JP2009176078A - Card reader - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a card reader capable of keeping dust from entering a conveyance path. <P>SOLUTION: The card reader 10 comprises a slot 15 for inserting a card 20; a conveying roller 17 for conveying the card 20; a magnetic head 7 and an IC contact 9 for reading the information of the card 20; a conveyance path 21 for conveying the card 20; and an air pipe 22 provided in an area different from an area where the conveyance path 21 is formed. One end 22a of the air pipe 22 is disposed in an area corresponding to the front end 21a of the conveyance path 21, and the other end 22b of the air pipe 22 is disposed in an area corresponding to the rear end 21b of the conveyance path 21. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a card reader having a dustproof mechanism.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, card readers having a dustproof mechanism for suppressing dust from entering a conveyance path are known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  In Patent Document 1, a card insertion slot, a conveyance roller (conveyance means) for conveying a card, and a pair of dustproof rollers (dustproof mechanism) provided between the card insertion slot and a conveyance roller are disclosed. ), A labor management device (card reader) is disclosed. The pair of dustproof rollers are urged in a direction approaching each other by a tension spring. For this reason, the labor management apparatus closes the card conveyance path by contacting the dust-proof roller when the card is not inserted, and separates the dust-proof roller when the card is inserted. By doing so, the card is sent to a transport roller. Therefore, in the labor management apparatus of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, it is possible to suppress dust from entering the conveyance path.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a card reader / writer (card reader / writer) that includes a card insertion slot, a conveyance roller (conveyance means), and a dustproof sheet (dustproof mechanism) provided between the card insertion slot and the conveyance roller. Apparatus). The dustproof sheet is formed with an elastically deformable protrusion. For this reason, the card reader / writer closes the card conveyance path by the protrusion when the card is not inserted, and elastically deforms the protrusion when the card is inserted. Configured to be sent to. Therefore, in the card reader / writer disclosed in Patent Document 2, it is possible to prevent dust from entering the transport path.

  Here, in an ATM or the like provided with a card reader, the casing is firmly and hermetically sealed to prevent magnetic waves and magnetic fields generated from the inside from being shielded from the outside and from security measures against intentional destruction from the outside. It is required to have a structured structure. Moreover, in ATM etc., it is requested | required that the heat | fever which each process part provided in the inside dissipates outside by providing cooling devices, such as a fan.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-292997 JP 2002-298098 A

  Therefore, in ATM and the like, a difference occurs between the air pressure inside the sealed housing and the air pressure outside due to the rotation of the fan or the like, so the card is inserted into the card reader provided in the ATM or the like. In addition, there is a problem that dust enters the transport path of the card reader due to the pressure difference, and the dust that has entered adheres to the read head and causes malfunction.

  Also, when the dust control mechanism of the labor management device described in Patent Document 1 or the dust control mechanism of the card reader / writer described in Patent Document 2 is applied to a card reader provided in an ATM or the like, the card transport path is completely closed. Since it is difficult to insert the card in the closed state, it is considered that when the card is inserted, dust enters the transport path due to the pressure difference. That is, even when the dust control mechanism of the labor management device of Patent Document 1 or the dust control mechanism of the card reader / writer of Patent Document 2 is applied to a card reader provided in an ATM or the like, dust is generated in the transport path. There is a problem that it is difficult to sufficiently suppress the intrusion.

  The present invention solves the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a card reader capable of sufficiently suppressing dust from entering the conveyance path.

  The card reader according to the present invention includes an insertion slot into which a card is inserted, a conveyance means for conveying a card inserted from the insertion slot, a conveyance path through which the card is conveyed, and a conveyance means. And a reading means for reading card information, the card reader further comprising a vent pipe provided in an area different from the area in which the transport path is formed, and one end of the vent pipe has a transport path And the other end of the vent pipe is arranged in an area corresponding to the other end of the transport path, and the vent path of the vent pipe is substantially the same as the transport path. It is parallel to.

  According to such a configuration, even if there is a pressure difference between the inside and outside of a case such as an ATM provided with a card reader, the air entering and exiting the case passes through the vent pipe, so that dust contained in the air Can be prevented from entering the transport path.

  In this invention, it is preferable that the opening area in at least one of the both ends of a ventilation pipe is larger than the opening area in the edge part of the conveyance path corresponding to the said edge part. If it does in this way, it will become easy to enter dust into a vent pipe with a large opening area, and it can control effectively that dust tries to penetrate into a conveyance way.

