JP2021008326A - Card feeding device, information recording device, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To stabilize a position of a card, which is transported from a card insertion slot to the inside of a device, in the width direction when the card storage unit is not installed.SOLUTION: In a housing 2, there is formed a card insertion slot 105 into which a card can be inserted. A card cassette can load and store cards and can be attached to and detached from the housing 2. A manual feed guide 101 has a regulating surface 101a that moves in conjunction with the attachment and removal of a card cassette to a housing 2 so that it is in a protrusion position when the card cassette is not attached to the housing 2 and is in a retraction position when the card cassette is attached to the housing 2 and regulates the position in the width direction X that intersects the transport direction of the card inserted into the card insertion slot 105 in the protruding position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a card feeding device capable of feeding a card such as a plastic card or a cardboard card, an information recording device capable of recording information on the card, and an image forming device capable of forming an image on the card.

Conventionally, a plurality of cards loaded and stored in a removable card cassette are conveyed one by one to the inside of the device by a carry-in roller, and magnetic information and IC information are recorded or an image is formed on the conveyed cards. A printing device is known (see Patent Document 1). Generally, in such a printing device, the card cassette is removed from the device housing, a plurality of cards are set in the card cassette, and the cards are reattached to the device housing, and the cards are continuously connected to the plurality of cards stored in the card cassette. It is configured so that information can be recorded and images can be formed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-116567

Here, when a card is supplied from the card cassette (card storage unit) to the inside of the device, the position of the card in the width direction is normally restricted while the card is housed in the card cassette, and the card is inside the device from the card insertion slot. Is transported. On the other hand, for example, there is a case where it is desired to supply cards one by one to the inside of the device with the card cassette removed without using the card cassette. In this case, for example, the operator directly inserts the card into the card insertion slot by hand and conveys the card inside the device. At this time, if the card is conveyed from the card insertion slot without restricting the position of the card in the width direction, the position of the card in the width direction may not be stable and the accuracy of information recording and image formation on the card may decrease. There is.

An object of the present invention is to provide a configuration capable of stabilizing the position in the width direction of a card to be conveyed from a card insertion slot to the inside of an apparatus when the card storage portion is not mounted.

The card feeding device of the present invention has a device body in which a card insertion slot into which a card can be inserted is formed, and a card can be loaded and stored, and can be attached to and detached from the device body. A card storage unit having a card supply port for feeding a card to the card insertion slot in a mounted state, and a card storage unit arranged in the device main body for transporting the card, the card storage unit. Is mounted on the device body, the card stored in the card storage unit is conveyed toward the inside of the device body in a predetermined direction, and the card storage unit is not mounted on the device body. The card transporting means for transporting a card inserted into the card insertion slot into the card insertion slot in the mounted state toward the inside of the device main body in the predetermined direction, and the first position in the non-mounted state. The card storage unit moves between the first position and the second position in conjunction with attachment / detachment of the card storage unit to / from the device body so as to be located at the second position in the mounted state. It is characterized by including a regulating member having a regulating surface that regulates the position of a card inserted into the card insertion slot in a position at one position in a width direction intersecting the predetermined direction.

According to the present invention, it is possible to stabilize the position in the width direction of the card to be conveyed from the card insertion slot into the device in the non-mounted state of the card storage portion.

The cross-sectional view which shows the schematic structure of the image forming apparatus which is the mounted state of the card cassette which concerns on embodiment. Perspective view of the card cassette. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus in which a card cassette is not attached. The block diagram which shows the control composition of an image forming apparatus. (A) A perspective view of a cassette mounting portion showing a manual feed guide located at a protruding position, and (b) a perspective view of a cassette mounting portion showing a manual feed guide located at a retracted position. (A) A perspective view showing a shutter and a manual feed guide located at a closed position, and (b) a perspective view showing a shutter and a manual feed guide located at an open position. The flowchart which shows the processing of the control part in a manual feed mode.

First, the schematic configuration of the image forming apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[Image forming device]
The image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is a card printer capable of recording information on a recording medium such as a plastic card or a cardboard card and forming an image on the card on which the information is recorded. Specifically, information such as magnetic information and IC information is recorded on a card R such as an ID card for various certifications as a recording medium and a credit card for commercial transactions, and characters, photographs, marks, etc. are recorded on these cards R. Perform image formation (printing). Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an information recording group A, an image forming unit B, a card supply unit C, a first accommodating unit D, a second accommodating unit E, and a rotating unit F. ..

[Card supply unit]
First, the card supply unit C will be described. The card supply unit C as a card feeding device includes a housing 2 as a device main body of the image forming device 1, a card cassette 3 as a card storage unit, a main body feeding unit 15, and the like. The card cassette 3 is removable from the housing 2 while loading and storing a plurality of cards R. Specifically, the housing 2 has a box-shaped cassette mounting portion 13 that opens upward, and the card cassette 3 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion 13. The main body feeding unit 15 feeds the card R from the card cassette 3 mounted on the cassette mounting unit 13 into the housing 2.

FIG. 1 shows a mounted state in which the card cassette 3 is mounted in the housing 2. Inside the cassette mounting portion 13, a mounting space K1 in which the card cassette 3 is mounted is formed with respect to the housing 2. The mounting space K1 and the space inside the housing 2 in which the information recording group A, the image forming portion B, and the rotating unit F are housed are separated by a bottom plate 13a (see FIG. 3) of the cassette mounting portion 13. The main body feeding unit 15 is provided with a feeding means and a pickup roller 19 as a first rotating body.

The pickup roller 19 is rotatably supported by the housing 2 about a shaft extending in the depth direction of FIG. 1, that is, the width direction X (see FIG. 2) of the card R, and is rotationally driven by a transfer motor (not shown). A part of the pickup roller 19 is arranged above the bottom plate 13a in the mounting space K1 and abuts on the card R housed in the card cassette 3 mounted in the mounting space K1 to rotate and abut. The card is fed in the feeding direction Z toward the cleaning roller pair 22 provided inside the housing 2, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 2, the card cassette 3 is composed of a box-shaped cassette housing 3a and a card storage unit 4 provided in the cassette housing 3a. The card storage unit 4 is configured with a storage space that fits the card dimensions in which a plurality of cards R can be arranged and stored in a standing position. Therefore, the position of the card R stored in the card storage unit 4 in the width direction is restricted. The card storage portion 4 is provided with an upper opening for inserting and removing the card R in the upper part of the drawing, and an opening / closing cover 3b for opening and closing the upper opening is hingedly connected. Since the ID card and the credit card have a high security level even before the information is recorded, the opening / closing cover 3b may be locked.

