JP2013178864A - Medium processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To remove an attachment on a magnetic head surface with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A medium processor includes a magnetic head, and a guide member provided at a side facing the magnetic head. The magnetic head moves between a processing position of a medium that slides on a guide surface of the guide member to have a magnetic stripe and an initial position, and the guide surface has a cleaning area for removing an attachment on the magnetic head on a moving route of the magnetic head.

Description

  The present invention relates to a medium processing apparatus.

  Recently, magnetic stripes for magnetically recording customer information are provided on a booklet-like medium such as a passbook used in financial institutions and a wide variety of media such as single paper. In addition, medium processing apparatuses that perform printing on such a medium and perform magnetic processing such as reading data from / writing data to the magnetic stripe have become widespread.

  Magnetic processing on the magnetic stripe is realized by a magnetic head. When the medium is inserted into the medium processing apparatus, the magnetic head moves on the magnetic stripe of the medium while sliding on the guide surface from the initial position. Then, by moving the magnetic head in the data writing / reading direction of the magnetic stripe in a state where it is in contact with the magnetic stripe, it is possible to perform magnetic processing at a specified portion of the magnetic stripe provided on the medium. Such magnetic processing is disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example.

JP 2010-211191 A

  However, there are cases where foreign matters such as paper dust attached to the guide surface on the moving path of the magnetic head and the magnetic stripe, and dirt adhere to the surface of the magnetic head as the magnetic head moves. When a foreign substance adheres to the surface of the magnetic head, a space is generated between the magnetic head and the magnetic stripe, which causes a problem that a write / read cannot be performed accurately when performing magnetic processing.

  Regarding this problem, for example, a fibrous cleaning member may be additionally provided on the guide surface of the magnetic head. However, the addition of a new member is not desirable from the viewpoint of the configuration of the apparatus and the simplification of the manufacturing process.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved medium capable of removing deposits on the surface of a magnetic head with a simple configuration. It is to provide a processing apparatus.

  In order to solve the above problems, according to an aspect of the present invention, a magnetic head and a guide member provided on a side facing the magnetic head are provided, and the magnetic head includes a guide surface of the guide member. Media processing that slides and moves between a processing position of a medium having a magnetic stripe and an initial position, and the guide surface has a cleaning area for removing deposits of the magnetic head on a moving path of the magnetic head. An apparatus is provided.

  The cleaning region may be at least one of a concave portion or a convex portion provided on the guide surface.

  The cleaning area may be one or more grooves formed along a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the magnetic head.

  The one or more grooves may be formed to be inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to the guide surface.

  An urging member that urges the magnetic head toward the guide surface may be further provided.

  As described above, according to the present invention, deposits on the surface of the magnetic head can be removed with a simple configuration.

It is explanatory drawing which showed typically the structure of the medium processing apparatus by embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which showed the basic operation | movement of the magnetic head by this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which showed operation | movement of the medium processing apparatus by the comparative example of this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which showed the spacing. It is explanatory drawing which showed the relationship between spacing and a spacing loss. It is explanatory drawing which showed the structure of MS guide by this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which showed operation | movement of the magnetic head by this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which showed operation | movement of the magnetic head by this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which showed the scraper area | region by the 1st modification. It is explanatory drawing which showed the scraper area | region by the 2nd modification. It is explanatory drawing which showed the scraper area | region by the 3rd modification.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in this specification and drawing, about the component which has the substantially same function structure, duplication description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol.

  In the present specification and drawings, a plurality of components having substantially the same functional configuration may be distinguished by adding different alphabets after the same reference numeral. However, when it is not necessary to particularly distinguish each of a plurality of constituent elements having substantially the same functional configuration, only the same reference numerals are given.

<1. Basic Configuration of Media Processing Device>
The present invention can be implemented in various forms, as will be described in detail below by way of example. Moreover, the medium processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention having a magnetic processing function includes:
A. A magnetic head (40);
B. A guide member (MS guide 50) provided on the side facing the magnetic head;
With
C. The magnetic head slides on the guide surface of the guide member and moves between a processing position and an initial position of a medium having a magnetic stripe,
D. The guide surface has a cleaning area for removing deposits on the magnetic head on a moving path of the magnetic head.

  The basic configuration of the medium processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the configuration of a medium processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the medium processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a stage 10, a conveyance roller 12, a conveyance path 14, a printing unit 20, a platen 30, a magnetic head 40, and an MS ( (Magnetic Strip) guide 50.

  The stage 10 is attached to the front surface of the medium processing apparatus 1 and has an insertion / discharge port through which the medium 8 is inserted and discharged. The medium 8 may be a single sheet-like medium or a booklet medium such as a passbook on which a magnetic stripe is formed. The medium 8 is sucked from the insertion / ejection port by the transport roller 12 and is transported on the transport path 14.

