JP3156751B2 - IC card read / write device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an IC card reading / writing device for reading data from an IC card and writing data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An IC card is an information storage means in which a semiconductor memory circuit and a control microcomputer are molded in a plate shape, and has a plurality of contacts for connection to an IC card reading / writing device on the surface. The IC card reading / writing device for reading data from the IC card and writing the data is usually required to be reduced in size and weight because of being incorporated in a computer or the like.

[0003] Such an IC card reading / writing device is, for example, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-223991, a movable body which is biased by a spring toward a card insertion port side and is movable in a card insertion direction. And a contact head that is protruded by rotation toward the movement path when the card is inserted to the card reading / writing position.

[0004]

However, since the mechanism for moving the contact head into and out of the moving path of the card becomes complicated and large, there is a disadvantage that the device becomes inevitably thick.

The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an IC card reading / writing device which can be reduced in thickness.

[0006]

According to the present invention, in order to solve such a problem, a convex portion is provided on both sides perpendicular to the insertion direction of the IC card, and is electrically connected to the contact point of the IC card. A contact head, a spring for urging the contact head toward the IC card insertion port, a housing for accommodating the contact head movably in the IC card insertion direction, and engaging with the projection of the contact head. A substrate having a window having a slope for moving back and forth in the movement path of the IC card, and when the IC card is inserted into a predetermined position, the IC card locks the insertion port side of the IC card, and when the IC card is taken out, the IC card And a card locking means for releasing the engagement.

[0007]

Since the contact head is moved in parallel with the movement path surface in conjunction with the movement of the IC card, the entire device can be made thinner than when the contact head is rotated.

[0008]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. In the drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes a substrate,
A window 4 that functions as a guide surface for guiding the C card and that accommodates a contact head 3 described later is formed at the tip side.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the window 4 has walls 5 and 5 for guiding the side walls of the contact head 3 which are formed in a substantially rectangular shape. Recess 6 having a slope 6a with its insertion direction upward
Are formed two by two.

On the card insertion side (left side in the figure),
A concave portion 8 for accommodating a spring 7 for applying a card discharging force by constantly urging the contact head 3 toward the insertion port 2 side, and a flexible cable 9 of the contact head 3 on the other side.
Is provided.

On the other hand, the contact head 3 is formed on the side wall 11 with two convex portions 12 each having a slope 12a which is in contact with the above-mentioned concave portion 6 and which comes into contact with the slope 6a. A protrusion 13 is formed on the front end of the IC card K to engage with the front end of the inserted IC card K.

On the surface (rear surface in the figure) facing the IC card K, there are provided a plurality of contact pins 14 and 14 # for making contact with the contacts of the IC card K to form an electrical connection. It is configured so that it can be connected to an external circuit via the power supply.

Referring back to FIG. 1, reference numeral 15 in the figure denotes an IC.
A first lever that follows the movement of the card K is provided on the substrate 1 so as to be movable in the insertion direction of the IC card K while being guided by a concave portion 1b (FIG. 3A) formed in the substrate 1.

At a position slightly before the contact pins 14 of the contact head 3 come into contact with the contacts of the IC card K, there is provided a convex portion 16 which comes into contact with the tip of the IC card K. Moving path P of card K
It is made to protrude.

A claw 19 is formed at the center of the first lever 15 so as to abut a side surface of a second lever 20, which will be described later. A projection 22 is formed.

Reference numeral 20 denotes the above-mentioned second lever, one end of which is rotatably provided on a shaft 23 suspended from the substrate 1 and the other end of which has a projection 24 which engages with a locking lever 25 described later. It is configured.

Reference numeral 25 denotes the above-mentioned locking lever, which is a gap capable of accommodating at least the tip (right end in the drawing) of the attracting portion 26 made of a magnetic material, and the other end of which is the projection 24 and the projection 38 of the driving lever 36 described later. Substantially U-shaped engaging portion 27 that forms
And these are connected by a linear portion 28.

A coil 30 forming a locking member 29 and a contact head 3 are mounted on a linear portion 28 of the locking lever 25.
When the IC card K contacts the contact point of the C card K, the permanent magnet 31 having the attraction force capable of reading the IC card K and holding the IC card K at the writing position by overcoming the urging force of the spring 40 described later is provided at the position where the attraction portion 26 is located. Is provided.

Reference numeral 32 denotes a card restraining member, one end of which is an IC.
When card K is inserted to the read and write position, I
A hook 33 is provided to abut the rear end corner of the C card K, and a pin 34 is provided at the other end to engage with the long groove 37 of the drive lever 36. It is attached to the substrate 1 so as to be rotatable in a plane.

The drive lever 36 is formed diagonally with the card moving path side (upper side in the figure) far from the card insertion slot side and the outside (lower side in the figure) close to the card insertion slot 2. A long groove 37 is formed on the card insertion port side, and a protrusion 38 is formed on the other end to engage with the engaging portion 27 of the locking lever 25. , The hook 33 of the card lock member 32 is retracted from the movement path P of the IC card K.

In this embodiment, when the IC card K is not inserted (FIG. 4A), the driving lever 36
Is pulled toward the insertion opening by the spring 40, so that the pin 34 of the card retaining member 32 is pulled toward the card moving path P by the long groove 37, and the hook 33 is retracted from the insertion path P.

