JP3490285B2 - Card reader - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a card reader. More specifically, the present invention relates to an improved locking mechanism for locking a card inserted in a card reader.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a manual card reader which is used by manually inserting and pulling out a card, a shutter lever is used as a card lock mechanism for locking the inserted card during data communication. There is something. In such a card lock mechanism, for example, a solenoid is used, and the shutter lever is operated via a shutter interlocking lever to lock the card. Further, as a means for detecting a signal for operating the solenoid, a device such as a light detecting means for detecting that the card is inserted in the card reader is used, and the timing for locking the card is measured. In such a detecting means, the solenoid or the like is operated after detecting that the inserted card reaches the innermost card insertion end position.

[0003]

However, in the card lock mechanism using such a detecting means, when the card locked in the card reader has a rattling, the card is erroneously used during data communication. The lock may be released. That is, if you try to pull out a card that is locked and is in data communication or move it back and forth in the card running direction, the card will move by the amount of rattling, resulting in a deviation from the detection range of the card detection means and a malfunction of the solenoid. There is a problem that the lock may be released. Therefore, the card may be pulled out before the data communication is completed, which causes a problem in data usage.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a card reader capable of securely locking a card inserted in a device and not accidentally releasing the card during data communication. To do.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is provided with a card lock member which is moved by a solenoid, and the inserted card is locked at the card insertion end position. In the card reader configured to be locked by the section, a detection switch for detecting the insertion of the card is provided, and the card lock member is moved to the card lock position side by operating the solenoid, while non-operation is released by releasing the solenoid operation. Provided so as to return to the lock position, and configured to operate the solenoid to move the card lock member to the card lock position side when the tip of the card is closer to the card insertion end position side than the lock part of the card lock member In addition, the solenoid has an engagement pin that engages with the card lock member. There become the engagement hole of the card lock member fitted a holding hole portion holding the moving hole portion and the lock position to be moved by the engagement pin, further, solenoids
Id's plunger has a direction to project this plunger
A return spring that urges the
When the power is off, the plunger returns
While protruding by the biasing force of the spring, the coil is turned on.
When the solenoid is operated in the ON state, the electromagnetic force
It is characterized by being pulled toward the main body.

Therefore, when the card is inserted, the detection switch operates, the solenoid operates, and the card lock member moves to lock the card at the card insertion end position. Since the card can be detected as soon as its tip has passed the tip of the lock portion, a wide range from that position to the card insertion end position is the card detectable range. Therefore, even if the locked card is moved back and forth, the wobbling range does not exceed the detectable range. Also, the solenoid engages with the card lock member.
A card slot into which the engaging pin is fitted.
A moving hole that is moved by the engaging pin in the engaging hole of the locking member.
And a holding hole for holding in the locked position.
, The card lock member works in conjunction with the solenoid.
Moves between locked and unlocked positions. In this case
When the engaging pin is located in the movement hole,
It swings as the solenoid moves, and the engagement pin
When it is in the holding hole, it is held in the locked position.
It

According to another aspect of the card reader of the present invention, the card is an IC card and the card reader is I
It has a card contact portion with which the tip of the C card abuts and an elastic contactor that comes into contact with the contact terminal pattern of the IC card, and moves diagonally with the insertion of the IC card to make a contact position at the card insertion end position. It has a contact carriage that moves to a position such that the IC card is sandwiched between the card contact portion and the lock portion of the card lock member.

In this case, after the tip of the IC card abuts on the card abutting portion, the contact carriage moves diagonally while moving in parallel with the IC card, and the contact is formed into a contact terminal pattern of the IC card. Contact. Here, since the contactor when the IC card reaches the card insertion end position, which is a position where data communication is possible, is pressed by the IC card, the contact is made reliable, and data communication is performed accurately. Will be able to.

