JP2949355B2 - Card device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a card device.

[Related Art] With the spread of prepaid cards represented by telephon cards in recent years, various card devices have been proposed. In such a card device, a plurality of prepaid cards of different types, such as denominations, are stored in a cartridge for each amount of money, and when a prepaid card is issued, the card is exchanged for a cartridge corresponding to the denomination, and according to the denomination. Each processing of the prepaid card was performed.

[Problem to be Solved by the Present Invention] As described above, the conventional card device performs processing of the card by exchanging cartridges one by one according to the type of denomination, etc., especially when issuing the card. Since the operation becomes troublesome, the applicant of the present application has proposed a card terminal device in which it is not necessary to replace the card with a cartridge according to the type of the denomination of the card.

This card device is naturally provided with a card transport device for issuing, clearing, invalidating, and displaying the balance. However, the issuance of the card is performed in the forward direction. In other operations, the card is conveyed in both forward and reverse directions, so that a conveyance system using a common motor drive source cannot carry out cards necessary for issuance, settlement, invalidation, balance display, and the like. When a recording device and a reproducing device are sequentially arranged in order to perform a predetermined process on a card which is a recording / reproducing medium for information, first, the card is transported to the reproducing device,
After that, it is necessary to convey the card to the recording device in the reverse direction and perform card settlement, invalidation, balance display, and the like according to the reproduction result.
Furthermore, since the card device is often arranged at a checkout desk in a small store, it is necessary to minimize the arrangement space.

On the other hand, when the card is transported in the forward and reverse directions, the position of the card must be detected to prepare for a power failure or the like.

Therefore, the card device of the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the invention of claim 1 is
In order to perform a predetermined process on a card which is a recording / reproducing medium for information, the card is transported to a processing device built in the card device, and when issuing, clearing, invalidating, and displaying the balance, a different type of card is used. It is an object of the present invention to provide a card device capable of handling a desired card without replacing a stored cartridge, reducing installation space, and obtaining a driving force for conveying a card from a minimum necessary driving source. is there.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a card device capable of detecting the position of a card and carrying the card in both the forward and reverse directions in order to carry the card in both the forward and reverse directions.

[Means for Solving the Problems] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, according to the present invention, a card is provided to a processing means for performing a predetermined process on a card which is a recording / reproducing medium for information. By carrying at least, in a card device that issues, clears, invalidates, and displays the balance, at least a plurality of types or a single type of pre-invalid cards are stored, and the card device is detachably attached to the card device. A cartridge to be provided, cartridge accommodation means for accommodating a plurality of the cartridges in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction, and a card which is individually arranged in the cartridge accommodation means and is located at the lowest position in the cartridge. Transport system that obtains power from a drive source that is driven in a fixed direction to transport the sheets one by one, and a card that is sent from the first transport system in a common transport And a second transport system that receives power from a drive source that is driven in the forward and reverse directions for transporting downstream through the path and further transporting the processing means in the forward and reverse directions. And

Preferably, at least one of the first transport system and the second transport system is provided with card detection means at intervals shorter than the entire length of the card.

[Operation] According to the above configuration, a plurality of cartridges accommodating a plurality of cards are accommodated in the cartridge accommodating means accommodating the cartridges in a multistage manner. Thereafter, at the time of issuance, the cards in the cartridge are taken out one by one by the first transport system. The removed card is transported in the second transport system in the forward and reverse rotation directions and at a predetermined speed to issue, settle, invalidate, and display the balance of the card.

Further, the position of the card is detected by the card detection means of the transport system, and the second transport system is operated at a predetermined direction and at a predetermined speed.

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

FIG. 1 shows a POS system of a prepaid card terminal device incorporating a prepaid card cartridge according to an embodiment.
FIG. 26 is an external perspective view of a connected state with the device 55 in use. In the figure, the main body 1 of the prepaid card terminal device has an outer shape approximately conforming to the outer shape of the operation surface of the POS device 55 as shown in the figure, and incorporates each constituent means described later inside.

The POS device 55 has a well-known configuration, and includes a barcode scanner for reading a barcode of a product, a slip issuing machine for issuing a receipt, a numeric keypad for inputting an amount, a tablet for inputting an item, and a cash vault. And a display (both not shown) are arranged so that handling when a prepaid card is not used can be performed by the POS device 55 alone.

On the other hand, the main unit 1 of the prepaid card terminal device which is connected to the POS device 55 and is disposed with a small occupation area by partially penetrating the bottom of the tablet, issues a prepaid card C, clears, invalidates, and displays the balance. A card entrance 52 for inserting and removing the prepaid card C in the direction of the double arrow on the entire surface toward the operator as shown in the figure;
Operation side display for displaying the status of prepaid card C
53 and a customer side display 54 for displaying to the customer are provided integrally as shown in the figure.