A plurality of cards R are loaded and arranged in the card storage unit 4 in a state of being aligned from one end (left end in FIG. 1) to the other end (right end in FIG. 1), and are supported from the left end to the right end. It is urged by the member 12. Then, when the card R is supplied to the inside of the housing 2 by feeding the rightmost card R one by one by the pickup roller 19, the card R is moved to the right by the support member 12. An opening 16 as a card feeding port capable of supplying the card R to the card insertion slot 105, which will be described later, is formed below the right end portion of the card storage section 4 (see FIG. 3).

The opening 16 is provided with a separation roller 9 and an eccentric cam 10 provided so as to face the separation roller 9 (see FIG. 3). The eccentric cam 10 is a semicircular member whose center of rotation is deviated from the center of the disk. Therefore, by rotating the eccentric cam 10, the distance between the eccentric cam 10 and the separation roller 9, that is, the width of the opening 16 in the left-right direction in FIG. 1 changes. As a result, the card supply unit C is configured so that the width of the opening 16 in the left-right direction can be adjusted according to the thickness of the card housed in the card cassette 3.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the card cassette 3 is removed from the housing 2, that is, a non-mounted state in which the card cassette 3 is not mounted in the housing 2. The card cassette 3 is configured to be removable upward by pulling it up with a handle (not shown). The attachment / detachment direction of the card cassette 3 is substantially parallel to the feeding direction Z in which the card R is fed into the housing 2 by the pickup roller 19. As a result, when the card jam is caused by the card supply unit C, the jam can be released by removing the card cassette 3 in a direction substantially parallel to the feeding direction Z. In the present embodiment, the feeding direction Z is inclined with respect to the vertical direction, but the attachment / detachment direction of the card cassette 3 does not have to be parallel to the feeding direction Z, and the card cassette 3 is attached to the housing 2. On the other hand, any configuration may be used as long as it can be pulled upward.

The bottom plate 13a of the cassette mounting portion 13 is formed with a card insertion slot 105 that communicates with the opening 16 of the card cassette 3 when the card cassette 3 is mounted. That is, the pickup roller 19 described above is arranged upstream of the card insertion slot 105 in the feeding direction Z. The main body feeding unit 15 is rotationally driven by a transport motor (not shown), and has a transport means arranged downstream of the card insertion slot 105 in the feed direction Z and a cleaning roller pair 22 as a second rotating body. There is.

The cleaning roller pair 22 is composed of a pair of rollers that are rotatably supported by the housing 2 about a shaft extending in the width direction X (see FIG. 2) and that sandwiches and conveys the card R. The cleaning roller pair 22 has a structure in which the surface of the roller on the surface side on which the image of the card R is formed has, for example, adhesiveness. Thereby, it is possible to remove foreign matters such as dust and dirt adhering to the surface on the side where the image of the card R is formed while carrying the card R.

In this way, the card R stored in the card cassette 3 is fed by the pickup roller 19 toward the cleaning roller pair 22 in the feeding direction Z, and is fed through the opening 16 and the card insertion slot 105 to the cleaning roller pair 22. Is conveyed in the feeding direction Z as a predetermined direction. The card R conveyed by the cleaning roller pair 22 is supplied to the rotating unit F arranged inside the housing 2.

[Rotating unit]
Next, the rotation unit F will be described. The rotating unit F as the switching means includes a unit frame 20 rotatably supported by a device frame (not shown) of the image forming apparatus 1 and a pair or a plurality of roller pairs 21a supported by the unit frame 20. , 21b and. The rotating unit F can switch the transfer destination of the supplied card.

A plurality of roller pairs 21a and 21b are arranged at a distance from each other with respect to the unit frame 20 as a transport unit, and can hold and transport the supplied cards. That is, in the roller pairs 21a and 21b, at least one roller pair is composed of a drive side roller and a driven side roller, and the drive side roller can rotate and stop. Then, the card is held by stopping the rotation of the rollers on the drive side of the rollers 21a and 21b while the card R is sandwiched between the rollers 21a and 21b, and the rollers on the drive side of the rollers 21a and 21b are rotated. By transporting the card. The roller on the drive side can rotate forward and reverse by a motor (not shown).

The unit frame 20 as a rotating portion supports and rotates the roller pairs 21a and 21b described above, and is driven by a motor (for example, a pulse motor) (not shown). Then, the unit frame 20 is rotated while the card is held by the roller pairs 21a and 21b, and the rotation of the unit frame 20 is stopped at the selected transfer destination to switch the card transfer direction. As a result, the direction (transport destination) for transporting the card can be switched by the roller pairs 21a and 21b. The motor for driving the unit frame 20 and the motor for driving the roller pairs 21a and 21b may be used as one motor, and the drive may be switched by the clutch.

The cards R housed in the card cassette 3 are unwound by the pickup roller 19, separated one by one by the separation gap formed by the eccentric cam 10 and the separation roller 9, and sent to the rotary unit F on the downstream side. Then, the rotating unit F carries the sent card R into the rotating unit F by the rollers 21a and 21b, and deflects the posture in a predetermined direction while being nipated by the rollers 21a and 21b. Switch the destination.

[Information recording section]
Next, a plurality of information recording units included in the information recording group A will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the information recording group A includes a magnetic recording unit 24, a contact type IC recording unit 27, and a non-contact type IC recording unit 23. Each recording unit corresponds to an information recording unit and an information reading unit. That is, the magnetic recording unit 24, the contact type IC recording unit 27, and the non-contact type IC recording unit 23 can each record information on the card R and can read the information recorded on the card R.

