JP5727283B2 - Card processing apparatus having a conveyance path opening structure - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a card processing apparatus incorporated in a game machine or the like, and more particularly to a card processing apparatus having a conveyance path opening structure excellent in maintainability.

  In gaming facilities such as pachinko parlors, gaming media are lent out in order to play on the gaming machine in a machine between the gaming machines arranged adjacent to the gaming machine. In recent years, intermediary machines that can lend out game media using a recording medium such as a magnetic card or an IC card instead of cash have become widespread. Such an inter-machine includes a card processing device including a card reader / writer and a card stacker together with a money processing device such as a bill validator. For example, a prepaid card in which an amount (value information) corresponding to the inserted amount is stored is issued, and when the prepaid card is inserted, the monetary information carried on the prepaid card is read and the gaming medium is lent out. It is configured.

  Patent Document 1 proposes a card issuing device provided with a read / write unit equipped with an RF antenna. In this card issuing device, a card inserted from a card insertion / discharge port is transferred by a transport mechanism including a transport belt. Cards fed into the read / write unit and further fed in from the read / write unit are stored in a stacked state in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. Thus, by arranging the read / write unit and the card storage unit in a tandem state along the linear conveyance path, the card issuing device can be made flat.

  Patent Document 2 also proposes a similar card processing apparatus. Here, a card that passes through a read / write unit equipped with an RF antenna and is stored in the card storage unit is orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the card. The pressing lever is moved in the direction to be pushed, and the card stored in the card storage unit is pushed down by this pressing lever so that the card after read / write can be stored without interfering with the card stored in the card storage unit. ing.

  Here, in these card processing apparatuses, a conveyance part such as a belt for conveying the card along the card conveyance path and a plurality of detection parts for detecting the position of the card to be conveyed are incorporated. . Since these components are exposed in the card conveyance path, foreign matters such as dust adhere to the card after long-term use, and the conveyance performance and detection performance deteriorate. Further, when a card with deformation such as warpage is inserted, the card may be jammed in the card transport path. In view of this, it is conceivable to provide a door on the card conveyance path and perform maintenance such as removal of dirt, replacement of worn parts, and removal of a jammed card. Patent Document 3 describes a card processing device having a conveyance path opening structure in which a door member is arranged and opened to open the conveyance path.

Japanese Patent No. 3832176 JP 2005-92454 A JP 2010-240269 A

  However, in the conventional card processing apparatus transport path opening structure, the card transport path cannot be sufficiently opened because the opening angle of the door is restricted. For example, a plurality of detection mechanisms are arranged in the card transport path to detect the position of the card. As the detection mechanism, a transmissive photosensor in which a light-emitting element is disposed on one side and a light-receiving element is disposed on the other side with a card conveyance path interposed therebetween is used. In this case, it is necessary to route the wiring from the electrical components such as the light receiving element mounted on the door side for opening the card transport path to the circuit board side arranged on the device body side. In many cases, the door cannot be opened at a wide angle so as not to hinder the maintenance work due to restrictions such as the extra wiring length.

  In view of these points, the problem of the present invention is excellent in maintainability so that operations such as cleaning of a card conveyance path, replacement of worn parts, and removal of a jammed card can be performed more easily than in the past. Another object of the present invention is to propose a card processing apparatus having a simple conveyance path opening structure.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a card processing apparatus having the conveyance path opening structure of the present invention is provided.
A device body unit;
An opening / closing unit that is detachably attached to the apparatus body unit, and that can be opened and closed between a closed position and an open position around a predetermined opening / closing center axis in the attached state;
A locking mechanism that locks the open / close unit in the closed position;
A card transport path formed between the opening / closing unit and the apparatus main body unit in the closed position, and switching to an open state when the opening / closing unit is opened;
Insertion of a card into the card transport path and a card insertion / discharge port for discharging the card from the card transport path;
A card transport mechanism for transporting a card along the card transport path;
A card read / write unit that reads / writes information from / to the card conveyed along the card conveyance path;
A card stacker that can be stacked and stored in the thickness direction, has a card stacker for taking the card from the card transport path, and sending the card to the card transport path,
The apparatus main body unit is provided with the card insertion / ejection port and the card read / write unit, and the opening / closing unit is provided with the card stacker.