In the card reader of the third aspect of the present invention, the detection switch for detecting the insertion of the card is a detection switch for detecting that the card has reached the card insertion end position. Therefore, when the arrival of the card at the card insertion end position is detected, the solenoid operates and the card lock member moves to lock the card.

[0010]

[0011] In the card reader of the invention described in claim 4, the contact carriage is to move obliquely by parallel link mechanism. Therefore, the contact carriage is brought close to the contact carriage while facing the contact terminal pattern of the card to bring the contact into contact with and press the contact.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The structure of the present invention will be described below in detail based on an example of an embodiment shown in the drawings.

1 and 2 show an embodiment of the card reader 1 of the present invention. The card reader 1 includes a card lock member 2 that is moved by a solenoid 3, and the inserted card 9 is configured to be locked by a lock portion 21 of the card lock member 2 at a card insertion end position 9a. Further, the card reader 1 is provided with a detection switch 4 for detecting the insertion of the card 9 so that the insertion of the card 9 can be detected at an early stage. The card reader 1 of the present invention described below
Is an IC card reader for performing IC card data communication.

The card lock member 2 is a member movably provided between the card lock position 24 and the card non-lock position 25 by changing its position. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. Further, it is attached to the frame of the card reader 1 so as to be swingable about a fulcrum 23. The card lock member 2 has a lock portion 21 that abuts the base end portion 92 of the card 9 and locks the card 9 so that it cannot be pulled out. The lock portion 21 is formed, for example, in a hook shape at a portion that abuts the base end portion 92 of the card 9 so that the base end portion 92 of the card 9 is hooked, and crosses the card passage 8 at the card lock position 24. The card 9 is locked so as not to move to the base end 92 side. Further, a portion of the tip of the lock portion 21 which is in sliding contact with the card upper surface 93 is formed into a rounded shape so as not to scratch the card upper surface 93, and more preferably, the portion is scratched with plastic or the like. It is made of a material that is difficult to attach.

An engagement hole 22 is provided between the fulcrum 23, which is the swing center of the card lock member 2, and the lock portion 21. An engagement pin 31 provided at the tip of a plunger 32 of the solenoid 3 is fitted into the engagement hole 22 so that the card lock member 2 can be interlocked with the movement of the solenoid 3. The engaging hole 22 is provided so that a moving hole portion 22a that is inclined with respect to the axis of the plunger 32 and a holding hole portion 22b that is coaxial and substantially parallel to each other are smoothly continuous, and as shown in FIG. It is shaped to bend at. In the present embodiment, the moving hole portion 22a is provided so as to be located closer to the side a than the holding hole portion 22b in the figure, that is, the card front end portion 91 side, and bent toward the card passage 8 side. Therefore, when the plunger 32 is projected from the main body side of the solenoid 3, the engagement pin 31 is located at the end side of the moving hole portion 22 a, and the card lock member 2 retracts the lock portion 21 from the card passage 8. It will be in the lock position 25. When the plunger 32 is pulled toward the solenoid 3 main body from this state, the engagement pin 31 moves while slidingly contacting the edge of the moving hole portion 22a, so that the card lock member 2 swings to the card lock position 24 side. To do. And the engagement pin 3
When 1 is located in the holding hole 22b, the card lock member 2
Is held at the card lock position 24 so as not to swing. On the other hand, plunger 3
When the card 2 is moved in the opposite direction, the card lock member 2 is released from the locked state and the card unlocked position 25
Rocks to. In this way, the engagement hole 22 is formed by the solenoid 3
Is provided in a shape that guides the card lock member 2 to an appropriate position according to the movement of the. In this case, each hole 22a,
It goes without saying that the movement of the card lock member 2 can be appropriately changed by changing the stroke length of 22b and the angle of the moving hole portion 22a.