Specifically, the magnetic recording unit 24 can read the recorded magnetic information at the same time as recording the magnetic information on the magnetic card having the magnetic tape, for example, as the card R. Further, the contact type IC recording unit 27 can contact an IC card having an IC chip as a card R to record information and read the recorded information. Further, the non-contact type IC recording unit 23 can record information on the IC card in a non-contact manner and can read the recorded information.

A magnetic recording unit 24 is arranged in the second transfer path P2, a contact type IC recording unit 27 is arranged in the third transfer path P3, and a non-contact type IC recording unit 23 is arranged in the fourth transfer path P4.

[Second containment unit]
Next, the second accommodating portion E will be described. The second accommodating portion E has a reject stacker 25 as a discharge accommodating portion. The reject stacker 25 can accommodate the card R determined as an error by the control CPU 70 (FIG. 4) described later. The reject stacker 25 is housed in a housing 120 that is separate from the housing 2. In the present embodiment, the second accommodating portion E provided with the reject stacker 25 can be attached to and detached from the housing 2 of the image forming apparatus 1.

The cards R can be conveyed from the rotating unit F in the housing 2 to the reject stacker 25 in the housing 120 with the second accommodating portion E mounted on the housing 2, respectively, in the housings 2 and 120. , An opening is formed. Then, a fifth transport path P5 for transporting the card R from the rotating unit F to the reject stacker 25 is formed (see FIG. 1).

Therefore, in the state where the second accommodating portion E is mounted on the housing 2, in addition to the first transport path P1, the second transport pass P2, the third transport pass P3, and the fourth transport pass P4, around the rotating unit F , The fifth transport path P5 is arranged.

[Image forming part]
Next, the image forming unit B will be described. The image forming unit B forms an image on the surface of the card R sent from the rotating unit F along the first transport path P1. In the present embodiment, an image is formed on a card for which information recording has been completed by any recording unit of the information recording group A. The transport rollers (or transport belts) 29 and 30 for transporting the card R are arranged in the first transport path P1, and the transport rollers 29 and 30 are rotationally driven by a transport motor (not shown). The transfer rollers 29 and 30 are configured to be capable of switching between forward and reverse, so that the card is conveyed from the rotating unit F to the image forming unit B and the card is conveyed from the image forming unit B to the rotating unit F. Further, the transfer rollers pairs 29 and 30 perform skew correction of the card. For example, the card is conveyed by the transfer roller 29 with the transfer roller 30 stopped, and the tip of the card is abutted against the transfer roller 30 to correct the skew of the card.

The image forming unit B forms an image such as a face photograph, character data, and a two-dimensional code on the front surface or the back surface of the card. In the present embodiment, a configuration in which an image is formed by a sublimation type ink ribbon is adopted, but another configuration such as an inkjet method may be used.

As shown in FIG. 1, a thermal head 40 and an ink ribbon 41 are arranged in the image forming portion B. The ink ribbon 41 is housed in a cartridge 42, and a take-out roll 43 and a take-up roll 44 are housed in the cartridge 42, and a wind motor Mr1 is driven and connected to the take-up roll 44. The ink ribbon 41 is wound around a winding roll 44 and a feeding roll 43, and is wound so as to be transferred between the platen roller 45 and the thermal head 40.

A thermal head 40 is arranged at a position facing the platen roller 45. A head control IC 74x (FIG. 4) is connected to the thermal head 40 so that the thermal head 40 is thermally controlled. The head control IC 74x forms an image on the retransfer film 46 by the ink ribbon 41 by heating and controlling the thermal head 40 according to the image data. Therefore, the take-up roll 44 rotates in synchronization with the thermal control of the thermal head 40, and the ink ribbon 41 is taken up at a predetermined speed. The thermal head 40 is cooled by the cooling fan 39.

The retransfer film 46 is housed in a cartridge 50, and a take-out roll 47 and a take-up roll 48 are housed in the cartridge 50, and a wind motor Mr2 is driven and connected to the take-up roll 48. The retransfer film 46 is wound around a winding roll 48 and a feeding roll 47, and is wound so as to transfer a transferred image between the platen roller 31 and the heat roller 33.

The retransfer film 46 is transferred by the transfer roller 49. Pinch rollers 32a and 32b are arranged on the peripheral surface of the transfer roller 49, and a drive motor (not shown) is driven and connected to the transfer roller 49. Then, the retransfer film 46 moves counterclockwise in FIG. 1 at the same speed as the ink ribbon 41.

The heat roller 33 is provided with an elevating mechanism (not shown) so as to be pressure-welded and separated from the platen roller 31 arranged in the first transport path P1 via the retransfer film 46. The heat roller 33 is composed of a heating roller, and the image on the retransfer film 46 is transferred to the surface of the card by a heater as a heating means arranged inside.

The position detection sensor Se10 is a sensor that detects the position of the ink ribbon 41. In the ink ribbon 41, for example, a plurality of sets of portions having inks of four colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black are arranged side by side in the transport direction of the ink ribbon 41. When an image is formed on the retransfer film 46 using the ink ribbon 41, the images of each color are superimposed and formed on the retransfer film 46 by appropriately changing the position of the ink ribbon 41. At this time, the position of the ink ribbon 41 is detected by the position detection sensor Se10 so that the ink portion corresponding to the color forming the image is located between the platen roller 45 and the thermal head 40.

The presence / absence detection sensor Se11 is a sensor that detects the film end of the retransfer film 46. When the presence / absence detection sensor Se11 detects the film end of the retransfer film 46, for example, an external terminal such as a personal computer to which the device is connected may be displayed to prompt the user to replace the retransfer film 46, or the device. A display prompting the film to be replaced may be displayed on the display unit provided on the Further, the image forming unit B is provided with an exhaust fan 35 for releasing the heat generated in the apparatus to the outside.

On the downstream side of the image forming unit B, a carry-out path P6 for transferring the card to the storage stacker 60 described later is provided. Transport rollers (or transport belts) 37, 38 for transporting cards are arranged on the carry-out path P6, and the transport rollers 37, 38 are driven and connected to a transport motor (not shown).

A decal roller mechanism 36 is arranged between the transfer roller 37 and the transfer roller 38, and the curl of the card R is corrected by pressing the central portion of the card R held between the transfer rollers 37 and 38. Therefore, the decal roller mechanism 36 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction of FIG. 1 by an elevating mechanism (not shown).