  In the card processing device of the present invention, by releasing the lock by the lock mechanism, the open / close unit can be opened from the closed position to the open position, and the open / close unit can be removed from the apparatus main body unit. When the opening / closing unit is opened, the card transport path is opened, and the stacker opening of the card stacker on the opening / closing unit side is exposed. Therefore, according to the work contents for each component arranged on the card transport path and the card stacker, the work with the open / close unit opened and the work with the open / close unit removed from the apparatus main body unit can be performed. . Further, by removing the opening / closing unit, the maintenance work of the card stacker formed therein can be easily performed without being obstructed by the apparatus main body unit.

  In addition, when the card processing device is used by being incorporated in a device such as a gaming machine, the card formed on the front panel with respect to the front panel on the device side such as a gaming machine. The card insertion / ejection slot is attached to the slot. Since the card insertion / ejection slot is formed on the side of the main unit, it can be opened / closed and opened / closed while it is still installed in the gaming machine, so it is convenient is there.

  Here, in order to attach the opening / closing unit to the apparatus main body unit in a detachable and detachable state, the card processing device of the present invention is formed on the opening / closing unit side and supports the opening / closing center axis. And a shaft mounting groove formed on the side of the apparatus main body unit, and the support shaft is mounted so as to be slidable and rotatable with respect to the shaft mounting groove, and one end of the shaft mounting groove Is an open end, and the opening / closing unit is detached from the apparatus main body unit by removing the support shaft from the shaft mounting groove through the open end.

  In this case, the opening / closing unit that can be opened and closed after being unlocked by the locking mechanism may fall off the shaft mounting groove on the apparatus main body side due to its own weight when it is turned downward. In order to prevent the opening / closing unit from being inadvertently detached from the apparatus main body unit, it is desirable to urge the support shaft against the groove bottom surface of the shaft mounting groove by an elastic urging member. In this way, since the support shaft is engaged with the shaft mounting groove with a predetermined engagement force, it is possible to prevent such an adverse effect that the opening / closing unit is displaced from the apparatus main body unit by its own weight.

  Further, in the card processing device of the present invention, in order to be able to easily unlock the opening / closing unit, an unlocking lever for releasing the lock by the locking mechanism is arranged on the opening / closing unit. Just keep it.

  Furthermore, in the card processing apparatus of the present invention, the opening / closing unit is completely separated from the apparatus main body unit, so that no wiring can be routed between them. In this case, as a card detector for detecting the transport position of the card transported on the card transport path, a light emitting element, a light receiving element, and a right-angle prism that reflects light emitted from the light emitting element toward the light receiving element. It is desirable to use a prism-regressive transmission type photosensor with If the light emitting element and the light receiving element are mounted on a common circuit board disposed in the apparatus main body unit and the right-angle prism is mounted on the opening / closing unit, the card detector is connected to the apparatus main body unit from the opening / closing unit side. Since no wiring to the side is required, a detachable opening / closing unit can be easily realized. In addition, since the electrical components of each transmissive photosensor are mounted on a common circuit board, the assembly work is easier and wiring is not required compared to mounting sensors mounted on individual sensor boards. The circuit board can have a simple structure.

  In the case of a card processing apparatus that handles a non-contact type IC card, an RF antenna that communicates with an RFIC chip mounted on the card may be used as the card read / write unit.

