JP2008257285A - Recording medium identification device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reliably insert a recording medium into a connector by means of a simple configuration. <P>SOLUTION: This recording medium identification device for identifying the kinds of a plurality of kinds of recording mediums and guiding connection of connectors corresponding to the kinds and the recording mediums has a recording medium loading/unloading part for loading and unloading the recording medium inserted in the device, to/from the connector. The recording medium loading/unloading part includes a guide rod provided in the direction of conveyance of the recording medium, a guide groove, and a push lever. The push lever is a member for pressing the recording medium toward the connector, thereby installing the recording medium in the connector, and removing the recording medium from the connector. By rotating an arm part, the push lever moves between a rear end portion of the recording medium and a position away from the rear end portion. The rear end portion is pressed toward the connector by the push lever. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording medium identification device that identifies a type of a recording medium taken from an insertion slot and connects the identified recording medium to a corresponding connector.

  There is known an image printing apparatus that inserts a recording medium, reads image data written on the recording medium, and prints the image data. As this recording medium, for example, miniSD (trademark), SD (trademark), smart recording media (trademark), Memory Stick (trademark), MMC (trademark), RS-MMC (trademark), xD-Picture Card (trademark), compact There are Flash (registered trademark), Microdrive (registered trademark), and the like.

  There has been proposed an image printing apparatus that handles these various types of recording media with a single apparatus (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  In the image printing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, in order to identify the type of a memory card that is a recording medium, a light source and an optical sensor are arranged across the memory card, and the memory is determined based on the size of the area blocked by the memory card. It is disclosed that the type of card is discriminated and the card slot corresponding to the inserted memory card is moved and connected.

In the image printing apparatus shown in Patent Document 2, in order to identify the type of a memory card that is a recording medium, a subdivided member is slid to abut against the memory card, and the depth, In addition to determining the type of memory card by measuring the width and thickness, it is disclosed that the type of memory card is determined by measuring the depth, width, and area with an infrared sensor arranged in a two-dimensional manner. .
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-321018 JP 2005-78192 A

  In Patent Document 1 described above, since the type of the memory card is determined from the size of the area blocked by the memory card, the front / back determination of the memory card and the determination before and after the insertion are not performed. For this reason, when the recording medium is inserted in a direction other than a predetermined direction, the type of the recording medium may not be properly determined.

  In Patent Document 2, when the type of a memory card is determined by measuring the depth, width, and thickness of a sliding member, there is a risk of erroneous detection if the contact state between the member and the memory card is poor. In addition, when the type of memory card is determined by measuring the depth, width, and area using an infrared sensor, there is a problem that a large number of sensors are required.

  In Patent Document 2, after the type of the memory card is determined, it is inserted into an adapter corresponding to a connector by an insertion member. The insertion member can be moved in the adapter direction and in a direction perpendicular to the adapter direction, so that the memory card can be moved to the identification position and moved to the adapter side with the memory card mounted. .

  Therefore, in order to insert the memory card into the adapter, an insertion member that can move in two directions is required, and the length of the insertion member in the depth direction needs to be compatible with a plurality of types of memory cards. Due to restrictions, in the case of a memory card that is long in the depth direction, it may become unstable when placed, and the insertion into the adapter may be incomplete.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the conventional problems and to surely insert a recording medium into a connector.

  It is another object of the present invention to insert a recording medium into a connector according to the recording medium type with a simple configuration.

  The recording media identification device of the present invention is a recording media identification device that identifies types of a plurality of types of recording media and connects a connector corresponding to the type and the recording media, and the recording media inserted in the device is connected to the connector. It has a media transport path with a transport roller for transporting and a push lever that presses the recording medium in the direction of the connector, and after the recording medium is transported by the transport roller, it is pressed by the push lever and connected to the connector It is characterized by being.

  In addition, the recording medium identification device includes a recording medium attaching / detaching unit that attaches the recording medium inserted in the apparatus into the connector and removes the recording medium from the connector.

  The recording medium attaching / detaching portion of the present invention includes a guide rod and a guide groove provided in the recording medium conveyance direction, and a push lever.

  This push lever is a member that presses the recording medium in the direction of the connector, whereby the recording medium is mounted in the connector and removed from the connector. The connector is, for example, a push-push type connector, and can be attached to the connector by pressing the recording medium in the connector direction, and can be detached from the connector by pressing the recording medium in the mounted state.

  The push lever of the present invention is configured to have an arm portion that can reciprocate along the guide rod and that can rotate about the guide rod, and an arm end portion that is guided along the guide groove. The arm portion is rotated around the guide rod by guiding the end portion of the arm along the guide groove. By rotating this arm, the push lever is switched between a position that matches the rear end of the recording medium and a position that deviates from the rear end, and the arm is moved along the guide rod. Thus, the push lever aligned with the rear end is brought into contact with the rear end to press the recording medium in the connector direction.

  In addition to the recording medium attaching / detaching unit, the recording medium identifying apparatus of the present invention includes a recording medium inserting / ejecting unit for inserting the recording medium into and out of the apparatus, and a recording medium inserted into the apparatus. A recording medium identifying unit for identifying the type of the medium; and a recording medium conveying unit configured to convey the recording medium between the recording medium inserting / ejecting unit and the recording medium identifying unit.

  The recording medium transport unit moves the recording medium into the connector after the recording medium identification operation by the recording medium identification unit, and the recording medium attaching / detaching unit operates the push lever in the process of inserting the recording medium into the connector, Install the described media in the connector. When the connector is a push-push type connector that inserts and ejects a recording medium by pressing the recording medium, the recording medium mounted in the connector is removed from the connector by pressing with a push lever. Can do.

  The operation of the push lever by the recording medium attaching / detaching unit can be performed based on this detection by detecting that the recording medium has been moved into the connector based on the output of the sensor provided in the recording medium identifying unit.

  The recording medium identification unit has a plurality of sensors for detecting the outer shape of the recording medium, and identifies the type of the recording medium based on the presence or absence of the output of the sensor. The recording medium is identified by positioning the recording medium at a predetermined measurement position. After the identification is completed, when the recording medium is conveyed in the connector direction, the recording medium identification unit outputs a sensor output corresponding to the moving position of the recording medium. Therefore, by monitoring the sensor output of the recording medium identification unit, it is possible to detect whether the recording medium has moved into the connector.

  Therefore, the recording medium attaching / detaching unit of the present invention detects that the push lever has reached a position where the operation of inserting the recording medium into the connector can be performed based on the sensor output of the recording medium identifying unit. The push lever is operated based on the detection result. Accordingly, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the push lever operates before the recording medium reaches the predetermined position and the recording medium and the push lever come into contact with each other.

  Among the plurality of sensors arranged in the recording medium conveyance direction, the sensor output is determined by the sensor on the connector side relative to the position at which the push lever is switched between the matching position and the mismatching position with respect to the rear end of the recording medium. Output. The position at which this switching is performed is the push lever descending position, and among the plurality of sensors arranged in the recording medium conveyance direction, the output of the sensor close to the push lever descending position on the connector side is used as the sensor output.