[1st containment unit]
Next, the first accommodating portion D will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the first accommodating unit D is configured to accommodate the card R sent from the image forming unit B in the accommodating stacker 60 as the discharge accommodating unit. The accommodating stacker 60 is configured such that the elevating mechanism 61 and a level sensor (not shown) detect the uppermost card, and the elevating mechanism 61 moves downward in FIG. The elevating mechanism 61 is used as a spring for urging the accommodating stacker 60 upward in FIG. 1, and a card is loaded on the accommodating stacker 60 so that the accommodating stacker 60 resists the urging force of the spring due to the weight of the card. It may be configured to move downward.

[Control configuration]
Next, the control configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The control unit H has a control CPU 70, and the control CPU 70 includes a ROM 71 and a RAM 72. The control unit H includes a data input control unit 73, an image formation control unit 74, and a card transfer control unit 75, which are controlled by the control CPU 70.

The card transfer control unit 75 is a drive circuit (carry-in path transfer motor control circuit, carry-out path carry-out motor control) of a transfer motor for carrying cards arranged in the card supply unit C, the first transfer path P1 and the second transfer path P2. Send a command signal to the circuit). As described above, the transfer motor drives the pickup roller 19, the cleaning roller pair 22, and the transfer rollers 29, 30, 37, 38 (FIG. 1). The number of transfer motors for driving each of these rollers may be one or a plurality. When there is one motor, a clutch may be provided between either roller and the motor. In particular, the pickup roller 19 is made into a separate motor so that it can be driven independently, or a clutch is provided in the drive transmission path from the motor. The card transfer control unit 75 also transmits a command signal to the drive circuit (rotation unit swivel motor control circuit) of the motor of the rotation unit F. Further, the card transfer control unit 75 is connected so as to receive a job signal from the data input control unit 73.

The card transfer control unit 75 is electrically connected to the respective sensors so as to receive the status signals of the sensors Se1 to 6, Se8 to 12, Se101 and Se102 (see FIG. 6B) shown in FIG. There is. The sensors Se1 to Se6 are arranged around the rotation unit F and detect a card to be conveyed in each transfer path. The sensor Se8 detects the tip of the card conveyed to the first transfer path P1 and makes the card wait until the timing of transferring the image of the retransfer film 46 to the card. The sensor Se12 detects that the card has been ejected into the housing stacker 60. The sensor Se9 detects the position of the retransfer film 46. The sensor Se101 (cassette detection sensor) and the sensor Se102 (shutter detection sensor) will be described later.

The card transfer control unit 75 is provided with a monitoring unit and a determination unit, both of which are incorporated in the control program of the control CPU 70. The monitoring unit is configured to receive the status signals of the sensors Se1 to 6, Se8 to 12, Se101 and Se102 and the job signal of the data input control unit 73 to monitor the transport status of the cards existing in the apparatus. ing.

The data input control unit 73 receives job information from an external terminal such as a personal computer connected to the device. If the device has an operation unit capable of inputting job information, the data input control unit 73 may receive the job information from the operation unit. The job information includes information on the type of card housed in the card cassette 3, information to be recorded on the card (input data), and other information on the card.

The data input control unit 73 transmits a command signal for controlling transmission / reception of input data to the magnetic R / W control IC 73y that records and reads magnetic information built in the magnetic recording unit 24 (FIG. 1). Similarly, the data input control unit 73 inputs data to the ICR / W control IC 73z that records and reads information built in the contact type IC recording unit 27 and the non-contact type IC recording unit 23 (FIG. 1). Sends command signals that control transmission and reception.

The image formation control unit 74 controls the image formation on the front and back surfaces of the card by the image formation unit B. Further, the image formation control unit 74 receives job information related to image formation from an external terminal such as a personal computer connected to the device. That is, an image signal for forming an image on the card R is received. Then, the image formation control unit 74 is configured to transmit a command signal to the head control IC 74x based on this image signal.

In the RAM 72, for example, the processing time for inputting data on the card by the magnetic recording unit 24, the contact type IC recording unit 27, and the non-contact type IC recording unit 23 is stored in a data table.

[Bypass supply]
As described above, the card supply unit C is configured to enable automatic supply of the card R stored in the card cassette 3 by the pickup roller 19 toward the cleaning roller vs. 22 in the feeding direction Z. Has been done. However, there are cases where one or a small number of cards are to be supplied, and in this case, it may be more troublesome to supply the cards from the card cassette 3. Further, when supplying a plurality of cards having different thicknesses and types, it may be more efficient to manually supply the cards than to supply the cards from the card cassette 3. In such a case, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, when the card cassette 3 is not attached, the user, the serviceman, or the like can manually hold the cards one by one in the housing 2 without going through the card storage unit 4. It is configured to allow manual feed to be inserted inside the.

Here, it is conceivable to use an optional card insertion slot to manually supply the card. For example, it is conceivable that a card insertion slot is provided on the right side surface of the image forming apparatus in FIG. 1, and options such as a barcode reader and a new card storage portion can be attached to the card insertion slot. However, this card insertion slot can be used as a card insertion slot for manual feed supply when the option is not provided, but when the option is installed, it cannot be used for manual feed supply. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the card insertion slot 105 (see FIG. 3) to which the card housed in the card cassette 3 is normally supplied is also used for manual feeding of the card.

FIG. 5A shows a card supply unit C in a non-mounted state of the card cassette 3, and FIG. 5B shows a card supply unit C in a mounted state of the card cassette 3 (however, the card cassette 3 is not shown). .. In the non-installed state of the card cassette 3, the card insertion slot 105 is exposed upward, and the user can insert the cards one by one into the card insertion slot 105.

The housing 2 is a partition wall that separates the mounting space K1 of the card cassette 3 and the storage space K2 (see FIG. 1) that is formed on the right side of the mounting space K1 in FIG. 1 and stores a part of the pickup roller 19. Has 110. The partition wall 110 rotatably supports the pickup roller 19, exposes a part of the pickup roller 19 to the mounting space K1 from the opening formed in the partition wall 110, and stores the pickup roller 19 in the card cassette 3. It is formed so that it can come into contact with the rightmost card of the card.

