the card 30 to lower the erasing head 9, and the erasing head is in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the card. When the platen roller 10 is located, the receiving on the back side of the platen roller 10 is pressed against the image recording portion of the card 30 and a voltage is applied to erase the existing image. It should be noted that one or more opposing platen rollers 10 are installed at positions opposite to each other between the print head 8 and the erasing head 9, so that the print head or the erasing head of the card reader can be replaced, and the image recording unit It is possible to interchange the process of printing the image and the process of erasing the image recording unit.

  Further, the platen roller 10 applies pressure to the receiver on the back side of the platen roller 10, and the card 30 is fixed at a predetermined position by the receiver on the back side of the platen roller 10 so that it can be pressed against the image recording unit.

  Further, when one platen roller 10 is installed, a card reader of the minimum size can be realized. When one or more platen rollers 10 are installed, the card 30 can be fixed stably, and the movement blur can be further suppressed. If the platen roller 10 is not installed, the fixing of the card 30 becomes unstable.

  Note that, when the erasing head 9 is positioned in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the card, the receiving on the back side of the platen roller 10 is brought into pressure contact with the image recording portion of the card 30 in order to surely erase. . The reason why the erasing head 9 is substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the card is that the space of the card reader can be made smaller.

  Further, printing is performed by a similar mechanism. As shown in FIG. 3, the relay bracket 21 rotates clockwise in accordance with the conveyance of the card 30 to lower the print head 8 so that the print head 8 is in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main surface of the card. When positioned, the back side of the platen roller 10 is pressed against the image recording portion of the card 30 and a voltage is applied to perform image formation (printing).

  Note that the print head and the erasing state have the same mechanism, so the print head has the same effect as the erasing head.

  In the best mode of the present invention, the relay bracket 21 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction in accordance with the conveyance of the card 30 in the case of erasure. You may rotate in the direction.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a card reader having a low-cost structure by reducing the size of the mechanism and reducing the number of parts.

Sectional drawing which shows the outline of the card reader of this invention. The figure which shows the state which erases the existing image of the image recording part of a recording card with the card reader of this invention. The figure which shows the state printed on the image recording part of a recording card with the card reader of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the outline of the basic structure of the card reader which is a reading / writing apparatus of the recording card with an image formation function using the object for thermoreversible materials of patent document 1. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

Reference Signs List 1 transport roller 2 driven roller 7 transport guide 8 print head 9 erasing head 10 platen roller 12 reading / writing unit 13 transport drive motor 21 relay bracket 30 card

Claims (2)

  A card reading / writing device having an image forming function corresponding to a medium using a thermoreversible material in an image forming unit, the card transport path, a print head for forming an image on the card, and a card formed on the card In a card reader comprising an erasing head for erasing an image and a platen roller, the print head and the erasing head are fixed at a position on the same radius from the rotation center of one rotatable movable member, A card reader characterized in that one or more platen rollers are retracted from the card conveying section and installed at a position on the opposite side between the print head and the erasing head.   In accordance with the conveyance of the card, the one movable movable member rotates forward and backward in a printing state and an erasing state, and the printing head or the erasing head is a main surface of the card. 2. The card reader according to claim 1, wherein the card is press-contacted by a receiver on the back side of the platen roller when positioned in a direction substantially perpendicular to the platen roller.

Images