  In this way, it is efficient to use a sensor that is as close as possible to the descending point on the connector side than the point where the guide descends, and this increases the time for media transport and guide operation to overlap, As a result, the operation time is shortened. In addition, this operation eliminates the need to set the point where the guide descends outside the longest media (on the side of the media insertion slot), so the length in the transport direction can be kept short, and the recording media can be identified. The effect that the external shape of the apparatus can be reduced in the depth direction is obtained.

  The sensor output may be configured to use the output of the sensor closest to the connector among a plurality of sensors arranged in the recording medium conveyance direction. This makes it possible to detect the position closest to the connector among the positions that can be measured by the sensor.

  According to the recording medium identification device of the present invention, the recording medium can be reliably inserted into the connector. Also, the recording medium can be inserted into the connector according to the recording medium type with a simple configuration.

  Hereinafter, the recording medium identification device of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  First, a schematic configuration and a schematic operation of a recording medium identification device of the present invention and a recording medium conveyance unit included in the recording medium identification device will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7, and FIGS. The schematic configuration and schematic operation of the recording medium insertion / ejection unit provided in the recording medium identification device will be described, and the schematic configuration and schematic operation of the recording medium identification unit provided in the recording medium identification device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 to 22, the schematic configuration and schematic operation of the recording medium attaching / detaching unit provided in the recording medium identifying apparatus of the present invention will be described, and the recording medium identifying apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 23 to 26. A series of operations will be described, and a control system of the recording medium identification device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, a schematic configuration and a schematic operation of a recording medium identification device according to the present invention and a recording medium conveyance unit included in the recording medium identification device will be described.

  1 and 2 are a block diagram and a schematic configuration diagram for explaining a schematic configuration of a recording medium identification device of the present invention. 1 and 2, a recording medium identification device 1 according to the present invention inserts a recording medium 2 into the apparatus, and also outputs a recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10 that ejects the recording medium 2 and the recording medium inserted into the apparatus. A recording medium identifying unit 30 for identifying the type of the medium 2; a recording medium conveying unit 20 for conveying the recording medium 2 between the recording medium inserting / ejecting unit 10 and the recording medium identifying unit 30; The recording medium 2 is inserted into the connector 3 so as to be readable, and the recording medium 2 attached to the connector 3 is removed from the connector 3 and removed from the connector 3.

  The recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10 takes the recording medium 2 into the apparatus. The recording medium transport unit 20 transports the captured recording medium 2 to the recording medium identification unit 30 and brings the leading end of the recording medium 2 into contact with the end surface of the connector rack 4. Accordingly, the recording medium 2 is always positioned at a predetermined position in the recording medium identification unit 30.

  The recording medium identification unit 30 identifies the type of the recording medium 2 and selects the connector 3 corresponding to the type of the recording medium 2. The connector rack 4 moves up and down to align the selected connector 3 with the same height as the recording medium 2.

  The recording medium attaching / detaching unit 40 is mounted in the connector 3 by pushing the rear end of the recording medium 2 toward the connector 3, and connects the recording medium 2 and the connector 3. The recording medium 2 is conveyed to the connector 3 by a recording medium conveying roller 22 and a pressure roller 24 provided on the side guide 23. The recording medium 2 is conveyed by being sandwiched between a recording medium conveying roller 22 constituting a driving roller and a pressure roller 24 constituting a driven roller. The side guide 23 is provided with at least one pressure roller 24 urged toward the connector 3 side toward the recording medium conveying roller 22 side by a spring or the like.

  When the recording medium 2 is carried into the connector 3, the pressure roller 24 comes into contact with the side surface of the recording medium 2 and the recording medium 2 is sandwiched between the rotation of the rotating recording medium conveying roller 22 and the pressure roller 24. The medium 2 is moved and inserted into the connector 3. After the end of the recording medium 2 is removed from the pressure roller 24 and the recording medium transporting roller 22, the recording medium 2 is pushed into the connector 3 by a push lever 41 provided in the recording medium attaching / detaching unit 40. When the recording medium 2 is inserted into the connector 3, the data recorded on the recording medium 2 is read by the connector 3 and an image is printed.

  After the data reading is completed, the recording medium attaching / detaching unit 40 removes the recording medium 2 from the connector 3 by pressing the rear end of the recording medium 2. By using the push-push type connector 3, the recording medium 2 can be attached and detached simply by pushing the rear end of the recording medium 2.

  The recording medium conveyance unit 20 conveys the recording medium 2 taken out from the connector 3 to the recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10. When the recording medium 2 is removed from the connector 3, the recording medium 2 is pushed by the push lever 41. As a result, the push-push type connector 3 releases the recording media 2 and pushes it out. When the recording medium 2 is pushed out from the slot of the connector 3, the pressure roller 24 comes into contact with the side surface of the recording medium 2 pushed out from the connector 3. The recording medium 2 is sandwiched between a recording medium conveyance roller 22 and a pressure roller 24. The recording medium conveying roller 22 and the pressure roller 24 move the recording medium 2 by the rotation of the roller with the recording medium 2 interposed therebetween, and carry it out of the connector 3. The conveyed recording medium 2 is discharged out of the apparatus by the recording medium insertion / discharge unit 10.

  The pressure roller 24 provided on the side guide 23 is not limited to a configuration in which only one is provided on the connector 3 side, and a plurality of pressure rollers 24 may be provided along the side guide 23 in addition to the rollers provided on the connector 3 side. .

  In FIG. 2, the recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10 is rotatably supported and driven by a shutter 11 that is biased to an angular position that shields the insertion slot, and a drive motor (not shown). An insertion roller 13 and a driven roller 14 that presses the recording medium 2 against the insertion roller 13 are provided, and a roller driving unit 15 that inserts and discharges the recording medium 2 is provided.

  The roller driving unit 15 determines the height position of the driven roller 14 according to the rotation of the shutter 11 and determines the interval between the insertion roller 13 and the driven roller 14 according to the thickness of the inserted recording medium 2.

  The recording medium transport unit 20 includes a table 21 that slidably supports the recording medium 2, a recording medium transport roller 22 that is fixed to the table 21 and transports the recording medium 2 in the insertion direction of the recording medium 2, and the table 21. And a pressure roller 24 that pushes the recording medium 2 in the direction of the recording medium conveying roller 22, and the recording medium 2 is widened by the pressure roller 24. A side guide 23 is provided to align in the direction.

  The recording media 2 are aligned in the width direction by being pressed against the recording media transport roller 22 by the pressure roller 24, and in this state, are moved in the insertion direction by the recording media transport roller 22.

  Even if the width of the recording medium 2 is different by pressing the recording medium 2 against the recording medium conveying roller 22 by the pressure roller 24, the position of one side of the recording medium 2 is changed to the recording medium conveying roller 22. And the recording medium conveyance roller 22 can be transported without idling.

  The recording medium conveying roller 22 is driven by a recording medium feed motor (not shown) together with the insertion roller 13, and the side guide 23 is driven by a side guide motor (not shown).

  The recording medium identification unit 30 includes a plurality of transmissive sensors 31 and at least one reflective sensor 32. The transmissive sensor 31 is installed at a position where the corner of the recording medium 2 that is conveyed and positioned at a predetermined position is detected, and based on the detection signal, the type of the recording medium 2 or the type of the recording medium and the recording medium 2 Identify the front and back. On the other hand, the reflective sensor 32 is installed at a position where an electrical terminal of the recording medium 2 at a predetermined position is detected, and identifies the front and back of the recording medium 2 based on the detection signal.