  An opening (not shown) for bringing the magnetic head 40 into contact with a passbook or the like is provided in a part on the conveyance path 14. Through this opening, the magnetic head 40 performs magnetic processing such as reading data from a magnetic stripe formed in a passbook or the like, and writing data to the magnetic stripe. For example, the magnetic head 40 reads data such as light-emitting source information of the passbook, customer information, and printed area from the magnetic stripe. In addition, when the printing unit 20 performs printing, the magnetic head 40 performs writing for updating the printed area. The magnetic head 40 slides on the MS guide 50 and moves between the initial position and the magnetic stripe processing position.

  The printing unit 20 includes a print head, a carriage on which the print head is mounted, a guide shaft that guides reciprocation of the carriage, an ink ribbon (printing ribbon), a ribbon winding mechanism, and the like. In such a printing unit 20, printing can be performed on the medium 8 via the ink ribbon in which the print head is taken up by the ribbon take-up mechanism while the carriage reciprocates on the guide shaft.

  The platen 30 is provided on the side facing the printing surface of the printing unit 20 along the moving direction of the print head. The platen 30 plays a role of supporting the medium 8 conveyed from the insertion / discharge port. The platen 30 is biased toward the printing unit 20 by a spring that is an example of a biasing member.

  Such a medium processing apparatus 1 executes various operations in accordance with control commands executed in, for example, a control PC (Personal Computer) connected via a connection cable.

<2. Basic operation of magnetic head>
The basic configuration of the medium processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to FIG. The embodiment of the present invention relates to the operation of the magnetic head 40 in the medium processing apparatus 1 described above. Therefore, the basic operation of the magnetic head 40 will be described below with reference to FIG. In the following description, a passbook, which is an example of a medium, is denoted by reference numeral 8 and will be described.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the basic operation of the magnetic head 40 according to the present embodiment. First, when the bankbook 8 with the magnetic stripe 9 formed therein is inserted into the medium processing apparatus 1, the bankbook 8 is transported to the magnetic data writing / reading start position by the transport roller 12 and the position management sensor. When the movement of the bankbook 8 stops at the magnetic data writing / reading start position, the magnetic head 40 waiting at the initial position as shown in FIG. 2 (A) is as shown in FIG. 2 (B). Then, movement toward the bankbook 8 is started.

  The magnetic head 40 is held by the magnetic head holder 42 and moves while sliding the MS guide 50 while being pressed against the MS guide 50 by a press spring 44 held by the magnetic head holder 42. .

  Then, the magnetic head 40 rides on the bankbook 8 as shown in FIG. At this time, the magnetic head holder 42 does not move up and down, and the press spring 44 contracts, so that only the magnetic head 40 moves up and down by the thickness of the bankbook 8.

  Further, the magnetic head 40 continues to move, and when the magnetic head 40 reaches the end of the bankbook 8 as shown in FIG. 2D, the movement of the magnetic head 40 stops. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 2E, the magnetic head 40 is moved back to the initial position by a drive motor (not shown), and magnetic data writing / reading is completed.

(background)
However, in the medium processing apparatus according to the comparative example of the present embodiment, in the operation process of the magnetic head as described above, foreign matters such as paper dust adhered on the guide surface and the magnetic stripe on the moving path of the magnetic head, Dirt may adhere to the surface of the magnetic head. Hereinafter, this point will be specifically described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the medium processing apparatus according to the comparative example of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3 (F), when foreign matter 92 is attached to the MS guide 80 or the bankbook 8, the surface of the magnetic head 70 held by the magnetic head holder 72 via the press spring 74 is As shown in FIG. 3G, the foreign matter 92 adheres in the process of moving the magnetic head 70. This foreign matter adhering to the magnetic head 70 remains as shown in FIG. 3H even when the magnetic head 70 returns to the initial position.

  As described above, in the state where the foreign matter 92 is attached to the surface of the magnetic head 70, a gap, that is, a spacing, is generated between the magnetic head 70 and the magnetic stripe 9, as shown in FIG. When spacing occurs, a spacing loss (magnetic loss) corresponding to the amount of spacing occurs as shown in FIG.

  Accordingly, the media processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment has been created with the above circumstances taken into consideration. The medium processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment can remove deposits on the surface of the magnetic head 40 with a simple configuration. Hereinafter, the configuration of the present embodiment will be described in detail.

<3. Configuration of MS Guide according to this Embodiment>
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the MS guide 50 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the MS guide 50 according to the present embodiment has a scraper area (cleaning area) 52 for removing deposits on the surface of the magnetic head 40 on the guide surface on the moving path of the magnetic head 40. Have.