The main body feeding unit 15 provides a manual feed guide 101 as a regulating member that regulates the position of the card inserted into the card insertion slot 105 in the width direction X when the user manually feeds the card cassette 3 in a non-mounted state. Have. The manual feed guide 101 moves in the Y direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1) shown in FIG. 5 (a) intersecting the feeding direction Z in conjunction with the attachment / detachment of the card cassette 3 to the housing 2. Specifically, the manual feed guide 101 is urged toward the left side (toward the mounting space K1) in FIG. 1 by a spring 103 (see FIG. 1) as an urging means, and the card cassette 3 is urged. In the non-mounted state, it is located at the protruding position as the first position shown in FIG. 5A, which protrudes into the mounting space K1 of the card cassette 3.

Further, when the card cassette 3 is mounted on the housing 2, the manual feed guide 101 is pressed against the contact portion 104 (see FIG. 2) located at the right end portion (feeding side end portion) of the card cassette 3. , Moves to the right in FIG. 1 against the urging force of the spring 103. As a result, the manual feed guide 101 is positioned at the retracted position as the second position shown in FIG. 5B, which retracts from the mounting space K1 to the storage space K2 side of the partition wall 110 in the mounted state of the card cassette 3. doing. When the card cassette 3 is removed from the housing 2 and is changed from the mounted state to the non-mounted state, the manual feed guide 101 moves from the retracted position to the protruding position again by the urging force of the spring 103. In this way, the manual feed guide 101 moves between the protruding position and the retracted position in conjunction with the attachment / detachment of the card cassette 3 to the housing 2.

The housing 2 is provided with a cassette detection sensor Se101 as a storage unit detecting means that detects that the card cassette 3 is in a mounted state based on the position of the manual feed guide 101 (see FIG. 1). The cassette detection sensor Se101 is a transmissive optical sensor having a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit. The cassette detection sensor Se101 is in a mounted state or a non-mounted state of the card cassette 3 depending on whether or not a protrusion (not shown) formed in the manual feed guide 101 blocks the optical path of the cassette detection sensor Se101. Is detected.

The cassette detection sensor Se101 transmits a status signal of either an ON signal or an OFF signal according to the detection result to the card transfer control unit 75. Specifically, the cassette detection sensor Se101 transmits an ON signal as a status signal to the card transfer control unit 75 when the manual feed guide 101 is located at the retracted position, that is, when the card cassette 3 is mounted. .. Further, the cassette detection sensor Se101 transmits an OFF signal as a state signal to the card transfer control unit 75 when the manual feed guide 101 is located at the protruding position, that is, when the card cassette 3 is not mounted.

In the present embodiment, the cassette detection sensor Se101 is configured to transmit a status signal to the card transfer control unit 75 in both the mounted state and the non-mounted state of the card cassette 3. Not limited. The cassette detection sensor may be capable of detecting that the card cassette is in the mounted state, and is configured to transmit a status signal only in either the mounted state or the non-mounted state of the card cassette, for example. You may be.

The manual feed guide 101 has a pair of regulation surfaces 101a that are separated in the width direction X so as to be a distance that matches the width dimension of the card and are arranged so as to be substantially parallel to each other. The rear regulation surface 101a in FIG. 1 is arranged closer to the front end of the card insertion slot 105, and the front regulation surface 101a in FIG. 1 is the front end of the card insertion slot 105. It is located on the far side. Further, with the manual feed guide 101 positioned at the protruding position, the regulation surface 101a extends to the left of the left end of the card insertion slot 105 in FIG. 3, and extends to the left of the left end of the card insertion slot 105, and the right side of the card insertion slot 105 in FIG. It extends to the right of the end of. That is, the pair of regulation surfaces 101a are provided at positions where the card is inserted into the card insertion slot 105 and abuts on both sides in the width direction of the card. Formed in this way, the regulation surface 101a comes into contact with the card inserted into the card insertion slot 105 when the user manually feeds the card, and regulates the position of the card in the width direction X.

The manual feed guide is not limited to the one having a pair of regulatory surfaces. The manual feed guide may have a regulating surface that regulates the position of the card inserted into the card insertion slot in the width direction while being positioned at the protruding position. For example, the manual feed guide has one regulating surface, and the user can regulate the position of the card in the width direction by inserting the card into the card insertion slot in a state of being in contact with the regulating surface. May be good. That is, the regulation surface 101a may be arranged only on one side in the width direction.

Further, the regulating member may be configured to be compatible with cards of various sizes by configuring the regulating surface so as to be movable in the width direction X. Further, the regulation surface 101a is arranged on both sides of the pickup roller 19 in the width direction X in a state where the manual feed guide 101 is located at the protruding position. As a result, the user or the like can manually feed the card while bringing it into contact with the pickup roller 19, thereby regulating the position of the card in the Y direction when manually feeding the card.

Generally, when a card is fed into the housing through an opening formed in the lower surface of a card cassette that can be attached to and detached from the housing through a card insertion slot formed in the housing, the card is fed in the width direction of the card insertion slot. The width dimension is set larger than the width dimension of the opening. This prevents the card from being caught at the card insertion slot due to an error in mounting the card cassette on the housing, an error in the dimensions of each component, or the like. Therefore, the width dimension of the card insertion slot is often set larger than the width dimension of the card to be inserted.

However, if the width dimension of the card insertion slot is larger than the width dimension of the card to be inserted, the position and orientation of the card inserted from the card insertion slot in the width direction are not stable, and information recording or image formation on the card is performed. Accuracy may decrease. Even if the width of the card insertion slot is approximately the same as the width of the card to be inserted, if the card is inserted into the card insertion slot while the card is tilted, the card will be properly inserted into the card insertion slot. It becomes difficult to do.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, a manual feed guide 101 is provided to regulate the position of the card inserted into the card insertion slot 105 in the width direction when the card cassette 3 is not installed. As a result, in the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the position of the card in the width direction X is regulated by the manual feed guide 101 in the non-mounted state of the card cassette 3. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment can reduce the misalignment and skew of the conveyed card in the non-mounted state of the card cassette 3. In the mounted state of the card cassette 3, as described above, the position of the card housed in the card cassette 3 in the width direction is restricted in the card cassette 3.

