JP2841591B2 - Card reader - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a card reader for reading and writing data on a card provided with an embossed code formed on a bank card, a credit card or the like, for example. More specifically, the present invention relates to a card reader that prevents foreign matter from being inserted into a card insertion slot formed in the card reader.

(B) Conventional technology Generally, this type of card reader takes in a card by manually inserting the card into a card insertion slot,
The captured card is processed by the internal card data processing unit for card transaction.

In this case, in the card insertion slot having a height in the thickness direction corresponding to the thickness of the guard, one side of the inner passage in the width direction has a height in the thickness direction corresponding to the embossed code of the card. Form an embossed code-corresponding passage that opens slightly higher.

However, due to the height of the embossed code-corresponding passage in the card thickness direction being high, coins may be inserted by mistake as coin insertion slots, in which case the internal card data processing unit may be damaged, A short circuit between the units causes a reading error, and a coin reader cannot be returned, thereby causing a failure of the card reader.

(C) Problems to be Solved by the Invention The present invention provides a card reader having a simple structure for preventing a foreign object such as a coin from being inserted into an emboss-encoded passage of a card insertion slot. With the goal.

(D) Means for Solving the Problems According to the present invention, a position corresponding to an embossed code attached to a card is set in an insertion slot of the card corresponding to the thickness of the card in accordance with the height of the embossed code. A card reader that forms an embossed code opening that is higher than the thickness of the card and processes the card by inserting the card with the embossed code, and prevents insertion of foreign matter into the embossed code opening of the insertion slot. A stopper is provided, and a tilting piece is provided in the card insertion passage at a position where the inserted card comes in contact with the stopper earlier than the position of the stopper, in which the inserted card is tilted by contact and returned by the urging means to allow insertion of the card, A card reader in which the tilting piece and the stopper are linked so as to open the slipper by tilting when the tilting piece permits insertion of a card.

According to the present invention, when a card is inserted, the tilting piece in the insertion passage is tilted and retracted from the passage based on the card insertion operation to allow the card to be inserted, and the card is inserted after the card is pulled out. The tilting piece returns to the original passage closing position by the biasing means.

Further, when a foreign object is inserted into the embossed code opening of the card insertion slot, the insertion of the foreign object is prevented by the stopper closing this portion.

(F) Effects of the Invention For this reason, the insertion of foreign matter can be reliably prevented by the stopper, and only the card can be safely and securely inserted. As a result, the internal card data processing unit can be protected from foreign matter, and a reading error due to the foreign matter and a failure due to an unreturnable coin (foreign matter) can be prevented beforehand. Since it has a simple structure for opening and closing, it can be manufactured at low cost without requiring a solenoid or the like.

(G) Embodiment One embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

The drawings show a card reader. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the card reader 11 is allowed to be used with, for example, an IC card, a magnetic card, or the like having an embossed code 13 formed with irregularities along one longitudinal side of the card 12. The card reader 11 has a card insertion slot 14 on the front surface thereof for allowing insertion and removal of the card 12, a tilt permitting piece 16 disposed on the start end side of the card inner passage 15, Is provided with a card data processing unit (not shown).

The card inner passage 15 described above is used for the card 12 that is permitted to be traded.
Is inserted in a size corresponding to the width and thickness through which the embossed code 13 can be inserted.
The opening 17 corresponding to the embossed code corresponding to the height of the convex portion is opened.

In addition, a semicircular concave portion 18 is formed at an entrance portion of the card insertion slot 14 corresponding to the embossed code corresponding passage 17 to allow a fingertip to be inserted by hand, and a card inserted and removed here. 12 is easily picked with a fingertip, and the operation of inserting and removing the card 12 is facilitated.

Further, a magnetic head 20 for processing magnetic data is disposed at an entrance portion of the card insertion slot 14 corresponding to the magnetic stripe 19 of the card 12, and a card inserted therein is provided.
The magnetic data processing is executed in contact with the twelve magnetic stripes 19.

The above-mentioned tilt allowance piece 16 is formed in a U-shape, and both ends are pivotally supported by the card reader main body 21 via support shafts 22, 22 at both sides in the card width direction, and the support shafts 22, 22 are rotated. The return spring 23 is allowed to tilt in the vertical direction at the fulcrum, and normally biases the central portion of the tiltable piece 16 upward from below to bias the tiltable piece 16 against the upper surface of the passage of the card reader body 21. The position is regulated to the horizontal state of the contacted upper limit position, and in this horizontal state, the front end is closed corresponding to the closed position of the card inner passage 15.