The main body 1 installed on the right side of the POS device 55 in this way
Is connected to a main control unit of the POS device 55 via a signal line 42 described later, exchanges signals with the POS device 55, and performs processing using the prepaid card C. Like that.

Further, the main body 1 also has a single operation function, and has a single function irrelevant to the transfer of money such as the balance check of the prepaid card C.

Next, FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the main body 1 of the prepaid card terminal device of FIG. 1 as viewed from the customer side, and FIG. 1 is further referred to with reference to FIG. A lid 38 is provided below the container 54 so as to be rotatably supported by the main body 1 via a hinge 44 so as to be opened sideways, and is also locked by a key 37. The lid 38 is further provided with a card holder 46 for detachably holding a transparent plate, so that a sample of the prepaid card C can be displayed.

A side cover 40 is provided on the side surface of the main body 1 so as to be detachable, and when the prepaid card C is jammed in the middle of a conveying path of a conveying means described later, the side cover 40 is removed. The trouble occurrence location of the transport means is accessible so that it can be returned to a normal state.

By the way, the key 37 cannot be directly operated by the operator except the person in charge, thereby preventing the occurrence of financial trouble.

Next, FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of the inside of the main body 1. Referring to FIG. 3, each constituent means will be described. On the right side of the main body frame 100 formed by processing an iron sheet metal or the like, Cartridge mounting portions 68 to 71 are provided to accommodate four cartridges 6 in a vertical direction in a multi-stage manner, so that the cartridges 6 can be detachably mounted.

On the other hand, a pick-up roller 35 which will be described later, which is driven up and down in the direction of arrow E in the drawing and is always driven to rotate in the direction of arrow by the DC motor 16, is provided on the bottom surface of the cartridge 6, respectively. 35
Is brought into contact with the prepaid card C placed at the bottom of the cartridge 6 so that the prepaid card C is fed in the direction of the separator 33. Needless to say, the motor 16 is controlled to be appropriately turned on and off by an operation such as an issuance operation performed by an operator.

Below the separator 33, a roller (not shown) is provided which has a distance between itself and the outer peripheral surface thereof substantially equal to the thickness of the prepaid card C, and is provided with a roller (not shown) which can be freely rotated. To the left in the figure. The separator 33 is provided with a vertical adjusting means (eccentric pin) so that the clearance can be adjusted.

In the vicinity of the left exit of these separators 33, there are provided rollers 32 which are appropriately rotated and driven by the step motor 18 in the direction of the arrow, and transport the prepaid card C further to the left between the pinch rollers 29 which follow. So that
Finally, it is transported upward along a guide plate (not shown).

The roller 30 holds the prepaid card C thus transported.
The pinch roller is provided for guiding the paper in the forward and reverse directions with respect to the prepaid card C while turning the diagonally downward to the left. 29 are provided at least two.

Therefore, this roller 30 is a platen roller 15 described later.
And a roller 25 together with a stepping motor 18 for enabling a predetermined amount of forward and reverse rotation.

At the lower left of the roller 30, a thermal head 14 as recording means fixed at a position shown by a solid line is supported by a gimbal mechanism (not shown) while being rotatably supported in the direction of arrow D. While a uniform pressure is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the prepaid card C, a print recording signal is applied to the thermal head 14 to dissolve the tin film applied on the prepaid card C so as to represent the underlying PET black background. Sign printing.

On the other hand, further diagonally below the thermal head 14, a roller for sending the prepaid card C to the card reader / writer 12 and for sending the prepaid card C sent from the card reader / writer 12 in the opposite direction to the above-mentioned thermal head 14.
A pinch roller 29 is provided, which is rotatable in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the roller 25.

The card reader / writer 12 has a structure exclusively for a prepaid card, and includes a first magnetic head 22 for performing recording and reproduction on a magnetic stripe on the prepaid card C, and a bar code embedded and recorded on a magnetic stripe on the prepaid card C. A second magnetic head 23 for recording / reproducing to / from the
A perforated portion 24 for perforating the prepaid card C and a transport portion for transporting the prepaid card C in the direction indicated by the double-headed arrow are integrally formed.

The above-mentioned card entrance 52 is fixed to the left end portion of the card reader / writer 12, so that the prepaid card C is inserted and removed.

The portion indicated by the broken line in the figure indicates a portion corresponding to the above-mentioned side cover 40, and when the prepaid card is accessed in the middle of transportation, the portion shown by the broken line is exposed to the outside so as to be externally accessible. To work from.