  In the identification of the recording medium, the recording medium 2 is brought into contact with the rack end surface 4a by the recording medium conveying unit 20 using the rack end surface 4a of the connector rack 4 in which the plurality of connectors 3 are arranged as a positioning index. Positioning. As a positioning index, in addition to the rack end surface 4a of the connector rack 4 described above, a stopper 4b provided on the insertion opening side of the connector rack 4 may be used. Regardless of which positioning index is used, the position of the end of the connector rack 4 on the insertion opening side can be used as a positioning reference position. It can always be positioned at the same position in the depth direction.

  Further, by simply moving the connector rack 4 up and down, the contact with the rack end surface 4 a or the stopper 4 b can be released, and the recording medium 2 can be aligned with the height of the insertion opening of the connector 3. By positioning the recording medium at the reference position, the recording medium can be easily identified.

  The stopper 4b is provided at any position between the adjacent connectors 3 and around the insertion port, such as a position where the recording medium 2 does not interfere with the insertion. When the stopper 4b is provided, the tip position of the stopper 4b becomes a positioning reference position.

  The recording medium attaching / detaching unit 40 includes a push lever 41 that pushes the rear end portion of the recording medium 2, moves an arm provided on the push lever 41 along a guide rod (not shown), and moves the arm end portion. The push lever is brought into contact with the rear end of the recording medium by being guided along the guide groove. Thus, the recording medium 2 is attached to and detached from the connector 3 to be attached and detached.

  Next, an operation example of the recording medium identification device of the present invention will be described with reference to the operation flowchart of FIG. 3 and the operation diagrams of FIGS. 4 and 5 show the operation of attaching the recording medium to the connector, and FIGS. 6 and 7 show the operation of removing the recording medium from the connector and taking it out from the recording medium identification device.

  First, the operation of mounting the recording medium on the connector will be described. The front end of the recording medium 2 (terminal side end provided with electrodes) is pressed against the shutter 11 of the insertion port 19 of the recording medium identification device 1, and the shutter 11 is rotated to open (FIG. 4 (a)), (S1 ).

  The recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10 moves the driven roller 14 upward in conjunction with the rotation operation of the shutter 11, and sandwiches the recording medium 2 between the driven roller 14 and the insertion roller 13. The insertion roller 13 is driven by a drive motor (recording medium feed motor), and pulls the recording medium 2 sandwiched between the insertion roller 13 and the driven roller 14 toward the table 21. FIG. 4 (b)), (S2).

  The recording medium conveyance unit 20 drives the side guide 23 by a drive motor (side guide motor), presses the pressure roller 24 against one side of the inserted recording medium 2, and pushes the pressure roller 24 toward the conveyance roller 22. Here, since the conveying roller 22 is fixed to the table 21, the other side portion in the width direction of the recording medium 2 pressed by the pressure roller 24 is positioned at the position of the recording medium conveying roller 22. Are aligned (FIG. 4 (c)), (S3).

  The recording media 2 aligned with the recording media transport roller 22 are fed in the depth direction by driving the recording media transport roller 22. In the back of the table 21, a connector rack 4 in which the connectors 3 are vertically stacked is provided so as to be movable up and down, and the rack end surface 4 a of the connector rack 4 or the connector 3 is extended on the extension of the recording medium 2 in the transport direction. The height of the connector rack 4 is adjusted so that the stopper 4b provided at the insertion port is positioned. Thereby, when the recording medium 2 is conveyed in the direction of the connector 3, the recording medium 2 is positioned in the depth direction so that the front end in the depth direction of the recording medium 2 contacts the rack end surface 4 a or the stopper 4. . The recording medium 2 sent by the recording medium conveying roller 22 comes into contact with the rack end surface 4 a of the connector rack 4 and stops. As a result, the recording media 2 are aligned in the depth direction.

  By the alignment in the width direction and the alignment in the depth direction, the recording medium 2 is positioned at a position for identifying the recording medium (FIG. 5A) and (S4).

  After positioning the recording medium 2 at a predetermined position of the recording medium identification unit, the type and front / back of the inserted recording medium 2 are determined (FIG. 5B), (S5).

  The corresponding connector 3 is selected according to the type of the recording medium identified by the recording medium identification (S6), and the connector rack 4 is driven (not shown) so that the selected connector 3 is at the same height level as the recording medium 2. The motor is moved up and down (S7).

  After the height of the connector 3 is aligned with the same height as the recording medium 2 on the table 21, the recording medium 2 is carried into the connector 3 by the recording medium conveying roller 22 and the pressure roller 24, and then pushed. The lever 41 is pushed into the connector 3 for connection (FIG. 5 (c)), (S8). The connector 3 is electrically connected to the mounted recording medium 2 and reads data (S9).

  Next, an operation for removing the recording medium will be described. The rear end of the recording medium 2 is pushed by the push lever 41 (FIG. 6B), the recording medium 2 is extracted from the push-push type connector and returned to the table 21 (FIG. 6C). (S10).

  The recording medium conveyance roller 22 is driven in the reverse direction, and the recording medium 2 returned onto the table 21 is conveyed toward the recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10. At this time, the push lever 41 is flipped up to avoid interference with the conveyed recording medium 2 (FIG. 7 (a)), (S11).

  The recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10 ejects the recording medium 2 from the recording medium insertion port 19 by rotating the insertion roller 13 in the reverse direction. At this time, since the driven roller 14 moved upward when the recording medium 2 is inserted maintains the height at the time of insertion, the recording medium 2 returned by the recording medium conveying unit 20 is inserted into the insertion roller 13 and the driven roller 14. Is inserted as it is, and is sent out toward the recording medium insertion port 19 by the insertion roller 13.

  At this time, since the rear end portion of the recording medium 2 pushes the shutter 11 from the opposite direction to that when the shutter 11 is inserted, the shutter 11 rotates in the opposite direction. The driven roller 14 returns to the original position in conjunction with the reverse rotation of the shutter (FIG. 7 (b)), (S12).

  Next, a schematic configuration and a schematic operation of the recording medium insertion / ejection unit provided in the recording medium identification apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the recording medium insertion / ejection unit. In FIG. 8, the recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10 is provided adjacent to the back side of the recording medium insertion port 19 and performs operations of inserting the recording medium 2 into the apparatus and ejecting the recording medium 2 to the outside of the apparatus. Do.

  The recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10 includes a shutter 11 (indicated by a broken line in FIG. 8) that is pivotally supported at a position in front of the recording medium insertion port 19. The shutter 11 is biased to a position where the recording medium insertion port 19 is closed by a shutter spring member 18A. The restoring force for returning the shutter 11 by the shutter spring member 18A is set smaller than the force for inserting the recording medium 2 into the apparatus. Thereby, the shutter 11 can be easily opened by pressing the front end portion of the recording medium 2 against the shutter 11. Shutter gears 12 a and 12 b are provided at both ends of the shutter 11, and are pivotally supported together with the shutter 11.

