JP2007237430A - Card processing unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a card processing unit capable of printing and erasing by following and coming into tight contact with thickness unevenness, warpage or inclination of a card such as a rewritable card. <P>SOLUTION: The card processing unit performing printing and erasing on the rewritable card, is equipped with a controlling mechanism making control of individually elevating and lowering a thermal head performing printing on the card and an erasing head for erasing a printing part of the card printed by the same driving unit, and bringing the tip parts of the thermal head and the erasing head into contact with the card. In addition, low step difference parts of 0.05-0.5 mm to the individual platen rollers are provided on a panel face, being a lower panel face on which the card is conveyed, pinching a thermal platen opposing to the thermal head and an erasing head platen opposing to the erasing head. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a card processing unit that is attached to a device that uses a rewritable card or the like, and more particularly to a card processing unit that has high printing and erasing quality on a card printing surface.

  Nowadays, many terminal devices using IC / magnetic cards (hereinafter simply referred to as cards) are used in hospitals, stores, or game halls. Characters and symbols are printed and erased on the printing surface of the card by a thermal head and an erasing head provided in the terminal device.

  In general, a card capable of the above printing is called a rewritable card, and is manufactured using a thermoreversible recording material. In order to print and erase the card, the print head and the erase head are integrated. A rewritable card reader / writer equipped with a thermal head attached to is used.

  However, in the case of the conventional rewritable card reader / writer, since the print head and the erasing head are integrally attached, the print head and the erasing head simultaneously contact the surface of the card. There was a problem that the printing surface of the card for the interval could not be printed, and the printable area of the card was not fully utilized. Also, when a thin card is transported and comes into contact with the print head and erasing head, the contact between each head surface and the card surface becomes insufficient due to variations in thickness, warpage, or inclination of the card, and each head surface and the card. There is also a problem that printed characters and symbols are unclear because the pressure at the time of contact with the surface is not constant, and the erasure of the printing becomes insufficient.

  Therefore, a print head, an erase head, a print head moving means for moving the print head, an erase head moving means for moving the erase head, and a control for selectively driving and controlling the print head and the erase head. A thermal head of a rewritable card reader / writer having a portion has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2001-347695 A

  However, in the case of the thermal head proposed in Patent Document 1, the print head and the erasing head are selectively driven to have a control means for performing printing and erasing. Each requires a driving device, which has the disadvantage that the device becomes large and the manufacturing cost is high. Moreover, no consideration is given to poor adhesion between the head surface of the print head and the erasing head and the card surface due to variations in card thickness, warpage, or inclination.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and enables the print head and the erase head to be driven and controlled by a single drive device. Each head of the print head and the erase head due to variations in card thickness, warpage, or inclination. The present invention provides a card processing unit that eliminates poor adhesion between a card surface and a card surface and can easily follow and adhere to the card surface for printing and erasing.

  For this reason, the present invention is a card processing unit for printing and erasing on a card, and a thermal head for printing on the card and an erasing head for erasing the printed portion of the printed card are moved up and down by the same driving device. A first feature is that a control mechanism is provided which controls and heat-contacts the heat generating portion near the tips of the thermal head and the erasing head with respect to the card.

  In addition, the control mechanism includes an attachment plate for holding the thermal head and the erasing head, and a groove portion that engages with both end portions of the attachment plate and engages with both end portions and is slidable in the vertical direction. A panel, a torsion spring that contacts the spring receiving portion of the mounting plate and urges the thermal head and the erasing head downward, a long hole provided in the mounting plate, and a shaft inserted into the long hole; The shaft is moved up and down by driving of a stepping motor so that the thermal head and the erasing head can be moved up and down respectively, and the torsion spring biases the card to follow the horizontal inclination of the card, and the long hole The second feature is that the heating element portion in the vicinity of the tip of the head is in close contact with the card surface by the play between the shaft inserted through the elongated hole and the shaft and perpendicular to the card insertion direction. To.

  In a card processing unit for printing and erasing a card, a panel that sandwiches a thermal platen roller facing the thermal head and an erasing head platen roller facing the erasing head on a lower panel surface on which the card is conveyed A third feature is that a step portion which is 0.05 to 0.5 mm lower than the platen rollers is provided on the surface.

  The step portion may be a plurality of protrusions formed on the panel surface, or the panel surface may be formed in a convex shape.

  According to the card processing unit of the present invention, since the thermal head for printing on the card and the erasing head for erasing the printed portion of the printed card are controlled up and down by the same driving device, the card processing unit is compact. In addition, it has an excellent effect that it can be manufactured at low cost.