  As shown in FIG. 6 as an example, the scraper region 52 is a plurality of grooves formed along a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the magnetic head 40. With this configuration, when the magnetic head 40 passes through the scraper region 52, it is possible to scrape off foreign matters and dirt attached to the surface of the magnetic head 40 due to the edge effect of the groove edge. Hereinafter, a specific description will be given with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

  7 and 8 are explanatory views showing the operation of the magnetic head 40 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, when the magnetic head 40 to which the foreign matter 92 has adhered passes through the scraper region 52, the foreign matter 92 is removed by the scraper region 52 as shown in FIG. 8, and the foreign matter 92 is removed from the scraper region 52. Remain in the groove. For this reason, when the magnetic head 40 passes the scraper area 52 again, it is possible to prevent the foreign matter 92 from adhering to the magnetic head 40.

  Note that the scraper region 52 can be formed by various methods. For example, if a convex region along a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the magnetic head 40 is formed in a mold for manufacturing the MS guide 50, the MS guide 50 having the scraper region 52 can be manufactured using the mold. It is. Alternatively, the scraper region 52 can be formed by cutting the MS guide 50. Further, the scraper region 52 may be formed to be detachable from the MS guide 50.

<4. Modification>
In addition, although the groove | channel as shown in FIGS. 6-8 was demonstrated as an example of the scraper area | region 52 above, the form of the scraper area | region 52 is not limited to this example. Hereinafter, some modified examples of the scraper region 52 will be described.

(First modification)
FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing a scraper region 53 according to the first modification. As shown in FIG. 9, the top 54 of each groove constituting the scraper region 53 according to the first modification may be closer to the initial position side of the magnetic head 40 than the center of the groove. With such a configuration, the edge effect of the edge 55 of each groove on the initial position side of the magnetic head 40 is enhanced, so that foreign matters attached to the magnetic head 40 can be more reliably removed.

  9 shows an example in which the top 54 of each groove constituting the scraper region 53 is on the initial position side of the magnetic head 40, but the top 54 of each groove constituting the scraper region 53 is the magnetic head 40. It may be on the magnetic processing position side.

(Second modification)
FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing a scraper region 56 according to the second modification. As shown in FIG. 10, each groove constituting the scraper region 56 according to the second modification may be formed inclined with respect to the vertical direction of the guide surface of the MS guide 50. According to this configuration, the edge 55 on the initial position side of the magnetic head 40 in each groove has an acute angle, so that the edge effect can be further improved. Further, since the foreign matter storage space 57 is formed, more foreign matter can be accumulated in the scraper region 56.

(Third Modification)
FIG. 11 is an explanatory view showing a scraper region 58 according to a third modification. As shown in FIG. 11, the scraper region 58 according to the third modification is a plurality of convex regions formed along a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the magnetic head 40. When the magnetic head 40 passes through such a scraper region 58, the magnetic head 40 is lowered, so that the pressure of the magnetic head 40 against the scraper region 58 is increased by the urging of the press spring 44. For this reason, according to the 3rd modification, it is possible to increase the removal effect of the deposit | attachment of the magnetic head 40. FIG.

(Supplement)
In addition, the scraper region may be formed by a plurality of concave portions, a plurality of convex portions, or a combination thereof. It is also possible to form the scraper region by roughing the guide surface of the MS guide 50.

<5. Conclusion>
As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the magnetic head 40 passes through the scraper region, it is possible to remove foreign matter by the scraper region 52. For this reason, it is possible to maintain the data writing / reading performance without performing cleaning recovery work such as cleaning by a maintenance staff. Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, such a scraper region can be formed in one region of the MS guide 50, so that the configuration can be simplified.

  Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is obvious that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can come up with various changes or modifications within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. Of course, it is understood that these also belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the magnetic stripe formed on the passbook 8 is described as the target of magnetic processing. However, the target of magnetic processing is not limited to a booklet-like medium such as the passbook 8, and the target of magnetic processing is a card or a single paper. It may be a medium.

1 Media processing device 8 Medium (passbook)
9 Magnetic stripe 10 Stage 12 Transport roller 14 Transport path 20 Printing unit 30 Platen 40 Magnetic head 42 Magnetic head holder 44 Press spring 50 MS guides 52, 53, 56, 58 Scraper area

Claims (5)

A magnetic head;
A guide member provided on the side facing the magnetic head;
With
The magnetic head slides on the guide surface of the guide member and moves between a processing position and an initial position of a medium having a magnetic stripe,
The medium processing apparatus, wherein the guide surface has a cleaning area for removing deposits on the magnetic head on a moving path of the magnetic head.   The medium processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning region is at least one of a concave portion or a convex portion provided on the guide surface.   The medium processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning area is one or more grooves formed along a direction orthogonal to a moving direction of the magnetic head.   The medium processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the one or more grooves are formed to be inclined with respect to a vertical direction of the guide surface. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a biasing member that biases the magnetic head toward the guide surface.

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