As shown in FIG. 6, the manual feed guide 101 is continuous with the upstream end of the regulation surface 101a in the feeding direction Z (see FIG. 1), and extends in the width direction X as it goes upstream in the feeding direction Z, that is, upward. It has a surface 101d. The guide surface 101d guides the card between the pair of regulation surfaces 101a when the user manually supplies the feed, and improves the workability when the manual feed is supplied.

Further, the manual feed guide 101 is on the upper surface on the side where the contact portion 104 (see FIG. 2) of the card cassette 3 can come into contact with the card cassette 3 when the card cassette 3 is mounted on the housing 2, upstream of the card feeding direction Z. It has a pair of guide surfaces 101e as guide portions that are inclined toward the side (upward) toward the retracted position side (right side in FIG. 1) of the manual feed guide 101. Further, the manual feed guide 101 has a pair of receiving surfaces 101b that can come into contact with the contact portion 104 of the card cassette 3 in the mounted state of the card cassette 3 and extend in the vertical direction. A pair of receiving surfaces 101b are provided on the tip surface of the manual feed guide 101 in the protruding direction. The guide surface 101e and the receiving surface 101b are arranged on both sides of the pickup roller 19 in the width direction X in a state where the manual feed guide 101 is located at a protruding position. Further, in the guide surface 101e and the receiving surface 101b, the upper end of the receiving surface 101b on one side is continuous with the lower end of the guide surface 101e on one side, and the upper end of the receiving surface 101b on the other side is the lower end of the guide surface 101e on the other side. It is formed to be continuous.

The guide surface 101e moves the manual feed guide 101 from the protruding position to the retracted position by sliding contact with the contact portion 104 of the card cassette 3 that moves to the mounting position when the card cassette 3 is mounted on the housing 2. I will guide you. By the guide surface 101e and the spring 103, the manual feed guide 101 smoothly moves in the direction intersecting the feeding direction Z and the width direction X, that is, in the Y direction, in conjunction with the attachment / detachment of the card cassette 3 to the housing 2.

Further, in the present embodiment, the manual feed guide 101 is configured to move in a direction intersecting the feeding direction Z and the width direction X between the protruding position and the retracting position. Here, it is also conceivable that the manual feed guide is moved in the direction along the feeding direction Z so as to be positioned at the retracted position. In this case, when the card is inserted, the card hits the manual feed guide and the manual feed guide easily moves to the retracted position. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the direction in which the card is inserted and the direction in which the manual feed guide 101 retracts intersect, it is possible to prevent the manual feed guide 101 from inadvertently moving to the retracted position when the card is inserted.

Further, the receiving surface 101b abuts on the abutting portion 104 and receives the urging force of the spring 103 in the mounted state of the card cassette 3, and holds the position of the manual feed guide 101 in the Y direction in the retracted position. On the other hand, the manual feed guide 101 has a stopper surface 101c that extends in the vertical direction and faces the surface of the partition wall 110 on the side of the storage space K2. The stopper surface 101c is pressed by the spring 103 against the surface of the partition wall 110 on the side of the storage space K2 in the non-mounted state of the card cassette 3, and holds the position of the manual feed guide 101 in the Y direction at the protruding position.

The manual feed guide 101 has a closing position shown in FIG. 6A for closing the card insertion slot 105 and an opening position shown in FIG. 6B for opening the card insertion slot 105 when the card cassette 3 is not installed. A shutter 102 that is rotatable about a shaft 101f extending in the width direction X is pivotally supported between the above. The shutter 102 is urged from the open position to the closed position by a spring as an urging member (not shown) in the non-mounted state of the card cassette 3. When the user manually feeds the shutter 102, the card insertion slot 105 can be opened by being pushed by the tip of the card and rotating to the open position, and the shutter 102 can be cleaned by opening the card insertion slot 105. The card can be transported by the roller pair 22.

The shutter 102 is a foreign matter removing means for removing foreign matter such as dust and dirt adhering to the card in contact with the card on the surface in contact with the card, that is, the upper surface 102a in the closed position when the user manually feeds the card. It has a suction portion 102b of. The suction portion 102b is formed in the shape of a brush with short hairs, and sucks foreign matter adhering to the card inserted into the card insertion slot 105 by an adsorbent, static electricity, or the like. The foreign matter removing means for removing foreign matter adhering to the card is not limited to this. For example, the foreign matter removing means may be configured to entangle fine foreign matter with a brush, or the shutter itself may be a foreign matter. It may be made of a material that adsorbs.

In the case of the present embodiment as described above, in the non-mounted state of the card cassette 3, the shutter is located at the closed position except when the card is inserted, and the card insertion slot 105 is closed by the shutter, so that the inside of the housing 2 is entered. Image formation defects caused by foreign substances, such as reducing the intrusion of foreign substances such as dust and dirt, suppressing information recording defects in the information recording unit, and entraining foreign substances between the image and the card in the image forming unit B. Can be suppressed. Further, by reducing the intrusion of foreign matter into the inside of the housing 2, the amount of foreign matter adhering to the cleaning roller pair 22 arranged downstream of the card insertion slot 105 is reduced, and the life of the cleaning roller pair 22 is extended. It becomes possible to plan.

Further, when the card cassette 3 is mounted on the housing 2, the shutter 102 moves toward the right side of FIG. 1 together with the manual feed guide 101 in a state where the rotation position with respect to the manual feed guide 101 is the closed position, and the card cassette 3 The card insertion slot 105 is opened in the mounted state of. In this way, when the card cassette 3 is mounted, the shutter 102 moves to the retracted position together with the manual feed guide 101 to open the card insertion slot 105. Therefore, when the shutter 102 automatically supplies the card while the card cassette 3 is mounted, the shutter 102 moves the card. It does not interfere with delivery.