  Further, since the heating mechanism provided near the tips of the thermal head and the erasing head is provided with a control mechanism that closely adheres to the card, there is an effect that the adhesion between the card and each head is excellent.

  In addition, on the lower panel surface on which the card is conveyed, a thermal platen roller facing the thermal head and a panel surface sandwiching the erasing head platen roller facing the erasing head are set to 0. Since the step portion having a height of 05 to 0.5 mm is provided, even if the card is thin, the card has an excellent effect of being in close contact with each head without warping.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described based on an embodiment shown in the drawings, but it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a card processing unit of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which an upper panel of the card processing unit is opened, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view for explaining an erasing head portion. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3, FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the thermal head portion, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 6, FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged explanatory view illustrating the effect of the protrusion.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the card processing unit main body 1 according to the present invention includes a lower panel 14, left and right side plates 55, and an upper panel 8, and a rear end portion of the upper panel 8 is a rear end of the left and right side plates 55. It is attached to the part so that it can be opened and closed. A card insertion slot 11 is formed on the front end side of the card processing unit main body 1. Inside the card processing unit main body 1, a printing and erasing unit including a thermal head 27 and an erasing head 19, a thermal head platen roller 32, and A conveying section such as an erasing head platen roller 21 is incorporated. Further, a drive mechanism including the stepping motor 2 and a control mechanism including the sensor 54 are provided on the rear end side of the card processing unit main body 1 to control the thermal head 27 and the erasing head 19 so as to be movable up and down.

  The lower panel 14 is provided with a transport roller 35 for transporting a card, a thermal head platen roller 32, and an erasing head platen roller 21. The card can be inserted and ejected by driving a driving device (not shown). A magnetic head 34 is provided in the vicinity of the platen roller 32 so that magnetic data can be written to and read from the card. A plurality of protrusions 33 and 56 are provided on the panel surface sandwiching the thermal head platen roller 32 and the erasing head platen roller 21 of the lower panel 14 to improve adhesion failure due to card warpage described later.

  A stepping motor 2 is provided at the rear end of the upper panel 8, and the drive of the stepping motor 2 is transmitted through the worm gear 3, the cam gear 4, and the camshaft 5, and the cam base 6 rotates. The cam base 6 is provided with bearings 7 and 13. As the cam base 6 rotates, each bearing comes into contact with the thermal head elevating plate 10 and the erasing head elevating plate 9 to raise and lower a thermal head 29 and an erasing head 19 which will be described later. Control each one.

Next, the printing and erasing unit will be described with reference to FIGS.
First, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the erasing unit includes an erasing lifting shaft 15 that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the erasing head lifting plate 9, and a pair of torsion springs that are externally attached to both ends of the erasing lifting shaft 15. 18 and a pair of erasure lift shafts 16 provided orthogonal to the central portion of the erasure lift shaft 15 and an engagement hole 22 with which the tip of the erasure lift shaft 16 engages are L-shaped as viewed from the left side. The erasing head mounting plate 17 of the mold, an erasing head 19 mounted on the bottom of the erasing head mounting plate 17, and an erasing head platen roller 21 facing the erasing head 19 are configured. Further, one end portion of the torsion spring 18 is formed in a linear shape and extends, is inserted through the left and right openings 50 of the erasing head mounting plate 17, and is mounted on the erasing head mounting plate 17 with screws 51 on the erasing spring receiving shaft 20. The erasing head 19 is always urged downward by contacting the head. The erasing lift shaft 16 is rotated as the erasing lift shaft 15 is rotated by driving the stepping motor 2 described above, and moves up and down the erasing head 19 together with the erasing head mounting plate 17.

  Here, the left and right end portions of the erasing head mounting plate 17 are respectively engaged with the engaging grooves 23a and 23b of the upper panel 8 so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and the width of the engaging grooves 23a and 23b is the erasing head. The opening is larger by 0.01 to 0.5 mm than the thickness of the mounting plate 17. Further, the engagement hole 22 of the erasing head mounting plate 17 is formed in a long hole that is longer in the vertical direction than the diameter of the erasing lift shaft 16. With these configurations, the erasing head 19 is free with respect to the upper panel 8 and the erasing lift shaft 16, and the erasing head 19 can follow and closely contact the card 12 even if the card 12 is conveyed and tilted in the front-rear direction.