  Moreover, in this invention, it is preferable that a filter is provided in the opening in at least one of the both ends of the vent pipe. If it does in this way, it can block with a filter that dust and a foreign substance penetrate | invade into housing | casings, such as ATM, via a vent pipe from the exterior, Thereby, dust etc. are carried out to each process part inside ATMs, etc. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of malfunction due to adhesion.

  In the present invention, the vent pipe may be detachably attached to the card reader. In this way, the vent pipe can be attached to the existing card reader as an optional item, and even when dust accumulates in the vent passage, the vent pipe can be removed from the card reader and cleaned. Maintenance becomes easy.

  According to the present invention, by providing the vent pipe, it is possible to sufficiently suppress the intrusion of dust into the conveyance path when the card is inserted into the card reader.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a host device provided with a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the card reader shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the structure of the card reader shown in FIG. 4 to 9 are schematic diagrams for explaining the detailed structure of the card reader shown in FIG. First, the structure of the card reader 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a card reader 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a front part (right side) of a host device 30 such as an ATM (Automated Teller Machine) installed in a financial institution or the like. Built in. The card reader 10 is configured to receive a card 20 owned by a customer and read and write information on the card 20. The card 20 includes a magnetic card, an IC card, or a magnetic IC card. The card reader 10 is communicably connected to the host device 30 by the communication control unit 13 (FIG. 2). The customer stands in front of the host device 30 and inserts the card 20 into the card reader 10. A cooling device 40 such as a fan is incorporated in the rear part (left side) of the host device 30. A vent 31 is provided on the back of the host device 30. The back surface of the host device 30 is covered with a wall or the like so as not to be seen by the customer.

  A main control unit 1 shown in FIG. 2 is composed of a CPU, and comprehensively controls each unit of the card reader 10. The storage unit 2 includes a ROM, an SRAM, and the like. The storage unit 2 stores programs, data, and the like for the main control unit 1 to control each unit. As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, an insertion port 15 is provided at the front end (right end) of the card reader 10. An opening 16 is provided at the rear end (left end) of the card reader 10. The insertion slot 15 and the opening 16 are provided to allow the card 20 to enter and exit the interior 14 of the card reader 10. An insertion sensor 3 is provided in the vicinity of the insertion port 15. The insertion sensor 3 includes a micro switch or the like, and detects that the card 20 has been inserted from the insertion port 15.

  In the inside 14 of the card reader 10, a pair of upper and lower conveying rollers 17, a plurality of position sensors 4, a magnetic head 7, and an IC contact 9 are provided. The conveyance roller 17 rotates in the forward direction or the reverse direction by driving the motor 11 (FIG. 2), and reciprocally conveys the card 20 sandwiched from above and below. The conveyance roller 17 and the motor 11 are an example of a conveyance unit that conveys the card 20 to the insertion port 15, the opening 16, and the inside 14. The position sensor 4 includes a photo sensor and the like, and detects the position of the card 20 in the inside 14. The magnetic head 7 contacts the magnetic stripe 20m (FIG. 8 and the like) of the card 20 conveyed to the inside 14. The IC contact 9 moves up and down by the drive of the solenoid 12 (FIG. 2), and is separated or brought into contact with the IC contact 20c (FIG. 8 and the like) of the card 20 conveyed to the inside 14.

  The magnetic read control unit 5 shown in FIG. 2 reads information recorded on the magnetic stripe 20 m of the card 20 via the magnetic head 7. The magnetic write controller 6 writes information to the magnetic stripe 20 m of the card 20 via the magnetic head 7. The IC control unit 8 reads and writes information with respect to an IC (not shown) built in the card 20 via the IC contacts 9 and 20c. The magnetic head 7, the magnetic read control unit 5, the IC contact 9, and the IC control unit 8 are an example of a reading unit that reads recorded information on the card 20. Information read from the card 20 is transmitted to the host device 30 by the communication control unit 13. Information to be written to the card 20 is received from the host device 30 by the communication control unit 13.

  As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, shutters 18 and 19 are provided between the interior 14 and the insertion port 15 or the opening 16. The shutters 18 and 19 move up and down by driving the solenoid 12 (FIG. 2), respectively, and open or close the transport path 21 of the card 20 formed from the insertion port 15 to the opening 16. The solenoids 12 that move the shutters 18 and 19 and the IC contact 9 up and down are separate.

  By raising the shutters 18 and 19 and opening the transport path 21, the card 20 can enter and exit the interior 14 through the insertion slot 15 or the opening 16. Further, by lowering the shutters 18 and 19 and closing the conveyance path 21, it becomes impossible for the card 20, dust and other foreign matters to enter and exit the interior 14 through the insertion port 15 or the opening 16. . That is, the inside 14 of the card reader 10 is sealed. Further, by lowering the shutter 19 and closing the transport path 21, the card 20 transported to the inside 14 can be stopped at a position where the IC contacts 9, 20c come into contact with each other. That is, the shutter 19 also functions as a stopper that stops the card 20 conveyed to the inside 14 at a predetermined position.