In the housing 2, a shutter detection sensor Se102 as a shutter detection means for detecting that the shutter 102 opens the card insertion slot 105 based on the rotation position of the shutter 102 when the card cassette 3 is not mounted is provided in the housing 2. It is provided. The shutter detection sensor Se102 is a transmissive optical sensor having a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit. The shutter detection sensor Se102 detects whether the shutter 102 is in the open position or the closed position depending on whether or not a protrusion (not shown) formed on the shutter 102 blocks the optical path of the shutter detection sensor Se102. .. The shutter detection sensor Se102 transmits a status signal of either an ON signal or an OFF signal according to the detection result to the card transfer control unit 75. Specifically, the shutter detection sensor Se102 transmits an OFF signal as a state signal to the card transfer control unit 75 when the shutter 102 is located at the closed position, and when the shutter 102 is located at the open position. , An ON signal as a status signal is transmitted to the card transfer control unit 75.

In the present embodiment, the shutter detection sensor Se102 is configured to transmit a status signal to the card transfer control unit 75 regardless of whether the shutter 102 is in the closed position or the open position. Not limited to this. The shutter detection sensor may be capable of detecting that the shutter has opened the card insertion slot when the card cassette 3 is not installed. For example, the state signal may be transmitted only when the shutter is located in either the closed position or the open position, or the state signal is not transmitted in the mounted state of the card cassette 3. It may be configured as follows. With this configuration, the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment can detect that the manual feed supply is performed based on the position of the shutter 102 when the user manually feeds the data.

[Processing in manual feed mode]
Next, with reference to FIG. 7, a process executed by the control unit H in the manual feed mode when the user manually feeds the data will be described. In the present embodiment, it is possible to select a manual feed mode in which a card can be manually supplied from the card insertion slot 105 by an external terminal such as a personal computer or, when the device has an operation unit, the operation unit. When the manual feed mode is selected, the control unit H determines whether or not the status signal from the cassette detection sensor Se101 is an OFF signal (step S1). In this process, the control unit H determines whether or not the image forming apparatus 1 is in the non-mounted state of the card cassette 3 capable of manually feeding, based on the state signal from the cassette detection sensor Se101. ing.

In the process of step S1, when the status signal from the cassette detection sensor Se101 is an ON signal, that is, when the card cassette 3 is in the mounted state (No in step S1), the control unit H returns to the process of step S1 again. .. In the process of step S1, when the status signal from the cassette detection sensor Se101 is an OFF signal, that is, when the card cassette 3 is not mounted (Yes in step S1), the control unit H is sent from the shutter detection sensor Se102. It is determined whether or not the state signal is an ON signal (step S2). In this process, the control unit H determines whether or not the user has inserted the card into the card insertion slot 105 by manual insertion.

In the process of step 2, when the state signal from the shutter detection sensor Se102 is an OFF signal, that is, when the shutter 102 is located at the closed position (No in step S2), the control unit H again performs the process of step S2. Return to. In the process of step 2, when the state signal from the shutter detection sensor Se102 is an ON signal, that is, when the shutter 102 is located in the open position (Yes in step S2), the control unit H is subjected to a cleaning roller by the conveyor motor. The rotary drive of the pair 22 is started (step S3).

As described above, when the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment detects that the card cassette 3 is not attached and that the shutter 102 opens the card insertion slot 105 in the manual feed mode, the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment detects that the card cassette 3 is not attached. The cleaning roller pair 22 starts the supply operation of supplying the card to the inside of the housing 2. In the non-mounted state of the card cassette 3, even if the cleaning roller pair 22 starts the supply operation, the pickup roller 19 does not rotate and maintains the stopped state.

In this way, by starting the supply operation based on the position of the shutter 102, it is possible to prevent the cleaning roller pair 22 from being unnecessarily driven. That is, when the cleaning roller pair 22 is driven simply by determining the non-mounted state based on the position of the manual feed guide 101, the cleaning roller pair 22 is driven simply by removing the card cassette 3. In this case, the transfer motor is unnecessarily driven and power is wasted. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the insertion of the card is detected based on the position of the shutter 102, the cleaning roller pair 22 is driven to prevent wasteful consumption of electric power.

When the transfer of the card is started by the rotational drive of the cleaning roller vs. 22, the control unit H receives a predetermined amount after the card manually supplied by the sensor Se1 arranged downstream of the cleaning roller pair 22 in the feeding direction Z is detected. The rotary drive of the cleaning roller pair 22 is continued until it rotates (step S4). By this process, a predetermined amount of the card is conveyed and sandwiched by the roller pairs 21a and 21b of the rotating unit F.

In the process of step S4, when a predetermined amount of the manually supplied card is conveyed until it is sandwiched by the roller pairs 21a and 21b of the rotation unit F, the control unit H rotates the cleaning roller pair 22 by the transfer motor. Stop (step S5). Then, based on the input job information, processing such as recording, reading, and image formation of the information on the card is performed.

The image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is configured such that the pickup roller 19 and the cleaning roller pair 22 are rotationally driven by the same motor, and the power transmission to the pickup roller 19 is cut off by the clutch. However, if the image forming apparatus is configured to rotationally drive the pickup roller and the cleaning roller when performing automatic supply, and rotationally drive the cleaning roller in a state where the pickup roller is not rotationally driven when manually feeding is performed. Good. For example, the image forming apparatus may be configured so that the pickup roller and the cleaning roller are rotationally driven by separate motors to cut off the power supply to the motor for the pickup roller when manually feeding the image. Further, the image forming apparatus may be configured so that the pickup roller does not rotate in the non-mounted state of the card cassette based on the status signal of the cassette detection sensor.

In the case of the present embodiment as described above, the position and posture of the card transported from the card insertion slot 105 to the inside of the housing 2 in the width direction X can be stabilized in the non-mounted state of the card cassette 3. As a result, when the card is manually supplied without the card cassette 3 installed, the card is poorly supplied, or the card is transported in an unstable posture, resulting in poor recording in the information recording unit or image forming unit B. It is possible to reduce image formation defects in the above.

