JP2868036B2 - Card slot - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a card insertion slot of a card reader / writer used in a vending machine or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a vending machine, it is possible to use a vending machine with a card having a personal authentication function or a prepaid function for the purpose of speeding up a sales processing time by simplifying cash handling and fixing customers. It is becoming.

The cards can be broadly classified into a magnetic stripe card having a magnetic stripe on which data is written and an IC card in which a semiconductor memory or the like is embedded. The magnetic stripe card can be classified into a paper card, a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) card or a plastic card depending on the material. The thickness of the card is 0.3 mm for a paper card, 0.23 to 0.26 mm for a PET card, 0.76 mm for a plastic card, and 0.76 mm for an IC card.

[0004] Further, depending on the material and thickness, thin paper cards and PET cards are easily bent, and plastic cards and IC cards are hardly bent. A conventional card insertion slot of a card reader and a card reader / writer for receiving a plastic card or an IC card is configured as shown in FIG.

[0005] A thick card (plastic card or IC card) 2a input from the insertion slot 1 is inserted into the card insertion path 3 into the far end 4 and, in the case of a plastic card, a magnetic stripe by a magnetic head. When the content is read and the card data is updated, writing to the magnetic stripe is performed by the magnetic head, and the card 2a is returned to the insertion slot 1 through the card insertion path 3. I
In the case of a C card, the card insertion path 3 is inserted into the back end 4 and the contact electrodes of the card 2a and the electrodes of the card reader and the card reader / writer are brought into contact with each other to read and write data, thereby performing the card insertion path. 3, the card 2a is returned toward the insertion port 1.

[0006]

In such a conventional structure, a thin card (paper card or PET card) 2b is used as a card reader and a card reader / writer for handling a thick card 2a as shown in FIG. If the user unknowingly inputs from the slot 1, normal reading cannot be performed or the inserted thin card 2 b cannot be returned to the slot 1.

An object of the present invention is to provide a card insertion slot capable of preventing a thin card 2b from being accepted in a card reader and a card reader / writer which handle the thick card 2a.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, the card insertion slot is urged toward one of the opposing surfaces forming the card insertion path in a direction approaching the other surface. A protruding body that closes the card, the protruding body abuts against the inserted card, generates a component force in the direction of retreating against the bias, and changes the insertion direction when the card is thin. An inclined surface is formed, and a concave portion is formed on the other surface side for accommodating the front end portion of the card which is bent by contacting the inclined surface of the protruding body with the insertion direction changed.

[0009]

[0010]

[0011]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the tip of the thin card elastically deformed in contact with the inclined surface of the projection enters a recess different from the far end side of the card insertion path, and the back of the card insertion path. It is surely blocked so that it does not enter the end side.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 will be described with the same reference numerals.

The card insertion slot of the present invention is configured as shown in FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1A, a projection 6 urged by a compression spring 5 in a protruding direction is provided on the way from the insertion slot 1 to the far end 4 of the card insertion path 3. . The tip of the projection 6 has a curved inclined surface 7.
a, 7b. The upper surface 8 of the card insertion path 3 is formed with a recess 9 having a width equal to or larger than the card width.

With such a configuration, the thick card 2a inserted from the insertion slot 1 has its tip abutting on the inclined surface 7a of the projection 6, and in this state, when the card 2a is further pushed in, the inclined surface 7a A component force is generated in the direction in which the protrusion 6 is pushed down against the bias of the compression spring 5, and the protrusion 6 retreats as shown in FIG.
And get into the far end side 4.

When the thin card 2b is inserted from the insertion slot 1, the tip of the card 2b comes into contact with the inclined surface 7a of the projection 6, and when the card 2b is further pushed in this state, the card 2b itself However, as shown in FIG. 1C, the card 2b is elastically deformed, enters the concave portion 9, comes into contact with the end of the concave portion 9, and cannot insert the card 2b any more. The intrusion into the back end side 4 of 3 can be reliably prevented.

Although it is possible to prevent the card 2b from entering the far end 4 of the card insertion path 3 even when the recess 9 is not formed, in this case, the card 2b comes into contact with the inclined surface 7a of the projection 6 and elastically deforms. The bent end of the card 2b collides with the upper surface 8 of the card insertion path 3 and is elastically deformed again to bend toward the contact surface or gap between the upper surface 8 and the end of the protrusion 6. In this case, when the card 2b is further inserted, there is a possibility that the card 2b may enter the far end 4 of the card insertion path 3.

In the above embodiment, the projection 6 is provided over almost the entire width of the insertion port 1 as shown in FIG. 2, but it may be provided only at the center of the insertion port 1 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the same applies to the case where the short protrusions 6a and 6b are provided at intervals.

In the above embodiment, the tip of the projection 6 is formed on the curved inclined surfaces 7a and 7b. However, the same applies to the inclined surface formed by a non-curved flat surface.
FIG. 5 shows another embodiment, in which a recess 10 for accommodating the tip of the projection 9 is formed on the upper surface 8 of the card insertion path 3, and a recess 9 is formed at the deep end of the recess 10.

According to this configuration, the thin card 2b can be guided to the recess 9 more reliably.

[0020]

[0021]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, one of the opposing surfaces forming the card insertion path is urged in a direction approaching the other surface to close the card insertion path. The projecting body is formed with an inclined surface that generates a component force in a direction of abutting against the inserted card and retreating against the urging force and changing the inserting direction when the card is thin. A concave portion is formed on the other surface of the card so as to abut the inclined surface of the protruding body and accommodates a bent end portion of a card whose insertion direction has been changed. The tip of the thin card is inserted into a recess different from the far end of the card insertion path and is reliably blocked so as not to enter the far end of the card insertion path, thereby improving reliability. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a card insertion slot of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a card insertion slot of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of another embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a front view of another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of another embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which a thick card is inserted into a conventional card insertion slot.

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which a thin card is inserted into a conventional card insertion slot.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 insertion slot 2a thick card 2b thin card 3 card insertion path 4 back end side 5 compression spring 6 protrusion 7a, 7b inclined surface 9 recess

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A protruding member which is urged in a direction approaching the other surface and closes the card insertion path is provided on one of the opposing surfaces forming a card insertion path, and is inserted into the protruding body. When a component force is generated in the direction of abutting against the card and retracting against the bias, and the card is thin
Is formed with an inclined surface for changing the insertion direction, and on the other surface side, the insertion direction is changed by contacting the inclined surface of the protruding body.
A card insertion slot formed with a recess for accommodating a tip portion of a bent and bent card;