A solenoid 3 for swinging the card lock member 2 between a card lock position 24 and a card unlock position 25 by reciprocating the plunger 32.
Is provided with its main body side fixed to the frame. An engaging pin 31 is attached to the tip of the plunger 32 that reciprocates linearly so as to be substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of the plunger 32, as shown in FIG. A return coil spring 33 is provided around the plunger 32 and urges the plunger 32 in a protruding direction. Therefore, the plunger 32 is projected by the urging force of the return coil spring 33 in the off state where the coil of the solenoid 3 is not energized, while the solenoid 32 is moved to the main body side by the electromagnetic force when the coil is turned on and the solenoid 3 is operated. Is drawn in. That is, in the present embodiment, when the solenoid 3 is operated to be turned on, the card lock member 2
Can be rocked to the card lock position 24 and held in that state. If the solenoid 3 is released to turn it off, the card lock member 2 is moved to the card unlock position 25.
Can be returned to.

The detection switch 4 is provided as means for detecting the insertion of the card 9 into the card reader 1 and operating the solenoid 3. This detection switch 4
To detect that the card 9 reaches the innermost card insertion end position 9a, or to detect the insertion of the card 9 at least until the card 9 reaches the card insertion end position 9a. It is provided in. In the latter case, the card 9 may not be completely inserted when the card lock member 2 moves. In this case, when the insertion of the card 9 is detected, the solenoid 3 operates to move the card lock member 2, so that the tip of the lock portion 21 contacts the card upper surface 93. When the card 9 is further inserted, the card lock member 2
In this way, the tip is kept in sliding contact, and when the card 9 almost reaches the card insertion end position 9a, it comes off the card base end portion 92 and moves to the card lock position 24. In addition, the insertion detection of the card 9 is performed,
At the earliest, it is after the leading end portion 91 of the inserted card 9 passes through the lock portion 21 of the card lock member 2.

In this embodiment, a combination of a sensor spring 41 and a photo interrupter 43 as shown in FIG. 1 is used as the detection switch 4. Sensor spring 4
Part 1 is located in the card running path 8 and is provided so as to bend when the tip 91 of the card 9 abuts. A shield plate 42 is attached to the tip of the sensor spring 41, and the sensor spring 41 is bent so as to cross the photo interrupter 43 and shield light. Therefore, the detection switch 4 detects the insertion of the card 9 by being shielded from light. However, the detection switch 4 is not limited to such a light detection type switch, and may be a switch that detects the change using a micro switch, for example. Further, as for the timing of detecting the card insertion, it may be detected at any timing after the card front end 91 has passed the front end of the lock portion 21 as described above, and if it is within this range, the detection switch 4 is detected. The position at which is provided is not particularly limited. Since the detection switch 4 in the present embodiment is provided so as to detect before reaching the card insertion end position 9a as described above, the card insertion end position 9a is detected.
Even if the card 9 locked to a is moved back and forth, a margin is formed so as not to fall out of the detection range.

Further, the card reader 1 has a card contact portion 6 with which the tip portion 91 of the card 9 contacts, and an elastic contactor 7 with which the contact terminal pattern 95 of the card 9 contacts.
And a contact carriage 5 that moves diagonally with the insertion of the card 9 and moves to the contact position 5a when the card insertion is completed. As shown in FIG. 1, the contactor carriage 5 is provided in a frame that configures the card reader 1 so as to move diagonally while being parallel to the card running path 8 by a parallel link mechanism 12. The frame is, for example, a steel plate or a substrate, and the contactor carriage 5 is provided at a position slightly deviated from the center of the card 9 to the corner side with respect to the frame, as shown in FIG. The parallel link mechanism 12 is composed of two links having the same shape as shown in FIG. 1, and swings to move the contactor carriage 5 in parallel. Since the contactor carriage 5 in the present embodiment is provided so as to move obliquely on an arc as shown in the figure, the distance from the card traveling path 8 is changed while moving in parallel, and the contactor 7 is moved to the card. It is possible to bring the contact terminal pattern 95 of 9 into contact with or separate from it. Since the contact carriage 5 is biased by the biasing means 11 toward the side opposite to the direction a in FIG. 1, that is, the card base end 91 side, when the card 9 is not inserted, the solid line in FIG. It stands by at the non-contact position 5b shown by.