[Other Embodiments]
In the above-described embodiment, the card supply unit C conveys the card toward the inside of the housing 2, the information recording unit records information on the card, and the image forming unit B forms an image on the card. We do, but we are not limited to this. For example, after the card is conveyed toward the inside of the housing by the card supply unit, the card may be ejected without recording information or forming an image. Specifically, after the card is conveyed toward the inside of the housing by the card supply unit, the information of the card is read by the information recording unit, and the ejection destination is selected and ejected by the rotating unit according to the read result. Can be considered. Further, in the present embodiment, the portion of the image forming apparatus 1 excluding the image forming portion B is referred to as the information recording apparatus 200.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the manual feed guide 101 is configured to retract from the storage space K2 to the storage space K2 side of the partition wall 110 in the mounted state of the card cassette 3, but the present invention is not limited to this. .. When the card cassette is installed, the manual feed guide may be configured so that at least a part of the manual feed guide is retracted from the storage space so that the card cassette can be installed.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the card cassette 3 can be moved and detached with respect to the housing 2 in the opposite directions of the feeding direction Z and the feeding direction Z, and the manual feed guide 101 can be moved in the Y direction of FIG. It is configured in, but is not limited to this. If the manual feed guide can be moved in the direction in which the manual feed guide intersects the feeding direction and the width direction of the card, for example, the card feeding device can be moved in the Y direction with respect to the housing and can be attached / detached, and the card cassette The manual feed guide may be configured to move in the Y direction in conjunction with attachment / detachment to / from the housing.

1 ... Image forming device / 2 ... Housing (device body) / 3 ... Card cassette (card storage) / 16 ... Opening (card supply port) / 19 ... Pickup roller ( Feeding means) / 22 ... Cleaning roller pair (card transporting means) / 23 ... Non-contact IC unit (information recording unit) / 24 ... Magnetic recording unit (information recording unit) / 27 ... Contact type IC recording unit (information recording unit) / 101 ... Manual feed guide (regulatory member) / 101a ... Regulatory surface / 101e ... Guide surface (guide unit) / 102 ... Shutter / 102b ... Suction unit (foreign matter removing means) / 103 ... Spring (urging means) / 105 ... Card insertion slot / 110 ... Partition wall / 200 ... Information recording device / B ... Image forming unit / C ... Card supply unit (card feeding device) / B ... Image forming unit / K1 ... Mounting space / K2 ... Storage space / R ... Card / Se101 ... Cassette detection sensor ( Storage unit detection means) / Se102 ... Shutter detection sensor (shutter detection means) / X ... Width direction / Z ... Feeding direction (predetermined direction)

Claims (16)

The main body of the device, which has a card insertion slot in which a card can be inserted,
With a card storage unit formed with a card feeding port that can be attached to and detached from the device body while loading and storing cards, and that feeds cards to the card insertion slot while mounted on the device body. ,
It is a card transporting means that is arranged in the device main body and conveys cards, and in a mounted state in which the card storage unit is mounted on the device main body, a card stored in the card storage unit is placed inside the device main body. A card inserted into the card insertion slot without going through the card storage portion is placed inside the device main body in a non-mounted state in which the card storage portion is not mounted on the device main body. The card transporting means for transporting in the predetermined direction toward
The first position and the second position are interlocked with the attachment / detachment of the card storage unit to / from the device body so that the card storage unit is located at the first position in the non-mounted state and is located at the second position in the mounted state. A regulating member having a regulating surface that regulates the position of a card inserted into the card insertion slot in a width direction intersecting the predetermined direction while moving between the cards and being positioned at the first position. A card feeding device characterized by the fact that. The card feeding device according to claim 1, further comprising an urging means for urging the regulating member from the second position to the first position. When the card accommodating portion is attached to the apparatus main body, the restricting member is pressed by the card accommodating portion to resist the urging force of the urging means from the first position to the second position. The card feeding device according to claim 2, wherein the card feeding device moves toward. The restricting member projects into the mounting space where the card storage unit is mounted while being located at the first position, and at least a part of the regulating member is retracted from the mounting space while being positioned at the second position. The card feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the card feeding device is characterized. A feeding means arranged upstream of the card insertion slot in the predetermined direction and feeding the card stored in the card storage unit toward the card transporting means is provided.
The apparatus main body has a partition wall that exposes a part of the feeding means to the mounting space and separates the mounting space from a storage space that stores a part of the feeding means.
The card supply according to claim 4, wherein at least a part of the regulating member retracts from the mounting space toward the storage space with respect to the partition wall while being located at the second position. Feeding device. The card according to claim 5, wherein the regulation surface is arranged in a pair on both sides of the feeding means in the width direction in a state where the regulation member is located at the first position. Feeding device. One of claims 1 to 6, wherein the regulating member moves in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction and the width direction in conjunction with attachment / detachment of the card storage portion to the device main body. The card feeding device described in. When the card accommodating portion is attached to the apparatus main body, the restricting member comes into contact with the card accommodating portion that moves to the mounting position and moves the restricting member from the first position to the second position. The card feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the card feeding device has a guide unit for guiding the card. A shutter that opens and closes the card insertion slot in conjunction with attachment / detachment of the card storage unit to the device main body so as to open the card insertion slot in the mounted state and close the card insertion slot in the non-mounted state. With
The shutter is any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the shutter can be pushed by the card to open the card insertion slot when the card is inserted into the card insertion slot in the non-mounted state. Card feeding device described in. The shutter is rotatably supported by the restricting member, and moves from the first position to the second position in conjunction with attachment / detachment of the card storage portion to the device main body. The card feeding device according to claim 9, wherein the card insertion slot moves from a closing position to an opening position in conjunction with the above. The card feeding device according to claim 9 or 10, further comprising a shutter detecting means for detecting that the shutter has opened the card insertion slot in the non-mounted state. A storage unit detecting means for detecting the non-mounted state based on the position of the regulating member is provided.
When the storage unit detecting means detects that the card is not attached and the shutter detecting means detects that the shutter has opened the card insertion slot, the card transporting means starts operating. 11. The card feeding device according to claim 11. The shutter according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the shutter has a foreign matter removing means for removing foreign matter adhering to the card by coming into contact with the card inserted from the card insertion slot. Card feeding device. The card feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.
An information recording device including an information recording unit capable of recording information on a card fed by the card feeding device. The card feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming portion for forming an image on a card fed by the card feeding apparatus. An information recording unit capable of recording information on a card fed by the card feeding device is provided.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the image forming unit forms an image on a card in which information is recorded by the information recording unit.

Images