  The recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10 includes a roller driving unit 15 that performs an insertion operation and an ejection operation by sandwiching the recording medium 2. The roller driving unit 15 includes an insertion roller 13 driven by an MF motor (recording medium feed motor) 52 and a driven roller 14 that rotates according to the movement of the insertion roller 13.

  The insertion roller 13 is attached to a drive shaft 13A driven by the MF motor 52. On the other hand, the driven roller 14 is opposed to the insertion roller 13, and the support shaft is supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and is always urged in the direction of the insertion roller 13 by the driven roller spring material 18B. . The driven roller 13 presses the recording medium 2 against the insertion roller 14 by being biased by the driven roller spring material 18B. This prevents the insertion roller 14 from idling when the recording medium 2 is conveyed. In FIG. 8, the driven roller 13 in a state close to the insertion roller 14 is indicated by a solid line, and the driven roller 13 in a state moved upward is indicated by a broken line.

  The upward movement of the driven roller 13 is performed according to the operation of rotating the shutter 11. Cam gears 16 a and 16 b mesh with shutter gears 12 a and 12 b attached to both ends of the shutter 11, and the cam gears 16 a and 16 b rotate according to the opening and closing of the shutter 11. The levers 17a and 17b are attached to the cam gears 16a and 16b so as to be rotatable coaxially with the cam gears 16a and 16b. The levers 17a and 17b are rotated by engaging the cams of the cam gears 16a and 16b. The cam gears 16a and 16b and the levers 17a and 17b can be provided on a shaft concentric with the drive shaft 13A of the insertion roller 13 and free from the drive shaft 13A.

  The levers 17a and 17b have stepped portions 17B having different distances from the center of the support shaft. The stepped portions 17B serve as support portions that support the driven roller 14 at a predetermined height.

  When the shutter 11 is pushed and rotated by the recording medium 2, the shutter gears 12a and 12b attached to the shutter 11 are rotated, and the cam gears 16a and 16b meshing with the shutter gears 12a and 12b are rotated. When the cam gears 16a and 16b are rotated, the levers 17a and 17b are pushed by the cam and rotated to push up the driven roller 14. The height at which the driven roller 14 is pushed up is determined according to the rotation angle of the shutter 11. Since the rotation angle of the shutter 11 corresponds to the thickness of the recording medium 2, the height at which the driven roller 14 is pushed up corresponds to the thickness of the recording medium 2.

  Since the levers 17a and 17b are attached in a free state through a shaft hole 17A that is not fixed to the support shaft, the driven rollers 14 are held until the cam gears 16a and 16b are rotated in the reverse direction and pushed from the reverse direction. Hold in position.

  On the other hand, when the recording medium 2 is ejected, the recording medium 2 pushes the shutter 11 from the reverse direction and rotates it in the reverse direction. When the shutter 11 rotates in the reverse direction, the shutter gears 12a and 12b and the cam gears 16a and 16b rotate in the reverse direction, and the stepped portion 17B of the levers 17a and 17b supporting the driven roller 14 is released. When the driven roller 14 is disengaged from the stepped portion 17B of the levers 17a and 17b, the driven roller 14 is pushed toward the insertion roller 13 by the driven roller spring member 18B that urges the driven roller 14 in a downward direction, and returned to the initial position. It is.

  The recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10 is driven in the reverse direction when the recording medium 2 is inserted into the apparatus and when the recording medium 2 is ejected outside the apparatus. The operation is almost the same except that the roller 14 is returned from the holding position to the initial position.

  The operation when the recording medium is inserted will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 9 and the operation explanatory diagrams of FIGS.

  When the recording medium 2 is inserted from the recording medium insertion port 19 (FIG. 10A) (S21), the recording medium 2 pushes and rotates the shutter 11 (S22). As the shutter 11 rotates, the shutter gears 12a and 12b rotate (S23), and the cam gears 16a and 16b that mesh with the shutter gears 12a and 12b rotate (S24).

  As the cam gears 16a and 16b rotate, the cams provided on the cam gears 16a and 16b come into contact with the levers 17a and 17b and rotate (FIG. 10B) (S25). The levers 17a and 17b push up the driven shaft 14A of the driven roller 14 to raise the driven roller 14 (FIG. 10B) (S26).

  When the levers 17a and 17b rotate to a position where the stepped portion 17B supports the driven shaft 14A, the stepped portion 17B supports the driven shaft 14A and holds the driven roller 14 at a height determined by the stepped portion 17B ( FIG. 10C) (S27).

  While the recording medium 2 is passing through the shutter 11, the angular position at which the step 17B is provided, the thickness of the recording medium 2, and the angle at which the shutter 11 rotates corresponding to this thickness are set. The driven roller 14 is held at its height position.

  When the recording medium 2 passes through the shutter 11 (FIG. 11A) (S28), the shutter 11 is returned to the original position by the spring member 18A (FIG. 11B) (S29).

  Next, the operation when ejecting the recording medium will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 12 and the operation explanatory diagrams of FIGS.

  When ejecting the recording medium, the recording medium 2 pushes the shutter 11 in the reverse direction. At this time, the cam gears 16a and 16b and the driven roller 14 are held at the positions when the recording medium 2 is inserted and passed through the roller driving unit 15 (FIGS. 13A and 13B) (S31).

  When the shutter 11 is pushed in the reverse direction, the cam gears 16a and 16b rotate in the reverse direction (FIG. 13 (c)) (S32). The cam projections provided on the cam gears 16a and 16b immediately come into contact with the levers 17a and 17b and rotate in the reverse direction (FIG. 14 (a)) (S33).

  Since the cam gear is gear-coupled with the shutter, when the recording medium is inserted, the recording medium passes through the shutter, and when the shutter returns to the initial position, the cam also returns to the initial position. At this time, the cam and the lever are in a state where there is almost no gap in the returning direction. Therefore, as soon as the shutter is pushed in the opposite direction, the protruding portion of the cam pushes the lever. On the other hand, when inserting the recording medium, the play provided between the cam and the lever is absorbed so that the shutter can be returned to the initial position while maintaining the position of the lever. By the rotation of the levers 17a and 17b, the levers 17a and 17b are detached from the driven roller 14, and the driven roller 14 is pushed by the driven roller spring member 18B and returned to the insertion roller 13 side (FIG. 14B). (S34).

  FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the lever and the driven roller. FIG. 15A shows one configuration example of the lever 17. The lever 17 holds the shaft hole 17A so as to be rotatable with respect to the shaft 13A. The lever 17 includes a step portion 17B for temporarily holding the driven roller 14. A plurality of the step portions 17B can be provided, and the step portions 17B1 and 17B2 can have different heights of the driven roller 14 to be held by making the distances from the center position of the shaft hole 17A different.

  Further, the stepped surfaces of the stepped portions 17B1 and 17B2 are formed so as to be inclined by a predetermined angle θ from the horizontal plane when the lever 17 is stopped at a holding angle at which the driven roller 14 is held. When the 14 vibrates, the driven roller 14 can be prevented from being detached from the step surface.

  FIGS. 15B and 15C to 15E show the relationship between the rotation angle of the lever 17 and the height of the driven roller 14. FIG. 15 (b) shows three angle states superimposed in one figure. 15C shows a state before the recording medium 2 is inserted, FIG. 15D shows a state when the thin recording medium 2 is inserted, and FIG. 15E shows a thick recording medium. The state when 2 is inserted is shown.