  A front end portion (one end portion) 21 a and a rear end portion (the other end portion) 21 b of the transport path 21 are formed by upper and lower frames 26 and 27. In the recesses 28 of the upper and lower frames 26, 27, there are provided blocking means 23 for preventing dust from entering the interior 14 from the insertion port 15 or the opening 16. The blocking means 23 includes a rotating member 24 and an urging member 25. The rotating member 24 is a roller. The biasing member 25 is made of a spring.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the rotating member 24 has a pair of upper and lower ends at the front end portion 21 a and the rear end portion 21 b of the conveyance path 21 and the card 20 entry / exit direction (card 20 conveyance direction, left-right direction in FIG. And a predetermined distance X. The rotating member 24 rotates around the shaft 24j. The shaft 24j is provided above and below the conveyance path 21 in parallel with the width direction of the conveyance path 21 (the vertical direction in FIGS. 8 and 9). Specifically, the shaft 24j is supported by the upper and lower frames 26 and 27 so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction and movable in the vertical direction in FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the width of the rotating member 24 is larger than the width of the transport path 21 and the card 20. The width and height of the transport path 21 are slightly larger than the width and thickness of the card 20 (so that the card 20 can pass). The urging member 25 presses and urges the pair of rotating members 24 in a direction (upward or downward in FIG. 4 or the like) in contact with each other.

  With the above configuration, the pair of rotating members 24 partially overlap each other while being in contact with each other, for example, when viewed from the entry / exit direction of the card 20 indicated by arrows in FIGS. 4 and 6. Further, the pair of rotating members 24 closes the conveyance path 21 over the entire width of the card 20 and the conveyance path 21 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Further, the pair of rotating members 24 individually rotate about the shaft 24j and swing up and down. Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the pair of rotating members 24 are pushed by the card 20 and retracted up and down by contact with the card 20, that is, when the card 20 enters between the pair of rotating members 24. To do.

  Here, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a hollow vent pipe 22 is provided below the conveyance path 21. The vent pipe 22 is provided so that the vent path 22a extends in the card 20 entrance / exit direction (the card 20 transport direction, left-right direction in FIG. 3 and the like). That is, the ventilation path 22 a of the ventilation pipe 22 is substantially parallel to the conveyance path 21 of the card 20. The length of the ventilation path 22a is substantially the same as the length of the transport path 21. The vent pipe 22 is provided integrally with the lower frame 27. For example, the vent pipe 22 and the lower frame 27 are integrally formed of synthetic resin.

  The ventilation pipe 22 has one end 22d disposed below a region corresponding to the front end 21a of the transport path 21 and the other end 22e disposed below a region corresponding to the rear end 21b of the transport path 21. It is configured to be. For this reason, the one end portion 22 d is disposed in the vicinity of the insertion port 15, and the other end portion 22 e is disposed in the vicinity of the opening 16. Further, the openings 22b and 22c in the both end portions 22d and 22e of the vent pipe 22 are positioned immediately below the insertion port 15 and the opening 16 respectively when viewed from the card 20 entrance / exit direction. The opening areas of these openings 22 b and 22 c are larger than the opening areas of the insertion port 15 and the opening 16 at both ends of the conveyance path 21. The air passage 22a is formed so that the cross-sectional area becomes large at the one end 22d and the other end 22e. Further, a dust-proof filter 22f is provided at the opening 22b at the one end 22d of the vent pipe 22.

  Next, the operation of the card reader 10 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  First, when the card 20 is inserted from the insertion port 15, the insertion sensor 3 detects the card 20, thereby opening the shutter 18 and opening the conveyance path 21. When the card 20 is further inserted into the back, as shown in FIG. 5, the pair of rotating members 24 swings up and down according to the shape of the card 20 to sandwich the card 20 therebetween.

  Thereafter, when the card 20 passes under the shutter 18 and is inserted into the inside 14, the position of the card 20 is detected by the position sensor 4, and the card 20 is conveyed by the conveying roller 17.

  When the inserted card 20 is a magnetic card, the magnetic head 7 reads or writes information from the magnetic stripe 20 m of the card 20. When the inserted card 20 is an IC card or a magnetic IC card, information is read from or written to the IC of the card 20 by the IC contact 9.