Next, FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the power transmission system of FIG.
In this figure, the parts already described in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals as in FIG. 3, and the description thereof will be omitted. Different parts will be described. A gear 16a is fixed to the output shaft of the DC motor 16. The intermediate gear 2 meshes with the gear 16a. The intermediate gear 2 is integrally formed with a pulley portion, and is meshed with the widest pulley 3 at the uppermost position via a belt B1 meshing with the pulley portion. Here, the belt B1 and a belt Bn to be described later are of a small pitch type having meshing teeth so that slippage is prevented.

The wide pulley 3 of the uppermost pulley 3 is a belt.
B3 is further meshed with the wide pulley 3 at the intermediate position.

A belt B3 meshes with the pulley 3 at a further lower position, so that the rotational force of the DC motor 16 is transmitted to the pulley 3 at the lowermost position.

On the other hand, a belt B2 is meshed between the pulley 3 at the other end of the pulley 3 and the pick-up roller 35, so that the pick-up roller 35 rotates in the direction of the arrow in FIG. Thus, the first transport system is configured.

Next, a gear 18 is provided on the output shaft of a step motor 18 which can rotate in both directions and can drive a predetermined number of steps at a predetermined frequency.
The first gear pulley 4 and the third gear pulley 7 are meshed with the gear 18a. The first gear pulley 4 is further meshed with a second gear pulley 5, and the output of a step motor 18 is transmitted to each. The first gear pulley 4 is integrally formed with a pulley portion, and a belt B4 is hung between the first gear pulley 4 and the above-described roller 32 so that the tensioner 8 operates. As a result,
The output of the step motor 18 is transmitted to the roller 32 at the uppermost position. A belt B5 is hung on the roller 32, and power is transmitted to all of the four rollers 32 arranged in the vertical direction.

On the other hand, the belt B6 is also provided between the second gear pulley 5 and the roller 30.
Is hung. Also, the third gear pulley 7 and the roller 25
Between them is a belt B7. A belt B8 is hung between the roller 25 and the platen roller 15 by the tensioner 8 so as to maintain tension. With the above configuration, the second transport system using the step motor 18 as a power source is configured, and the transport of the prepaid card C in the forward and reverse directions is performed.

Next, FIG. 5 is a layout view of the prepaid card end detecting means provided in the transport system of FIG.

In this figure, the card end detecting means is an optical sensor that is turned on / off by blocking the optical axis, and is conveyed at a slightly shorter interval than the entire length of the prepaid card C in the conveying direction as shown in the figure. It is provided on the way. The sensor S1 is for detecting the presence or absence of the prepaid card C. The sensor S2 is for detecting the presence or absence of a cartridge. Sensor S3
Is provided below the roller 32, and first detects the end of the prepaid card sent out by the sensor S3. The sensors S4 and S5 are provided in the middle of the transport path in the vertical direction as shown, and detect the end of the prepaid card, but the interval between them is slightly smaller than the entire length of the prepaid card, and the sensor S3 After the detection, the position is detected when the prepaid card reaches the sensors S4 and S5 after being conveyed. Further, even after passing through any one of the sensors S3, the leading end of the prepaid card is detected by any one of the sensors S4 and S5, so that the position of the prepaid card can be detected.

On the other hand, a sensor S6 is further provided at a position slightly lower than the entire length of the prepaid card at a symmetric position of the roller 30 above the sensor S5, thereby enabling the prepaid card position at this position. Further, a sensor S7 is provided at a lower right portion of the roller 25 at a position slightly smaller than the entire length of the prepaid card so as to detect the position of the prepaid card. The sensor S8 is for determining a state in which the thermal head 14 is in contact with or separated from the platen roller 15.

As described above, predetermined conveyance is performed while detecting the leading end and the rear end of the prepaid card in the middle of the conveyance by the sensor Sn arranged as described above.

In particular, if a power failure occurs during the transportation of the prepaid card, the sensor Sn
Thus, the position can be detected, so that the sheet can be conveyed again, or the position can be notified to the operator on a display device.

As described above, according to the prepaid card transport device of the present invention, the transport necessary for issuing, clearing, invalidating, and displaying the balance can be realized by the first transport system and the second transport system.

Further, in order to transport the prepaid card in both the forward and reverse directions, the position of the prepaid card can be detected and the prepaid card can be transported in both the forward and reverse directions.

Next, conveyance of a prepaid card in which issuance, settlement, invalidation, and balance display operations of the prepaid card are performed by the first conveyance system and the second conveyance system will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 6 is a transportation procedure diagram when a prepaid card is issued. In this drawing, when an instruction to issue the prepaid card C of the cartridge 6 of the second mounting section 69 is sent from the POS device, the pickup roller 35 is moved in the direction of the arrow, and one sheet of the prepaid card C is sent in the direction of the arrow F1. It is fed in the direction of arrow F2 between the feed roller 32 and the pinch roller 29.
Next, the direction is changed by the roller 30, and at the same time, it passes over the thermal head 14 separated from the platen roller 15 and is sent to the roller 25 in the direction of arrow F4. Next, the prepaid card C is conveyed a plurality of times in the directions of arrows F5 and R6 (where R is reverse) in the card / reader / writer 12 to read out the content recorded in advance on the magnetic stripe.