At a front end position corresponding to the card inner passage 15 of the tilt allowance piece 16, a card inclination corresponding piece 24 is protrudingly provided, and the card inclination corresponding piece 24 is provided with a front end inclined downward and forward. When the leading end of the card inserted on the surface abuts, the card tilting corresponding piece 24 is pushed down, and the integrated tilt permitting piece 16 receiving this pushing force is rotated downward, and the Tilt and retract downward, which causes the card 12
Allow insert operation.

In addition, the tilt allowance piece 16 includes the above-described card tilt corresponding piece.
At a position rearward of 24, a coin stopper piece 25 that protrudes from the embossed code-corresponding passage 17 in a state perpendicular to the embossed code-corresponding passage 17 is provided.

The coin stopper piece 25 is provided so that the front end of the tiltable piece 16 corresponding to the embossed code-corresponding passage 17 protrudes upright at a right angle from the horizontal state, so that the entire embossed code-corresponding passage 17 is substantially closed by this upstanding surface. It corresponds to. As a result, the embossed code-corresponding passage 17 is normally in a standby state in a closed state, and an erroneous insertion operation of the coin 26 from this passage 17 is prevented. In the drawing, reference numeral 27 denotes an IC contact portion of the card.

The card reader 11 configured as described above usually has the first
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the upward movement of the return spring 23 regulates the position of the tiltable piece 16 in the card inner passage 15 in a horizontal state, and the coin protruding from the front end in this horizontal state. The stopper piece 25 stands by with the embossed code-corresponding passage 17 closed.

For this reason, a slightly wide open passage for embossed codes
Even if the customer inserts the coin 26 by mistake of the coin insertion slot 17, the coin stopper piece corresponding to the closing end of the passage 17 is closed.
25 makes it possible to reliably prevent the closing operation.

On the other hand, when the card 12 is inserted, the leading end of the card pushes down the card tilting corresponding piece 24 to tilt and retreat the tilt permitting piece 16 downward, thereby permitting the insertion operation of the card 12 and allowing the insertion. The card 12 is subjected to predetermined data processing by an internal card data processing unit.

Then, after the card data processing, when the card 12 is pulled out, the tilt permitting piece 16 is returned to the original horizontal upward standby position by the return action of the return spring 23 in conjunction with this, and the card inner passage 15 is closed. To prepare for the next card.

As described above, since the insertion of coins into the card insertion slot can be reliably prevented and only the card can be inserted safely, the internal card data processing section can be protected, and reading errors and coin return failures can occur. Failure can be prevented beforehand. In particular, since it has a simple configuration in which the passage is opened and closed in conjunction with the card insertion / removal operation, it can be manufactured at low cost without requiring a solenoid or the like.

In the correspondence between the present invention and the configuration of the above-described embodiment, the embossed code opening of the present invention corresponds to the concave recessed portion 18 of the embodiment. The urging means corresponds to the return spring 23, the stopper corresponds to the coin stopper piece 25, and the foreign object corresponds to the coin 26. However, the present invention is limited to only the configuration of the above-described embodiment. Not something.

[Brief description of the drawings]

 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main part of a card reader, and FIG. 2 is a front view of the card reader. 11 card reader, 12 card 13 embossed code, 14 card insertion slot 15 card inner passage, 16 tiltable piece 17 passage corresponding to embossed code, 18 concave recess 23 Return spring, 25 Coin stopper piece 26 Coin

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An embosser, wherein a position corresponding to an embossed code attached to a card is opened at a position corresponding to the height of the embossed code higher than the thickness of the card in an insertion slot of the card formed according to the thickness of the card. What is claimed is: 1. A card reader which forms a code opening and processes a card by inserting a card with an embossed code, wherein a stopper for preventing foreign matter from being inserted is provided at an embossed code opening of said insertion port. In the card insertion passage at the position where the inserted card contacts first, a tilting piece is provided that allows the inserted card to be tilted by contact and returned by the biasing means to allow insertion of the card, and the tilting piece and the stopper, A card reader linked to open the stopper when the tilting piece allows the card to be inserted.