  The type of the card 20 is determined based on, for example, medium information input by the customer to the higher-level device 30. In addition to this, for example, a metal sensor for detecting the IC contact 20c of the card 20 may be provided in the vicinity of the insertion slot 15, and the type of the card 20 may be determined based on an output signal from the metal sensor.

  The card 20 is read when the card 20 is conveyed from the insertion port 15 side to the opening 16 side by rotating the conveyance roller 17 in the forward direction, and the card 20 is written by the conveyance roller. This is performed when the card 20 is conveyed from the opening 16 side to the insertion port 15 side by rotating the 17 in the reverse direction.

  Thereafter, when the card 20 is returned to the customer, the card 20 is discharged from the insertion slot 15 by rotating the transport roller 17 in the reverse direction. Further, when collecting the card 20, the card 20 is collected from the opening 16 into a collection box (not shown) built in the host device 30 by rotating the transport roller 17 in the forward direction.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the ventilation pipe 22 is provided below the conveyance path 21 to form an air flow bypass path. Therefore, when the shutters 18 and 19 are opened, the inside and outside of the host device 30 It is possible to sufficiently suppress the intrusion of dust into the transport path 21 of the card reader 10 due to the pressure difference.

  Specifically, when the cooling device 40 is an exhaust fan, if the vent pipe 22 is not provided, the pressure inside the upper device 30 becomes lower than the outside pressure due to the exhaust, When the shutters 18 and 19 are opened, external air flows into the transport path 21 from the insertion port 15 and dust contained in the air enters the transport path 21. Even if there is a pressure difference between the inside and outside, the outside air flows from the opening 22b having a larger opening area than the insertion port 15 into the ventilation path 22a and passes through the ventilation pipe 22, so that dust contained in the air is contained in the conveyance path 21. Can be prevented from entering.

  Further, when the cooling device 40 is an intake fan, if the ventilation pipe 22 is not provided, the air pressure inside the upper device 30 becomes higher than the external air pressure due to the intake air, so that the shutter 18, When the air 19 is opened, the sucked air flows from the opening 16 into the conveyance path 21 and dust contained in the air enters the conveyance path 21. Even if there is air, the intake air flows from the opening 22c having a larger opening area than the opening 16 into the ventilation path 22a and passes through the ventilation pipe 22, so that dust contained in the air can enter the conveyance path 21. Can be suppressed.

  In this way, in both cases of exhaust and intake by the fan, dust-containing air passes through the ventilation path 22a of the ventilation pipe 22, so that dust enters the conveyance path 21 through the insertion port 15 and the opening 16. Can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of malfunctions due to the adhesion of dust or the like to each processing unit in the units 1 to 9, 11 to 13, 17 to 19 of the card reading device 10 and the inside 32 of the host device 30. it can. As a result, the burden of maintenance can be reduced and the life of the card reader 10 can be extended.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the openings 22b and 22c in the both end portions 22d and 22e of the vent pipe 22 are located close to the insertion port 15 and the opening 16 in the both end portions 21a and 21b of the transport path 21, and therefore the insertion port 15 In addition, it is easy to guide the dust entering the conveyance path 21 from the opening 16 to the ventilation path 22a from the openings 22b and 22c, and the opening areas of the openings 22b and 22c are larger than the opening areas of the insertion port 15 and the opening 16. , Dust becomes easy to enter the ventilation pipe 22. Thereby, it is possible to effectively suppress dust from entering the transport path 21 through the insertion port 15 and the opening 16.

  Further, in the present embodiment, by providing a dust-proof filter 22f at one end 22d of the vent pipe 22, it is possible to prevent dust and foreign matter from entering the inside 32 of the host device 30 from the outside via the vent pipe 22. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of malfunction due to dust or the like being attached to each processing unit in the interior 32 of the host device 30.

  In addition, it is preferable that the filter 22f is detachably attached to the ventilation pipe 22 so that the filter 22f can be replaced when dust accumulates on the dustproof filter 22f. Thereby, since the filter 22f can be easily replaced, the maintenance burden can be reduced.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the pair of rotating members 24 are provided so as to be shifted in the transport direction while being in contact with each other, so that the rotational members 24 are partially overlapped when viewed from the transport direction of the card 20. Thus, the conveyance path 21 can be appropriately closed even when affected by the accuracy of parts or assembly. Also by this, it is more effective that dust etc. adhere to each process part in each part 1-9, 11-13, 17-19 of the card reader 10, and the inside 32 of the high-order apparatus 30, and a malfunctioning generate | occur | produces. Can be suppressed.