  When the recording medium 2 is thin, the driven roller 14 is held by the step 17B1 of the lever 17. By setting the distance from the center position of the shaft hole 17A of the stepped portion 17B1 to be short, the driven roller 14 can be held at a low height position corresponding to the thin recording medium 2.

  On the other hand, when the recording medium 2 is thick, the driven roller 14 is held by the step portion 17B2 of the lever 17. By setting the distance from the center position of the shaft hole 17A of the stepped portion 17B2 to be long, the driven roller 14 can be held at a high height position corresponding to the thick recording medium 2.

  Which of the step portions of the lever 17 is held can be determined by the association set between the rotation angle of the shutter 11 and the rotation angle of the lever 17 as described above.

  Next, a schematic configuration and a schematic operation of the recording medium identification unit provided in the recording medium identification device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  In FIG. 16, the recording medium identification unit 30 includes a transmissive sensor 31 and a reflective sensor 32. The transmission type sensor 31 is an optical sensor for identifying the type and the back and back of the recording medium to be identified, and the type of the recording medium is determined based on the combination of the outputs of the sensors installed according to the size and shape of the recording medium. Identify the front and back. The reflective sensor 32 is an optical sensor for identifying the front and back of the recording medium to be identified. The reflective sensor 32 is installed according to the electrode terminal of the recording medium, and the intensity of light reflected by the electrode is a part other than the electrode. The front and back of the recording medium is identified based on the difference from the intensity of the light reflected by.

  The transmissive sensor 31 and the reflective sensor 32 are provided on the table 21, and detect the type and front / back of the recording medium 2 conveyed to the table 21. Since the recording medium 2 is identified by the transmissive sensor 31 and the reflective sensor 32 provided at predetermined positions on the table 21, it is necessary to position the recording medium 2 with respect to the table 21 in order to perform accurate identification. .

  Positioning of the recording medium 2 in the width direction is performed by pressing the recording medium 2 against the recording medium conveying roller 22 by the pressure roller 24 as described above.

  On the other hand, the recording medium 2 is positioned in the depth direction by bringing the front end of the recording medium 2 into contact with the rack end surface 4a or the stopper 4b of the connector rack 4 and using the rack end surface 4a or the stopper 4b as a positioning reference. In order to perform this positioning, the height of the connector rack 4 is adjusted so that the rack end surface 4a or the stopper 4b and the recording medium 2 on the table 21 are at the same height level.

  As described above, since the recording medium 2 is positioned in the width direction and the depth direction, the positional relationship between the recording medium 2 and the transmissive sensor 31 and the reflective sensor 32 can always be determined at the same position in the identification information. .

  After detecting the type and the front and back at the position of FIG. 16A, the connector 3 corresponding to the type is selected, and the connector rack 4 is moved up and down as shown in FIG. 21 is set to have the same height level as the recording medium 2 on the recording medium 21.

  Next, the arrangement of the transmissive sensor 31 and the reflective sensor 32 provided in the recording medium identifying unit 30 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 17 shows an example of identifying the type and front and back of two types of recording media.

  FIG. 17A shows an arrangement example of the transmissive sensor 31 and the reflective sensor 32. The sensors included in the recording medium identification unit 30 are a plurality of sensors 31a, 31d, and 31e disposed in a strip-shaped region R1 having a predetermined width in the depth direction and a plurality of sensors 31a disposed in a strip-shaped region R2 having a predetermined width in the width direction. , 31b, 31c. Here, the sensor 31a is provided at a position where the strip region R1 and the strip region R2 overlap. Note that the number of sensors provided at the position where the belt-like region R1 and the belt-like region R2 overlap is not limited to one and may be plural.

  In FIG. 17A, the reflective sensor 32 is disposed in the band-like region R2 having a predetermined width in the width direction, so that a reflection portion such as a contact provided in the recording medium or a cutout can be detected. it can.

  FIG. 17B shows two types of recording media a and b identified by the recording media identification unit 30. Further, both the recording medium a and the recording medium b have a notch at the front end corner.

  Here, the transmission sensors A to E are arranged at positions corresponding to the respective corner portions of the recording media a and b. Among the transmissive sensors A to E, those corresponding to the recording medium a are transmissive sensors A, B, and D, and those corresponding to the recording medium b are transmissive sensors A, C, and E. The transmission sensors A to E correspond to the sensors 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, and 31e in FIG.

  Here, when the recording medium a is in the front state, outputs from the transmission sensors A and D are detected (FIG. 17C), and when the recording medium a is in the back state, outputs from the transmission sensors B and D are detected. (FIG. 17D). Further, when the recording medium b is in the front state, outputs are detected from the transmission sensors A, B, D, and E (FIG. 17E), and when the recording medium b is in the reverse state, the transmission sensors B, C, and Outputs are detected from D and E (FIG. 17 (f)).

  From these output relationships, the types and front and back of the recording media a and b can be identified by the combination of the two sensor outputs of the transmissive sensor A and the transmissive sensor E. Table 1 shows the relationship between the sensor and the output.

  FIG. 18 shows an example of identifying the type and front and back of two types of recording media, as in the example of FIG. FIG. 18A shows two types of recording media a and c. Further, both the recording medium a and the recording medium c have notches at the corners of the front end.

  Here, the transmission sensors A to E are arranged at positions corresponding to the respective corner portions of the recording media a and c. Among the transmissive sensors A to E, those corresponding to the recording medium a are transmissive sensors A, B, and D, and those corresponding to the recording medium c are transmissive sensors A, C, and F.

  When the recording medium a is in the front state, outputs are detected from the transmission sensors A and D (FIG. 18B), and when the recording medium a is in the back state, outputs are detected from the transmission sensors B and D (see FIG. 18B). FIG. 18 (c)). Further, when the recording medium c is in the front state, outputs are detected from the transmission sensors A, B, and F (FIG. 18D), and when the recording medium b is in the reverse state, the transmission sensors B, C, and F An output is detected (FIG. 18 (e)).

  From these output relationships, the types and front and back of the recording media a and c can be identified by the combination of the two sensor outputs of the transmissive sensor A and the transmissive sensor D. Table 2 shows the relationship between the sensor and output.

  FIG. 19 shows an example of identifying the type and front and back of three types of recording media. FIG. 19A shows three types of recording media a, b, and c. The recording media a to c all have notches at the corners of the front tip.

  For the three types of recording media a, b, and c, the type and the front and back can be identified by a combination of four sensor outputs among the transmission sensors A to F. Table 3 shows the relationship between the sensor and the output.

  Next, a schematic configuration and a schematic operation of the recording medium attaching / detaching unit provided in the recording medium identifying apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The recording medium identifying unit 30 identifies the type and the front and back of the recording medium, and after matching the height of the connector 3 corresponding to the type, the recording medium 2 is mounted in the connector 3. The recording medium 2 is mounted in the connector after the recording medium 2 is transported in the connector direction by the transport roller 22 (FIG. 20A), and then the push lever 41 provided in the recording medium attaching / detaching section 40 is used to attach the recording medium 2 to the connector. This is done by pushing the rear edge. Here, the connector 3 is a push-push type, and the recording medium 2 is mounted by inserting the recording medium 2 into the insertion port of the connector 3 and pushing it, and after the recording medium 2 mounted on the connector 3. The recording medium 2 is removed by pressing the end again (FIG. 20B).