  The erasing spring receiving shaft 20 is attached to the upper central position of the erasing head 19 via the erasing head mounting plate 17 by a screw 51 in parallel with the erasing head platen roller 21, and one end portion (linearly shaped portion) of the torsion spring 18. Since the left and right portions of the erasing spring receiving shaft 20 are pressed by the torsion spring 18, the torsion spring 18 always presses the central portion of the erasing head 19 even if the mounting position of the erasing head 19 is adjusted, and follows the card 12 at a right angle. The card 12 also closely follows the inclination of the card 12 in the horizontal direction.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the printing unit includes a thermal lifting shaft 24 that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the thermal head lifting plate 10, and a pair of armored sheaths on both ends of the thermal lifting shaft 24. A left side view in which a torsion spring 28, a pair of thermal lift shafts 25 provided orthogonal to the central portion of the thermal lift shaft 24, and an engagement hole 31 for engaging the tip of the thermal lift shaft 25 are formed. The thermal head mounting plate 26 includes an L-shaped thermal head mounting plate 26, a thermal head 27 mounted on the bottom of the thermal head mounting plate 26 with a screw 53, and a thermal head platen roller 32 facing the thermal head 27. One end of the torsion spring 28 is formed in a linear shape and extends, and is inserted into the left and right openings 52 of the thermal head mounting plate 26 so as to contact a thermal spring receiving shaft 29 provided on the upper portion of the thermal head mounting plate 26. The thermal head 27 is always urged downward. The thermal lift shaft 25 rotates with the rotation of the thermal elevating shaft 24 driven by the stepping motor 2 described above, and moves up and down the thermal head 27 together with the thermal head mounting plate 26.

  Here, the left and right ends of the thermal head mounting plate 26 engage with the engaging grooves 30a and 30b of the upper panel 8, respectively, and are movable in the vertical direction, and the width of the engaging grooves 30a and 30b is the thermal head. The opening is larger by 0.01 to 0.5 mm than the thickness of the mounting plate 26. Further, the engagement hole 31 of the thermal head mounting plate 26 is formed in a long hole that is longer than the diameter of the thermal lift shaft 25 in the longitudinal direction. With these configurations, the thermal head 27 is free with respect to the upper panel 8 and the thermal lift shaft 25, and the thermal head 27 can follow and adhere to the card 12 even if the card 12 is conveyed and tilted in the front-rear direction.

  Further, since the thermal spring receiving shaft 29 is pressed at the left and right portions of the thermal spring receiving shaft 29 by one end portion (linearly shaped portion) of the torsion spring 28, the tip portion of the thermal head 27 is inclined in the horizontal direction of the card 12. Follow and stick.

  2 and 9, a plurality of protrusions 33 and 56 are provided on the panel surface of the lower panel 14, and the card 12 and the thermal head 27 and the erasing head 19 for printing and erasing the card 12 are provided. Adhesion is improved. In particular, when a thin card 12 is used, the heat generating surface of the erasing head 19 is flat in the front and rear portions of the erasing head 19, so that the card 12 is between the erasing head 19 and the erasing head platen roller 21 as shown in FIG. , The contact area becomes narrow (broken line portion), and the contact area is narrowed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10B, the erasing head 19 and the card 12 can be sufficiently brought into close contact with each other by supporting the card 12 with the projections 33 and 56. Although the contact area between the card 12 and the erasing head 19 can be secured by applying a strong load to the erasing head platen roller 21 side, the life of the card 12 is shortened due to wear of the surface of the card 12. There is a risk of becoming.

  According to the card processing unit 1 of the present invention having the above-described configuration, the thermal head 27 for printing on the card and the erasing head 19 for erasing the printed portion of the printed card 12 can be controlled up and down by the same driving device. In addition, since the leading end portions of the thermal head 27 and the erasing head 19 are in close contact with the card 12, excellent adhesion between the card 12 and each head is excellent. In addition, since the plurality of protrusions 33 are provided on the lower panel surface on which the card 12 is conveyed, there is no poor adhesion between the thermal head 27 and the erasing head 19 due to warping of the card 12.

  Next, the operation of the card processing unit of the present invention will be described. The card 12 inserted from the card insertion slot 11 is conveyed by the conveyance roller 35 being rotated by driving of a driving device (not shown). Here, when there is reading and writing of magnetic data, the magnetic head 34 is used. Further, the stepping motor 2 is driven by the instruction from the sensor 54 to rotate the worm gear 3, the rotation is further transmitted to the cam gear 4, and the cam base 6 is rotated to a predetermined position via the cam shaft 5. Here, the rotation of the cam base 6 is instructed by the raising / lowering instructions of the thermal head 27 and the erasing head 19, and the bearings 7 and 13 provided on the cam base 6 are engaged with the thermal head raising / lowering plate 10 and the erasing head raising / lowering plate 9, respectively. The thermal head 27 and the erasing head 19 are moved up and down and brought into close contact with the card 12 to enable printing and erasing.