  In the above embodiment, the ventilation pipe 22 is provided integrally with the lower frame 27. However, the ventilation pipe 22 is separated from the lower frame 27 and is detachably attached to the lower frame 27 with screws or hooks. Also good. In this way, the vent tube 22 can be attached to the existing card reader as an optional item without manufacturing a dedicated card reader having a ventilation structure. Further, even when dust accumulates in the ventilation path 22a or the filter 22f of the ventilation pipe 22, it is not necessary to remove the entire card reader 10 from the host device 30, and only the ventilation pipe 22 is removed to clean the ventilation pipe 22 or filter 22f. Therefore, maintenance is further facilitated.

  The present invention can adopt various embodiments other than those described above. For example, although the example in which the vent pipe 22 is provided below the transport path 21 has been described in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the vent pipe 22 may be provided above or on the side of the transport path 21. Further, the number of ventilation pipes 22 is not limited to one, and a plurality of ventilation pipes 22 may be provided.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the case where the length of the ventilation path 22a was substantially the same as the length of the conveyance path 21 was mentioned as an example, this invention is not limited to this, The length of the ventilation path 22a is conveyed. The length of the path 21 may be longer or shorter.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the ventilation pipe 22 formed so that the cross-sectional area of the ventilation path 22a might become large in one end part 22d and the other end part 22e was shown, this invention is not restricted to this, The ventilation path 22a A vent tube 22 having the same cross-sectional area over the entire length may be used.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the dust-proof filter 22f is provided at the one end 22d of the vent pipe 22 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the dust-proof filter 22f is provided at the other end of the vent pipe 22. It may be provided at 22e, or a dustproof filter 22f may be provided at both one end 22d and the other end 22e.

  In the above embodiment, the example in which the blocking means 23 is provided outside the shutters 18 and 19 is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is also applicable to the case where the blocking means 23 is not provided outside the shutters 18 and 19. Is possible.

  As another embodiment, in addition to the cooling device 40, a fan (not shown) or the like is provided in the vent pipe 22, so that air is forcibly guided to the vent path 22a, and dust enters the transport path 21. You may make it pass the ventilation pipe | tube 22 without doing. If comprised in this way, it can suppress more effectively that dust penetrate | invades in the conveyance path 21. FIG. Further, a predetermined air flow path may be formed by using wind generated due to the movement of the drive system of the card reader 10.

  In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the card reader 10 that can read and write information from and to the card 20. However, the present invention only reads information from the card 20. It is also possible to apply to a card reader that performs the above.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the card reader 10 having both the magnetic head 7 and the IC contact 9, but the present invention is not limited to this, for example, a magnetic head, an IC contact, and a non-contact type IC head. It is possible to apply also to the card reader provided with either.

It is the schematic which showed the high-order apparatus provided with the card reader by one Embodiment of this invention. It is the block diagram which showed the structure of the card reader. It is side surface sectional drawing which showed the structure of the card reader. It is side surface sectional drawing which showed the insertion slot vicinity of the card reader. It is side surface sectional drawing which showed the insertion slot vicinity of the card reader. It is side surface sectional drawing which showed the opening vicinity of the card reader. It is side surface sectional drawing which showed the opening vicinity of the card reader. It is the plane sectional view showing the insertion slot neighborhood of a card reader. It is the plane sectional view showing the opening neighborhood of a card reader.

Explanation of symbols

5 Magnetic lead controller (reading means)
7 Magnetic head (reading means)
8 IC control unit (reading means)
9 IC contacts (reading means)
10 Card reader 11 Motor (conveying means)
15 Insertion port 17 Conveyance roller (conveyance means)
21 Transport path 21a Front end (one end)
21b Rear end (the other end)
22 Ventilation pipe 22a Ventilation path 22b, 22c Opening 22d One end 22e The other end 22f Filter

Claims (4)

An insertion slot into which the card is inserted;
Transport means for transporting the card inserted from the insertion slot;
A transport path through which the card is transported by the transport means;
A card reading device comprising: reading means for reading information of the card conveyed by the conveying means;
Further comprising a vent pipe provided in a region different from the region where the transport path is formed;
One end of the vent pipe is disposed in a region corresponding to one end of the transport path, and the other end of the vent pipe is disposed in a region corresponding to the other end of the transport path;
The card reader according to claim 1, wherein a ventilation path of the ventilation pipe is substantially parallel to the conveyance path. The card reader according to claim 1,
The card reading device, wherein an opening area at at least one of both end portions of the vent pipe is larger than an opening area at an end portion of the conveyance path corresponding to the end portion. The card reader according to claim 1 or 2,
A card reader, wherein a filter is provided in an opening in at least one of both end portions of the vent pipe. The card reader according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A card reader, wherein the vent pipe is detachably attached.

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