  FIG. 21 is a diagram for explaining a schematic configuration of the recording medium attaching / detaching unit. In FIG. 21A, the recording medium attaching / detaching portion 40 includes a push lever 41, a push guide 42, a guide rod 43, a guide groove 44, an arm 45, and a pin 46. The arm 45 is slidable in the axial direction with respect to the guide rod 43 and is attached so as to be rotatable around the shaft. A pin 46 is provided at one end of the arm 45 and is movable along the guide groove 44. A push lever 41 is provided at the other end of the arm 45. Since the push lever 41 and the pin 46 are in symmetrical positions with respect to the guide rod 43, the push lever 41 also moves up and down when the pin 46 moves up and down along the guide groove 44.

  The push lever 41 is a member that pushes the rear end portion of the recording medium 2, and is provided at one end of the arm 45. Further, the push guide 42 and the guide rod 43 are arranged along the conveyance direction of the recording medium 2. The push guide 42 is provided with a guide groove 44 for guiding the other end of the arm 45, while the guide rod 43 is provided with a drive mechanism (not shown) that allows the arm 45 to move in the guide axis direction. The guide rod 43 is rotatably attached around the axis of the guide rod 43.

  The push lever 41 is a member for pushing the recording medium 2 inserted into the connector 3 further into the connector 3 at a position near the insertion opening of the connector 3 to connect the recording medium 2 and the connector 3. When performing this operation, the push lever 41 needs to be adjusted to the same height level as the recording medium 2.

  The push lever 41 is movable in the conveyance direction of the recording medium and is rotatable in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, thereby pushing the recording medium 2 in the direction of the connector 3 to thereby record the recording medium 2. Attach and remove. The push lever 41 can be moved by switching between a position at which the rear end portion of the recording medium 2 can be pressed and a position away from the rear end portion by the above-described rotation operation.

  When the recording medium 2 is attached to the connector 3, the push lever 41 can be brought into contact with the rear end portion by aligning the push lever 41 with the rear end portion of the recording medium 2. Further, after the contact, the push lever 41 is pushed toward the connector 3 to push the recording medium 2 into the connector 3.

  On the other hand, when the recording medium 2 is removed from the connector 3, the push lever 41 is pushed again toward the connector 3 while the push lever 41 is aligned with the rear end of the recording medium 2. When the connector 3 is a push-push type, the connector 3 ejects the recording medium 2 out of the connector 3 when the recording medium 2 is pushed.

  Further, by setting the push lever 41 at a position away from the rear end portion of the recording medium 2, the recording medium 2 can be moved without interfering with the push lever 41. When the recording medium transport unit 20 moves the recording medium 2 between the recording medium insertion / ejection unit 10 and the recording medium identification unit 30 and when it moves between the recording medium identification unit 30 and the connector 3. When the push lever 41 is present on the moving path of the recording medium 2, the push lever 41 and the recording medium 2 interfere with each other, and thus the movement of the recording medium 2 is hindered.

  The push lever 41 is necessary only when the rear end portion is pushed into the connector 3 in a state where the recording medium 2 is almost introduced into the connector 3. At this time, the push lever 41 is aligned with the rear end portion of the recording medium 2. In order to avoid interference in other scenes, the push lever 41 is required to be away from the position of the rear end of the recording medium 2 as described above.

  Therefore, the push lever 41 is positioned around the guide rod 43 so that the rear end portion of the recording medium 2 can be pressed by the vertical movement caused by the cooperative operation of the pin 46 and the guide groove 44 and from the rear end portion. By switching between the disengaged positions and moving them, the interference between the push lever 41 and the recording medium 2 is avoided, and the connector 3 can be mounted freely.

  The operation of the push lever 41 by the recording medium attaching / detaching unit 40 can be performed based on the output of a sensor such as the transmissive sensor 31 or the reflective sensor 32 provided in the recording medium identifying unit 30. The recording medium attaching / detaching unit 40 detects that the recording medium 2 has been moved into the connector based on the output of the sensor, operates the push lever 41 based on this detection, and presses the rear end of the recording medium 2. Move to position.

  As described above, the recording medium identification unit 30 has a plurality of sensors such as a transmission type sensor 31 and a reflection type sensor 32 in order to detect the outer shape of the recording medium 2, and the recording medium is determined depending on whether or not the output of this sensor is present. Identify the type.

  The sensor included in the recording medium identification unit 30 outputs the recording medium 2 according to the moving position of the recording medium 2 even while the recording medium 2 is conveyed in the connector direction after the identification is completed. Therefore, it is possible to detect whether or not the recording medium 2 has moved into the connector 3 by monitoring the sensor output of the recording medium identification unit 30.

  The recording medium attaching / detaching unit 40 detects that the recording medium 2 has reached a predetermined position based on the sensor output of the recording medium identifying unit 30, and operates the push lever based on the detection result. This predetermined position is a position where the push lever 41 can perform an operation of mounting the recording medium 2 in the connector 3. Until this position is reached, the push lever 41 is lifted up to a position off the extended line of the rear end of the recording medium 2 to avoid a situation where the recording medium 2 and the push lever 41 come into contact with each other. Can do.

  The recording medium identification unit 30 has a plurality of sensors arranged in the conveyance direction of the recording medium and in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction. As a sensor for controlling the operation of the push lever 41, for example, Among the plurality of sensors arranged in the transport direction, the push lever 41 is set as an output of the sensor on the connector 3 side relative to the position where the matching position and the mismatching position are switched with respect to the rear end portion of the recording medium 2. The position at which this switching is performed is the lowered position of the push lever 41. Among the plurality of sensors arranged in the conveyance direction of the recording medium 2, the output of the sensor close to the lowered position of the push lever 41 on the connector side is used as the sensor output. Use.

  In this way, it is efficient to use a sensor that is as close as possible to the descending point on the connector side from the point where the guide descends. As a result, the overlap time of the conveyance of the recording medium and the guide operation becomes longer, and as a result, the operation time becomes shorter. In addition, this operation eliminates the need to set the point where the guide descends outside the longest recording medium (the side of the medium insertion port). It is possible to obtain an effect that the outer shape of the identification device can be reduced in the depth direction.

  The sensor output may be configured to use the output of the sensor closest to the connector among a plurality of sensors arranged in the recording medium conveyance direction. This makes it possible to detect the position closest to the connector among the positions that can be measured by the sensor.

  The configuration using the sensor closest to the connector as a sensor used for controlling the operation of the push lever 41 is merely an example, and is not limited to this. Other sensors may be used depending on the rotation characteristics of the push lever 41 or the like. Good.

  FIGS. 21A to 21C and FIGS. 22A to 22C show the states of the push lever 41. The right side in the figure shows the connector side, and the left side in the figure shows the insertion port side of the recording medium identification device 1. FIG. 22 shows the positional relationship between the push lever 41 and the recording medium 2.

  21A and 22A show the initial position, and FIGS. 21B, 21C, and 22B show the push lever 41 of the recording medium 2 after the recording medium 2 is inserted. FIG. 22C shows an operation state where the push lever 41 pushes the rear end of the recording medium 2 in the depth direction toward the connector side.