Thereafter, after the prepaid card C has been fed in the direction of arrow R7, the thermal head 14 is moved to the position shown by the broken line to make it recordable. Next, the recording by the thermal head 14 is performed while the platen roller 15 is rotated at a speed lower than the recordable transport speed and the prepaid card C is moved in the direction of arrow F8. Then, the sheet is conveyed again in the directions indicated by arrows F4 and F5 and discharged from the card entrance 52 in the direction indicated by arrow F9, and the issuance ends.

Next, FIG. 7 is a transportation procedure diagram at the time of settlement of the prepaid card and matching of the balance. In this figure, when a POS device sends a prepaid card clearing and balance check instruction,
The card is inserted from the card entrance 52 in the direction of arrow R1. The prepaid card C is transported a plurality of times in the directions of arrows R2 and F3 in the card / reader / writer 12 to read or re-record the recorded content on the magnetic stripe, transmit the read content to the POS device, and perform punching means. As a result, punching is performed at a predetermined position on the prepaid card C. However, the balance is not pierced.

Finally, the card is discharged from the card entrance 52 in the direction of arrow F4, and the settlement of the prepaid card and the balance check are completed.

FIG. 8 is a transport procedure diagram when a prepaid card is discarded (invalidated). In this drawing, a prepaid card C is inserted from the card entrance 52 in the direction of arrow R1, and
In the reader / writer 12, the recorded contents on the magnetic stripe are read by being conveyed a plurality of times in the directions of arrows R2 and F3,
If it is determined that the remaining amount is "zero", the thermal head 14 is sent in the direction of arrow R4, and then the thermal head 14 is moved to the position shown by the broken line to be in a recordable state.

Next, while the platen roller 15 is rotated at a speed lower than the recordable transport speed and the prepaid card C is moved in the direction of the arrow F5, recording indicating invalidity is performed by the thermal head 14. Then, the sheet is conveyed again in the direction of arrow F3 and discharged from the card entrance 52 in the direction of arrow F6, and the card invalidation ends.

Although the embodiment has been described with reference to the prepaid card,
Of course, the card device of the present invention can be applied to a case where a general thin plate (card) is used.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, in order to perform a predetermined process on a card as an information recording / reproducing medium, the card is conveyed to a processing device with a built-in card device, the card is issued, When clearing, invalidating, or displaying the balance, you can handle the desired card without replacing the cartridge containing different types of cards, reduce installation space, and transport the card from the minimum required drive source. And a card device for obtaining a driving force for the card.

In addition, by transporting the card in the forward and reverse directions and detecting the transport position, the card remaining in the card device at the time of restarting after a power failure or the like can be accurately captured and transported appropriately. Equipment can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of the card device of one embodiment connected to a POS device 55, FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the card device of FIG. 1 with a cover 38 opened, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the power transmission system of FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a layout diagram of a prepaid card end detecting means provided in the transport system of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a prepaid card issuance. FIG. 7 is a transfer procedure diagram when clearing the prepaid card and checking the balance, and FIG. 8 is a transfer procedure diagram when the prepaid card is discarded (invalidated). In the figure, 1 ... body (prepaid card terminal device) 2 ... intermediate gear, 3 ... pulley, 4 ... first gear pulley, 5 ...
A second gear pulley, 6 a cartridge, 7 a third gear pulley, 8 a tensioner, a Bn belt, and a Sn sensor.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B65H 7/06 B65H 3/44 G07F 7/08

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A card device for carrying out at least issuing, clearing, invalidating, and displaying a balance of a card by carrying the card to a processing means in order to perform a predetermined process on a card as a recording / reproducing medium for information. A cartridge for accommodating a plurality of types or a single type of pre-invalid card and detachably provided to the card device; and a cartridge accommodating means for accommodating a plurality of the cartridges in a plurality of stages in a vertical direction. And individually arranged in the cartridge housing means,
A first transport system that obtains power from a drive source that is driven in a fixed direction in order to transport each card located at the lowest position in the cartridge one by one; and a card that is sent from the first transport system. And a second transport system that obtains power from a drive source that is driven in the forward and reverse directions for transporting downstream through the transport path and further transporting the processing means in the forward and reverse directions. Characterized card device. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first transport system and said second transport system is provided with a card detecting means at an interval shorter than a total length along a transport direction of the card.
A card device according to claim 1.