(A) is a perspective view which shows the pedestal machine for game machines in which the card processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied is incorporated, and (b) is the pedestal machine body of the pedestal machine for game machines from the pedestal machine holder It is a perspective view which shows the state pulled out. (A) is a perspective view which shows the card processing apparatus integrated in the game machine stand machine of FIG. 1, (b) is the disassembled perspective view. (A) is sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of the card processing apparatus of FIG. 2, (b) is a side view which shows the conveyance path surface by the side of the apparatus main body unit. (A) is a perspective view showing a state in which the storage card payout mechanism of the card processing device of FIG. 2 is in the retracted position, (b) is a perspective view showing a state in which the storage card payout mechanism is in the forward position, c) is an exploded perspective view thereof. It is explanatory drawing which shows the card | curd sending-out operation | movement in the card processing apparatus of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement from the standby state in the card processing apparatus of FIG. (A) is a disassembled perspective view for showing the mounting position of the components of each photosensor in the card processing device of FIG. 2, (b) is a perspective view showing the configuration of each photosensor, (c) is It is explanatory drawing which shows the arrangement | positioning relationship of the light emitting element of each photosensor, a light receiving element, and a right angle prism. (A) is a perspective view which shows the state which released the lock | rock of the detachable opening / closing unit in the card processing apparatus of FIG. 2, (b) is a perspective view which shows the state which opened the opening / closing unit, (c) It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the state which removed the opening / closing unit from the apparatus main body unit, (d) is a perspective view at the time of seeing the removed opening / closing unit from the inside.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a card processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. Although the card processing apparatus according to the present embodiment is incorporated in a gaming machine pedestal machine, the present invention can be similarly applied to a card processing apparatus used for equipment other than the gaming machine pedestal machine. Of course.

(Platform machine for game machines)
FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing a game machine pedestal machine in which a card processing device to which the present invention is applied is incorporated, and FIG. 1B shows a game machine pedestal machine. It is a perspective view which shows the state pulled out from the intermediate machine holder. The gaming machine inter-table machine 100 in which the card processing device 1 according to the present embodiment is incorporated is arranged between gaming machines (not shown) constituting a gaming island in a gaming facility such as a pachinko parlor. The pedestal machine holder 101 fixed to the game island configuration frame (not shown), and the pedestal machine main body 102 inserted in a detachable state from the front side with respect to the pedestal machine holder 101 And.

  The pedestal machine main body 102 includes a flat and vertically long rectangular parallelepiped sheet metal case 103 and a plastic front panel 104 attached to the front surface. Inside the case 103, a control unit, a power supply unit, A card processing apparatus 1 is incorporated together with the money processing unit. A card slot 105 for card insertion / ejection is formed in a portion of the front panel 104 located on the front surface of the card processing apparatus 1, through which a card, in this example, a non-contact type in which an RFIC chip is mounted. An IC card C (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “card C”) is inserted and ejected. Note that the configuration and operation of the gaming machine pedestal machine 100 are the same as those generally known, and thus further description thereof is omitted.

(Card processing device)
FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing the card processing device 1 incorporated in the gaming machine table machine 100 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is an exploded perspective view thereof. Referring to these drawings, the card processing device 1 has a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the front-rear direction as a whole. The device body unit 2 and a detachable opening / closing device attached to the device body unit 2 Unit 3 is provided. The apparatus body unit 2 is a unit having a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the front-rear direction of the apparatus, and a concave portion 4 having a constant width and a constant depth extending in the front-rear direction is formed on one side surface thereof. The opening / closing unit 3 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape just fit into the recess 4, and will be described later from a closing position 3 </ b> A attached to the recess 4 with the opening / closing center axis 5 extending in the vertical direction of the device at the rear end thereof. It can be opened and closed within the range up to the open position 3B (see FIG. 8B), and is locked at the closed position 3A by a lock mechanism described later. The opening / closing unit 3 can be detached from the apparatus main body unit 2. An inlet guide unit 6 is fixed to the apparatus main body unit 2 by a fixing screw 7 at the front portion of the apparatus of the recess 4.

  FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the card processing apparatus 1, and FIG. 3B is a side view showing the conveyance path surface on the apparatus body unit 2 side. The internal structure of the card processing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. On the front end surface 11 of the card processing device 1, a card insertion / discharge port 12 having a constant width is formed extending vertically in the center of the front end surface 11 in the width direction. In this example, a card insertion / discharge port 12 is formed between the apparatus main unit 2 and the inlet guide unit 6 attached to the front end portion of the recess 4 formed here. The card C can be inserted and discharged along the longitudinal direction via the card insertion / discharge port 12.