When the IC card K is inserted in this state, I
The tip of the C card K is the protrusion 1 at the tip of the contact head 3
3, the contact head 3 is moved toward the movement path P by guiding the protrusions 12 on both sides to the slope 6 a of the recess 6 of the window 4 of the substrate 1, and resiliently contacts the contact point of the IC card K.

When the IC card K is further pushed in, the first
The convex portion 16 of the lever 15 contacts the tip of the IC card K, and the IC card K reads and reaches the write position with the first lever 15.

On the other hand, when the first lever 15 is moved in the insertion direction, the second lever 20 is rotated counterclockwise about the shaft 23 by the claw 19 of the first lever 15 so that the locking lever 25 is moved rightward in the drawing. Move to As a result, the locking lever 25 is brought into contact with the permanent magnet 31 at the attracting portion 26 and is held at this position by the attractive force of the permanent magnet 31.

The rightward movement of the locking lever 25 causes the driving lever 36 to move rightward in the drawing again against the spring 40 via the engaging portion 27. 34 is rotated in a direction away from the movement path P, and the hook 33 projects to the movement path P to hold one corner of the rear end of the IC card K (FIG. 4B).

In this state, the operating rod 21a of the contact detecting sensor 21 is pressed by the projection 22 of the first lever 15 to output a signal, so that it is possible to read data from the IC card K and write data.

When a voltage is applied to the coil 30 so as to cancel the magnetic field of the permanent magnet 31 at the stage where the reading of data from the IC card K and the writing of data are completed, the magnetic force of the permanent magnet 31 decreases and the spring 40 Energizing force is permanent magnet 31
The attraction portion 26 of the locking lever 25 is separated from the permanent magnet 31 by overcoming the attraction force.

The function of the coil 30 can be achieved by weakening the magnetic attraction of the permanent magnet 31 that is holding the member biased by the spring, instead of driving the member. As compared with the case of driving a member, it is small and can achieve the intended purpose.

As a result, the drive lever 36 moves to the insertion port 2 side, and the hook 33 of the restraining member 32 is retracted from the movement path P to release the restraint of the IC card K. As a result, the contact head 3 is moved toward the insertion port 2 by the urging force of the spring 7 with the IC card K, and the IC card K is inserted into the insertion port 2.
To allow the IC card K to be taken out.

[0030]

As described above, in the present invention,
It has protrusions on both sides perpendicular to the insertion direction of the IC card,
A contact head for making electrical contact with the contacts of the C card; a spring for urging the contact head toward the IC card insertion port; a contact head movably accommodated in the IC card insertion direction; A board having a window having a slope that engages with the IC card to advance and retreat to the movement path of the IC card, and locks the IC card insertion side when the IC card is inserted into a predetermined position, and also removes the IC card at the time of removal. Card engagement means for releasing engagement with the IC card, the contact head can be moved in parallel with the movement path surface in conjunction with the movement of the IC card,
The entire device can be made thinner than when the contact head is rotated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b) are a plan view and a front view, respectively, showing a structure of one embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the back surface of a substrate opposite to a card moving path.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are enlarged views of the structure near the window accommodating the contact head as viewed from the back side of the substrate opposite to the card moving path, and FIG. It is a figure showing an example as a structure from the back.

FIGS. 3A and 3B respectively show A in FIG.
It is a figure which shows the cross-sectional structure in the -A line and the BB line.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show the operation of each member constituting the locking means in a state where the IC card is not inserted and a state where the IC card is fixed at the reading and writing positions, respectively. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate 2 Card insertion slot 3 Contact head 4 Contact head insertion window 7 Spring for discharging IC card 9 Flexible cable 11 Side wall 13 Projection for engaging with IC card 14 Contact pin 15 First lever 20 Second lever 25 Locking Lever 26 Suction Part 29 Locking Member 30 Coil 31 Permanent Magnet 32 Card Locking Member 33 Hook 34 Pin K IC Card P IC Card Moving Path

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-60-207985 (JP, A) JP-A-5-242585 (JP, A) JP-A-7-168919 (JP, A) JP-A-62 163188 (JP, A) JP-A-8-263602 (JP, A) JP-A-2-120997 (JP, A) JP-A-63-223991 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. ⁷ , DB name) G06K 17/00 G11B 17/00-17/04

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A contact head having projections on both sides perpendicular to the insertion direction of an IC card for electrically connecting to contacts of the IC card, and a spring for urging the contact head toward the IC card insertion port. And a substrate having a window having a slope that accommodates the contact head movably in the insertion direction of the IC card and that engages with the projection of the contact head to advance and retreat to the movement path of the IC card. When the IC card is inserted into a predetermined position,
Locking the insertion opening side of the card and said IC card IC card reading provided with a card Kakawatome <br/> means for releasing the engagement with the IC card upon retrieval of the writing device. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the card lock means is located at a position closer to an insertion slot of the IC card than a reading / writing position.
A first lever that engages with the IC card and follows the movement of the IC card; and a locking lever that follows the movement of the IC card via a second lever that is rotated by the first lever. A permanent magnet that attracts the locking lever when the IC card is read and moved to the reading position; a coil that is excited in a direction to decrease the magnetic field of the permanent magnet; and a coil that is retracted from the movement path by a spring. Energized,
A lever member that is rotated in a plane parallel to the substrate by the movement of the locking lever, and causes a hook that engages with a rear end corner of the IC card to protrude into the movement path. Item 2. An IC card reading / writing device according to Item 1.