  Here, the thermal head 27 and the erasing head 19 are respectively attached to the thermal head mounting plate 26 and the erasing head mounting plate 17, and are always urged downward by the torsion springs 28, 18 described above. , 17 is moved up and down in the vertical direction by the thermal lift shaft 25 and the erasing lift shaft 16 engaged with the engagement holes 22 and 31 formed in the holes 17 and closely contacted with the card 12. In addition, both end portions of the mounting plates 26 and 17 are respectively engaged with the engaging grooves 30a, 30b, 23a and 23b of the upper panel 8 having a width wider than the thickness of each plate, and are moved up and down in the vertical direction. Since 25 and 16 are engaged with engagement holes 22 and 31 formed in long holes longer than the respective diameters, the thermal head 27 and the erasing head 19 are in contact with the lift shafts 25 and 16 and the upper panel 8. It becomes free and has excellent followability with respect to the inclination of the card 40 in the front-rear direction. Further, the left and right portions of the spring receiving shafts 29, 20 provided on the mounting plates 26, 17 are pressed by the torsion springs 28, 18, and closely follow the inclination of the card 12 in the left-right direction.

  Further, a plurality of protrusions 33 and 56 are formed on the panel surface of the lower panel 14 to prevent the card 12 from warping when the heads 27 and 19 and the platen rollers 32 and 21 and the card 12 are in close contact with each other. , Adhesion is improved.

  The card 12 that has been printed and erased on the card 12 as described above is discharged from the card insertion slot 11 again by a driving device (not shown).

  As described above, according to the card processing unit of the present invention, since the thermal head for printing on the card and the erasing head for erasing the printed portion of the printed card are controlled up and down by the same driving device, the card processing unit becomes compact. In addition, since it has a control mechanism that can be manufactured at a low cost and that closely follows the tips of the thermal head and the erasing head against the card, it has excellent adhesion between the card and each head, and the card is transported. Since the plurality of protrusions are provided on the lower panel surface, the card does not warp even if the card is thin, and is in close contact with each head.

It is a perspective view which shows one Example of the card processing unit of this invention. It is a perspective view showing the state where the upper panel of the card processing unit was opened. It is a perspective view explaining an erasing head part. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3. It is a perspective view explaining a thermal head part. It is the sectional view on the AA line of FIG. It is the BB sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is AA sectional view explanatory drawing of FIG. It is a partial expanded explanatory view explaining the effect of a projection part.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Card processing unit main body 2 Stepping motor 3 Worm gear 4 Cam gear 5 Cam shaft 6 Cam base 7, 13 Bearing 8 Upper panel 9 Erase head lifting plate 10 Thermal head lifting plate 11 Card insertion slot 12 Card 14 Lower panel 15 Erase lifting shaft 16 Erase lift Shaft 17 Erase head mounting plate 18, 28 Torsion spring 19 Erase head 20 Erase spring receiving shaft 21 Erase head platen roller 22, 31 Engaging hole 23a, 23b Engaging groove 24 Thermal lift shaft 25 Thermal lift shaft 26 Thermal head mounting plate 27 Thermal head 29 Thermal spring receiving shaft 30a, 30b Engaging groove 32 Thermal head platen roller 33, 56 Projection 34 Magnetic head 35 Transport roller 50, 52 Opening 5 , 53 screw 54 Sensor 55 side plates

Claims (3)

  A card processing unit for performing printing and erasing on a rewritable card, wherein a thermal head for printing on the card and an erasing head for erasing a printed portion of the printed card are respectively controlled to be raised and lowered by the same driving device, A card processing unit comprising a control mechanism for closely contacting a heating element portion located near the tips of the thermal head and the erasing head to the card.   The control mechanism includes a mounting plate that holds the thermal head and the erasing head, an upper panel that engages with both ends of the mounting plate, and has a groove that is slidable in the vertical direction. A torsion spring that contacts the spring receiving portion of the mounting plate and biases the thermal head and the erasing head downward, a long hole provided in the mounting plate, and a shaft inserted through the long hole The shaft is moved up and down by the driving of the stepping motor so that the thermal head and the erasing head can be moved up and down. The biasing force of the torsion spring follows the horizontal inclination of the card, 2. The card according to claim 1, wherein the heating element portion of the head is in close contact with the card surface by following the right angle with respect to the card insertion direction by play between the shafts inserted into the long holes. De processing unit.   In a card processing unit for printing and erasing on a rewritable card, on a panel surface sandwiching a thermal platen roller facing the thermal head and an erasing head platen roller facing the erasing head, on a lower panel surface on which the card is conveyed The card processing unit according to claim 1, wherein a stepped portion having a height lower by 0.05 to 0.5 mm than each platen roller is provided.

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