  In order to perform the above operation, the pin 46 at one end of the arm 45 is inserted into the guide groove 44 so as to be movable, and the middle portion of the arm 45 is rotatably supported by the guide rod 43. Further, the guide groove 44 forms a loop in the vertical direction at different heights (P1, P2, P3) along the transport direction, and the lowest position in this loop groove is set as the initial position. As a result, the arm 45 can move freely along the guide rod 43, and the pin 46 at one end of the arm 45 moves along the guide groove 44 along with this movement, and the height of the push lever 41 changes. .

  In the initial position shown in FIGS. 21A and 22A, since the pin 46 of the arm 45 is at the lowest position of the guide groove 44, the push lever 41 is flipped up and is higher than the moving path of the recording medium. It becomes. With this position, the push lever 41 can be prevented from interfering with the recording medium, and the conveyance of the recording medium is not hindered. As a result, while the recording medium 2 is being conveyed on the table 21 toward the connector 3, the conveying operation of the recording medium 2 is not hindered. Whether the arm 45 is in the initial position can be confirmed by detecting the arm 45 or the like by a sensor installed corresponding to the initial position.

  While the push lever 41 is flipped up, the recording medium is conveyed to the connector side. In order to make a connection by pushing the recording medium into the insertion slot of the connector, the push lever 41 needs to be behind the recording medium and at the same height as the rear end of the recording medium.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 21B, after driving the guide rod 43, the pin 46 is returned to the insertion side, then lifted to the upper groove of the loop groove, and then moved to the connector side. As a result, the push lever 41 changes from the state of jumping up and down, and the push lever 41 is positioned at the rear position of the recording medium and is at the same height as the rear end of the recording medium.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 21C and 22B, by driving the guide rod 43, the pin 46 is moved to the connector side along the groove 44, and the push lever 41 is moved to the connector side (FIG. 22). The recording medium 2 is pushed toward the right side) and attached to the connector 3 for connection.

  Next, the control system of the recording medium identification device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 23, the recording medium identification device 1 includes a control circuit 61 that controls the operation of the entire device, and in addition to the type of the recording medium 2 based on the detection output of the sensors (transmission type sensor 31 and reflection type sensor 32). A recording medium discriminating circuit 62 for identifying the front and back sides and a data reading circuit 63 for reading data stored in the recording medium 2 connected to the connector are provided.

  The control circuit 61 inputs the detection output of the shutter switch 33, and the SG motor (side guide motor) 51, the MF (recording medium feed motor) 52, the push lever motor 53, and the connector rack motor 54 that lifts and lowers the connector rack 4. A control signal for controlling driving of each motor is output, and a control signal for starting driving of the sensors 31 and 32 is output. Note that the MF (recording medium feed motor) 52 can also serve as a motor that drives the insertion roller 13 and a motor that drives the recording medium conveyance roller 22.

  Further, the control circuit 61 inputs the recording medium type signal obtained by the determination by the recording medium determination circuit 62, controls the drive of the connector rack motor 54, selects the connector corresponding to the type, The recording medium is moved to a predetermined position.

  A series of operations by the recording medium identification device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 24 and 25 are flowcharts for explaining a series of operations, and FIGS. 26 and 27 are operation diagrams for explaining a series of operations.

  In the vicinity of the shutter 11, a shutter switch 33 for detecting that the shutter has started to open is provided. When the recording medium 2 is inserted and the shutter 11 is pressed (FIG. 26A) (S41), the shutter switch 33 is turned “ON” and the operation of the shutter 11 is detected (S42). Based on the detection signal of the shutter switch 33, the control circuit 61 inputs the MF motor 52 and starts driving the insertion roller 13 and the recording medium conveying roller 22 (S43).

  When the recording medium 2 passes through the shutter 11 (FIG. 26B), the shutter 11 returns to the original position by the shutter spring member 18A. When the shutter 11 returns to the original position, the shutter switch 33 is turned “OFF” (S44).

  After a sufficient time has elapsed until the recording medium 2 is conveyed onto the table 21 by the recording medium conveying roller 22 (S45), the control circuit 61 activates the SG motor 51 to transfer the recording medium to the recording medium. The roller 22 is pressed (FIG. 26 (c)) (S46).

  Simultaneously with the activation of the SG motor 51, the control circuit 61 starts driving the sensors 31 and 32 and inputs a detection signal from the sensor (S47).

  Based on the detection signal, it is detected whether or not the front end position of the recording medium 2 is positioned at the stopper position (FIG. 26 (d)) (S48).

  When it is confirmed that the recording medium is positioned at the stopper position and the front and back sides are correctly inserted, the control circuit 61 stops driving the MF motor 52 and the SG motor 51 (S49), and detects the sensors 31 and 32. Based on the output, the recording medium discriminating circuit 62 discriminates whether the type and the front and back of the recording medium 2 are correctly inserted, and then the driving of the sensors 31 and 32 is stopped (S50). When the front and back sides of the recording medium are not correctly inserted, the control circuit 61 can be set so that the recording medium 2 is ejected by inverting the medium conveying roller 22.

  The control circuit 61 selects a corresponding connector based on the type of the recording medium determined by the recording medium determination circuit 62, so that the selected connector is at a predetermined position (the same level as the recording medium on the table). The rack motor 54 is driven and controlled to move the connector rack 4 up and down (S51).

  The control circuit 61 drives the push lever motor 53 to move the push lever 41 to the rear end of the recording medium 2 (FIG. 26 (e)) (S52). Note that the operation time can be shortened by moving the push lever 41 to the rear end of the medium simultaneously with the raising / lowering operation of the connector rack. Further, the push lever motor 53 is driven, and the push lever 41 pushes the rear end portion of the recording medium 2 to attach it to the connector 3. The pressing of the rear end portion of the recording medium 2 by the push lever 41 is performed by detecting that the rear end portion of the recording medium 2 has reached the position of the sensor 31 or sensor 32 based on the output of the sensor 31 or sensor 32. Can do. (FIG. 26 (f)) (S53). After the recording medium 2 is mounted, the push lever 41 is retracted and stopped to provide a predetermined clearance with the recording medium 2 (S54).

  The data reading circuit 63 reads data stored from the recording medium 2 connected to the connector 3 (S55).

  After reading the data, the control circuit 61 drives the push lever motor 53 to push the rear end of the recording medium 2 by a specified amount and eject it from the connector 3. By using a push-push type connector 3, the recording medium 2 can be ejected from the connector 3 (FIG. 27A) (S556).

  Thereafter, the push lever 41 is moved to a position where there is no hindrance to the conveyance of the recording medium, for example, an initial position, stopped and retracted (S57).

  Next, the control circuit 61 drives the MF motor 52 and transports the recording medium 2 by the media transport roller 22 (FIG. 27B) (S58). It is also possible to shorten the operation time by transporting the recording medium 2 by the media transport roller 22 while performing the operation of retracting the push lever 41. When the opposite side (device side) of the shutter 11 is pushed by the conveyance of the recording medium 2 and the shutter switch 33 is turned “ON” (FIG. 27C) (S59), the control circuit 61 drives the MF motor 52. Then, after feeding the recording medium 2 by a predetermined amount by the insertion roller 13 (S60), the MF motor 52 is stopped. As a result, the recording medium 2 stops in a state where a part thereof is taken out from the recording medium insertion port 19. In this state, since the shutter 11 is in the open state, the shutter switch remains in the “ON” state (FIG. 27 (d)) (S61).