A card contact portion 6 is provided so as to project across the card running path 8 on the side of the contact carriage 5 in the direction a in the figure. Therefore, the card contact portion 6 is the tip portion 91 of the card 9 traveling on the card traveling path 8.
When a is abutted, the contact carriage 5 is pushed in the a direction to move the contact carriage 5 in parallel.

A contactor 7 is provided on one side of the contactor carriage 5 to contact the card 9 for data communication. In the present embodiment, a steel wire or the like is wound inside the contactor carriage 5 as shown in the drawing, one end side of the contactor carriage 5 is made swingable, and the bending portion in the middle thereof contacts the contact terminal pattern 95 of the card 9. Thus, the contact carriage 5 is provided so as to project from one side surface. Therefore, as the contactor 7, the elasticity of the copper wire is used as a pressing force on the card 9. The contact 7 is provided at a predetermined position so as to face the contact terminal pattern 95 of the card 9 when the tip 91 of the card 9 contacts the card contact portion 6 of the contact carriage 5. When the card 9 is further inserted from here, the contactor carriage 5 becomes a
Since it moves in the same direction as the card 9, the contact 7
Are in close contact with each other while facing the contact terminal pattern 95. In this case, it goes without saying that the contact 7 is made to come into contact with the contact terminal pattern 95 before the card 9 reaches the card insertion end position 9a. Further, the contactor 7 thus contacted comes closer to the card 9, but the elasticity of the contactor 7 itself is used to contact the contact terminal pattern 95 in a pressed state, so that they contact each other. The condition is kept good. As the contactor 7 for communicating with the card 9 in such a state, it is preferable to use, for example, a copper wire having both conductivity and elasticity.

In the card reader 1 configured as described above, the card insertion can be detected within the range from when the card tip 91 passes the tip of the lock portion 21 to when it reaches the card insertion end position 9a. Therefore, there is a margin in the detection range from the detection of card insertion until the card 9 reaches the card insertion end position 9a. Therefore, even if the card 9 is moved in the front-rear direction in order to pull out the card 9 at the card lock position 24, the movable range of the card 9 does not exceed the detectable range, and as long as the card 9 is locked, it is always possible. Card detection status remains. Therefore, it is prevented that the card detection is canceled and the lock is accidentally released while the data communication to the card is being performed.

Further, in the IC card reader of this embodiment, the solenoid 3 is operated to lock the card 9. Therefore, the solenoid 3 may be energized only when the card is locked during data communication. Therefore, even if the device stops due to a power failure or the like during the card communication, the energization of the solenoid 3 is stopped at the same time, and the card 9 is automatically unlocked. Therefore, in such a case, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the user cannot pull out the card 9 from occurring.

The above-described embodiment is an example of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the present embodiment, the IC card reader has been described as an example of the card reader 1.
The improvement of the card lock mechanism as in the present invention can be implemented not only in the IC card reader but also in the magnetic card reader and the like.

[0025]

As is apparent from the above description, in the card reader according to the first aspect of the present invention, a detection switch for detecting the insertion of the card is provided, and the card lock member is operated by the solenoid to operate the card lock position side. It is provided so as to return to the unlocked position when the solenoid is released while the solenoid is released.When the tip of the card is closer to the card insertion end position than the lock part of the card lock member, the solenoid is operated to open the card lock member. Since it is configured to be moved to the card lock position side, a wide range from the position where the card insertion is detected to the card insertion end position can be set as the card detectable range. Therefore, even if you move the card locked in the card lock position back and forth, the movable range of the card does not exceed the detectable range, and the card detection state can always be maintained as long as the card is locked. it can. Therefore, it can be prevented that the card detection is canceled and the lock is accidentally released while the data communication with the card is being performed. Moreover, the solenoid is engaged with the card lock member.
A card slot into which the engaging pin is fitted.
A moving hole that is moved by the engaging pin in the engaging hole of the locking member.
Section and a retaining hole for retaining in the locked position.
To move the card lock member in conjunction with the solenoid.
You can In this case, the engagement pin is located in the moving hole.
When the car is moving
Swing the locking member so that the engagement pin is not
Can be held in the locked position when