  When the recording medium 2 is removed from the recording medium insertion port 19 by the user (FIG. 27 (e)) (S62) and the shutter switch is in the “OFF” state (S63), the control circuit 61 drives the SG motor 51. After controlling and returning to the initial position (S64), the entire operation of the apparatus is stopped (S65).

  Table 4 below shows the relationship between the above operation and the state of each part.

  Hereinafter, an example of a recording medium identified by the recording medium identification device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 28 and Table 5.

  As recording media, for example, miniSD (trademark), SD (trademark), smart recording media (trademark) (SM3.3, SM5), Memory Stick (trademark), MMC (trademark), RS-MMC (trademark), xD-Picture The present invention can be applied to Card (trademark), Compact Flash CF (registered trademark), Microdrive Md (registered trademark), and the like.

  For example, when the transmission type sensor is arranged at positions a to h shown in FIG. 28 according to the size of each recording medium, the combination of outputs detected from the transmission type sensor (shown in Table 5) The type and front and back can be determined.

  XD can be identified by detecting the contact portion of the recording medium with a reflection type sensor, and for CF / MD, the notch portion of the recording medium can be detected with a mechanical switch. MD can be identified by the shape of the recording medium insertion slot. MD is a recording medium having the largest cross section, and has an asymmetric shape on the front and back sides, so that it can be identified from features on this shape.

It is a block diagram for demonstrating schematic structure of the recording media identification device of this invention. It is a block diagram for demonstrating schematic structure of the recording media identification device of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the operation example of the recording media identification device of this invention. It is an operation | movement figure for demonstrating the operation example of the recording media identification device of this invention. It is an operation | movement figure for demonstrating the operation example of the recording media identification device of this invention. It is an operation | movement figure for demonstrating the operation example of the recording media identification device of this invention. It is an operation | movement figure for demonstrating the operation example of the recording media identification device of this invention. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the recording media insertion / ejection part of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement when inserting the recording medium of this invention. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing for demonstrating operation | movement when inserting the recording medium of this invention. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing for demonstrating operation | movement when inserting the recording medium of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement when discharging the recording medium of this invention. FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory diagram for explaining an operation when the recording medium of the present invention is discharged. FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory diagram for explaining an operation when the recording medium of the present invention is discharged. It is a figure for demonstrating the relationship between the lever of this invention, and a driven roller. It is a figure for demonstrating schematic structure of the recording media identification part with which the recording media identification device of this invention is provided. It is a figure for demonstrating schematic structure of the sensor with which the recording media identification device of this invention is provided. It is a figure for demonstrating schematic structure of the sensor with which the recording media identification device of this invention is provided. It is a figure for demonstrating schematic structure of the sensor with which the recording media identification device of this invention is provided. It is a figure for demonstrating schematic structure of the recording media attachment / detachment part with which the recording media identification device of this invention is provided. It is a figure for demonstrating schematic structure of the recording media attachment / detachment part of this invention. It is an operation | movement figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the recording media attachment / detachment part of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the control system of the recording media identification device of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating a series of operation | movement by the recording media identification device of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating a series of operation | movement by the recording media identification device of this invention. It is an operation | movement diagram for demonstrating a series of operation | movement by the recording media identification device of this invention. It is an operation | movement diagram for demonstrating a series of operation | movement by the recording media identification device of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating schematic structure of the recording media identification part with which the recording media identification device of this invention is provided.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Recording media identification device 2 Recording media 3 Connector 4 Connector rack 4a Rack end surface 4b Stopper 10 Recording media insertion / ejection part 11 Shutter 12, 12a, 12b Shutter gear 13 Insertion roller 14 Followed roller 14A Followed shaft 15 Roller drive part 16,16a , 16b Cam gear 17, 17a, 17b Lever 17A Shaft hole 17B Step portion 18A Shutter spring member 18B Spring roller member 19 Recording medium insertion port 20 Recording medium transport portion 21 Table 22 Recording media transport roller 23 Side guide 24 Pressure roller 30 Recording medium identification part 31 Transmission type sensor 32 Reflection type sensor 33 Shutter switch 40 Recording medium attaching / detaching part 41 Push lever 42 Pusher guide 43 Guide rod 44 Guide groove 45 Arm 46 Pin 51 SG motor (side guide motor)
52 MF motor (recording media feed motor)
53 Push lever motor 54 Rack motor 61 Control circuit 62 Recording medium discrimination circuit 63 Data reading circuit

Claims (7)

In a recording medium identification device for identifying the type of a plurality of types of recording media and connecting the recording medium to a connector corresponding to the type,
A media conveyance path provided with a conveyance roller for conveying the recording medium inserted into the apparatus to the connector, and a push lever for pressing the recording medium in the connector direction,
The recording medium identification apparatus, wherein the recording medium is conveyed by the conveying roller and then pressed by the push lever and connected to the connector. A recording medium attaching / detaching portion for attaching to and removing from the connector;
The recording medium attaching / detaching unit is
A guide rod and a guide groove provided in the conveyance direction of the recording medium;
An arm portion that can reciprocate along the guide rod and can rotate about the guide rod, and a push lever having an arm end portion guided along the guide groove,
By guiding the end of the arm along the guide groove, the arm is rotated around the guide rod, and the push lever is positioned between the match position and the mismatch position with respect to the rear end of the recording medium. Switch
The said arm is moved along the said guide rod, the said push lever is made to contact | abut to the rear-end part of a recording medium, and a recording medium is pressed to a connector direction of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. Recording media identification device. A recording medium insertion / ejection unit for inserting the recording medium into the apparatus and discharging the recording medium out of the apparatus;
A recording medium identification unit for identifying the type of the recording medium inserted in the apparatus;
A recording medium transport unit for transporting a recording medium between the recording medium insertion / ejection unit and the recording medium identification unit;
The recording medium transport unit moves the recording medium into a connector after the recording medium identification operation by the recording medium identification unit,
The recording medium identification device according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium attaching / detaching unit operates a push lever in a process of inserting the recording medium into a connector. Based on the output of the sensor provided in the recording medium identification unit, the movement of the recording medium into the connector is detected,
The recording medium identification apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the recording medium attaching / detaching unit operates the push lever based on the detection.   Among the plurality of sensors arranged in the conveyance direction of the recording medium, the sensor output is a position closer to the connector than the position at which the push lever is switched between the matching position and the mismatching position with respect to the rear end portion of the recording medium. The recording medium identification apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the recording medium identification apparatus is an output of a sensor. The position where the switching is performed is the lowered position of the push lever,
6. The recording medium identification according to claim 5, wherein an output of a sensor close to a lowered position of the push lever on the connector side is used as a sensor output among a plurality of sensors arranged in a conveyance direction of the recording medium. apparatus.   5. The recording medium identification device according to claim 1, wherein the connector is a push-push type connector that attaches and detaches the recording medium by pressing the recording medium.