In the card reader according to the present invention, the card is an IC card, and the card reader is an IC card.
It has a card contact portion with which the tip of the card abuts and a contact having elasticity for contacting the contact terminal pattern of the IC card, and moves diagonally with the insertion of the IC card to reach the contact position at the card insertion end position. Since the IC card is configured to be sandwiched by the moving contact carriage and the card contact portion and the lock portion of the card lock member, the contact is surely brought into contact with the contact terminal pattern of the IC card in a pressed state. , Data communication can be performed accurately.

Further, in the card reader according to the third aspect of the invention, since the detection switch for detecting the insertion of the card is a detection switch for detecting that the card has reached the card insertion end position, the card insertion end position of the card is set. When the arrival of the card is detected, the solenoid operates and the card lock member moves to lock the card.

[0028]

Further, in the card reader according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the contact carriage is provided so as to be slanted by the parallel link mechanism, the contact is made to approach and contact while facing the contact terminal pattern of the card. And can be further pressed. Therefore, the contact of the card reader can be surely brought into contact with the predetermined position of the card.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I of FIG. 2, showing an embodiment of a card reader of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a card reader of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 card reader 2 Card lock member 3 solenoid 4 Detection means 5 Contact carriage 6 Card contact part 7 Contact 9 cards 9a Card insertion end position 21 Lock part 22 Engagement hole 22a moving hole 22b holding hole 31 engagement pin 91 Tip 95 contact terminal pattern

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── --Continued from the front page (56) References JP-A-9-147058 (JP, A) JP-A-8-315088 (JP, A) JP-A-3-174689 (JP, A) Actual development Sho-63- 271676 (JP, U) Actually opened 62-271287 (JP, U) Actually opened 61-156384 (JP, U) Actually opened 63-101072 (JP, U) Actually opened 63-61074 (JP, U) (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G06K 17/00 G06K 13/067

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A card reader comprising a card lock member that is moved by a solenoid, wherein the inserted card is locked by a lock portion of the card lock member at a card insertion end position. A detection switch for detecting insertion is provided, and the card lock member is provided so as to move to the card lock position side by operating the solenoid while returning to the unlocked position by releasing the operation of the solenoid. Is configured to move the card lock member to the card lock position side by operating the solenoid when the card insertion end position side from the lock portion of the card lock member, and, The solenoid has an engagement pin that engages with the card lock member. Ri but Na and a holding hole portion in engagement hole of the card lock member fitted to hold the lock position and the moving hole which is moved by the engaging pin, further
In addition, this plunger is used for the solenoid plunger.
A return spring for urging in the protruding direction is provided.
When the solenoid coil is not energized
Of the plunger is projected by the urging force of the return spring.
On the other hand, turn on the coil and turn on the solenoid.
Operating card reader, characterized in Rukoto drawn into the main body side by the electromagnetic force. 2. The card is an IC card, and the card reader has a card contact portion with which a tip end portion of the IC card abuts and a contact having elasticity for contacting a contact terminal pattern of the IC card. With the IC
A contact carriage is provided that moves diagonally as the card is inserted and moves to the contact position at the card insertion end position, and the IC card is sandwiched by the card contact portion and the lock portion of the card lock member. The card reader according to claim 1, wherein 3. The card reader according to claim 1, wherein the detection switch for detecting insertion of the card is a detection switch for detecting that the card has reached the card insertion end position. 4. The card reader according to claim 2, wherein the contact carriage is slantably moved by a parallel link mechanism.