  Inside the card processing apparatus 1, a card transport path 13 having a constant width is formed extending linearly rearward from the card insertion / discharge port 12. The card transport path 13 is a passage having a width capable of transporting the cards C one by one in the longitudinal direction, and includes an entrance side card transport path 13A and a card transport path 13B extending rearward from the rear end of the entrance side card transport path 13A. And. The rear end 13b of the card transport path 13B is connected to the card stacker 14 that is wider than the card transport path 13B at a middle position in the longitudinal direction of the apparatus, and the rear end 13b is connected to the card delivery port of the card stacker 14. It has become. The card stacker 14 can be stored in a state where the cards C fed from the card transport path 13B are stacked in the apparatus width direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the card transport path 13, in other words, stacked in the thickness direction of the card C.

  The entrance-side card transport path 13A is formed between the apparatus body unit 2 and the entrance guide unit 6, and the rear-side card transport path 13B is formed between the apparatus body unit 2 and the opening / closing unit 3. That is, the entrance-side card transport path 13A faces the front portion of the first flat transport path surface 15 that defines the bottom surface of the recess 4 of the apparatus body unit 2 and a constant interval in the apparatus width direction. It is formed between the flat second conveyance path surface portion 16 defined by the inner side surface of the inlet guide unit 6. The card conveyance path 13B is formed between the first conveyance path surface 15 on the apparatus body unit 2 side and the flat second conveyance path surface portion 17 defined by the inner side surface of the opening / closing unit 3 facing the card conveyance path 13B. ing. The rear portion of the first conveyance path surface 15 is a rear conveyance path surface portion 15a extending rearward from the rear end 13b of the second conveyance path surface portion 17 (the card delivery port of the card stacker 14). A stacker opening portion 14 a having a rectangular outline of the card stacker 14 formed on the opening / closing unit 3 side is opposed to the rear conveyance path surface portion 15 a.

  A card transport mechanism 20 for transporting the card C is disposed in the card transport path 13B and the card stacker 14. The card transport mechanism 20 includes a first transport roller 21 and a second transport roller 22, an idler roller 23 that can be pressed against the first transport roller 21, and a drive motor for driving the first and second transport rollers 21 and 22. 24 and a gear train 25 for transmitting the driving force of the driving motor 24 to the first and second transport rollers 21 and 22. The first and second transport rollers 21 and 22 are synchronously rotated by the drive motor 24. The first transport roller 21 is disposed on the card transport path 13B, but the second transport roller 22 is located at the rear end of the card transport path 13B in the rear transport path surface portion 15a facing the card stacker 14. 13b is disposed in the vicinity of the rear side. Further, the distance between the first and second transport rollers 21 and 22 is set to be shorter than the length of the card C in the transport direction. Among the components of the card transport mechanism 20, the idler roller 23 is mounted on the opening / closing unit 3 side, but the rest is mounted on the apparatus body unit 2 side.

  In the apparatus main unit 2, a solenoid-driven inlet shutter 26 is disposed between the card insertion / ejection port 12 and the first transport roller 21 in the inlet-side card transport path 13 </ b> A. When the entrance shutter 26 is opened, the card C can be inserted. When the end surface Ca of the inserted card C in the transport path loading direction is pushed into the nip portion of the first transport roller 21 and the idler roller 23, the card C Card conveyance by the conveyance mechanism 20 is enabled.

  A circuit board 27 is arranged in parallel to the back side of the first conveyance path surface 15 in the apparatus main body unit 2. The circuit board 27 is equipped with a control circuit that controls the drive of the card processing apparatus 1, and an RF antenna 28 (read / write unit) for reading / writing information in a non-contact state with respect to the card C. It is installed. The RF antenna 28 is mounted on the surface of the circuit board 27 facing the portion between the first and second transport rollers 21 and 22 in the card transport path 13B, as indicated by an imaginary line in FIG. It is a loop-shaped antenna.

  Here, the circuit board 27 is mounted with a plurality of card detectors used for carrying the card C. The card detection position by these card detectors will be described mainly with reference to FIG. First, an entrance lever 31 of a photo-interrupter type card detector is disposed in the vicinity of the card insertion / ejection slot 12 in the entrance-side card transport path 13A. The entrance lever 31 is urged to protrude into the entrance-side card transport path 13A, and is pushed in the apparatus width direction by the card C inserted into the card insertion / discharge port 12 and retracts from the entrance-side card transport path 13A. It can be pushed in the direction. The movement of the entrance lever 31 causes the photo interrupter mounted on the circuit board 27 to have the card C inserted into the entrance side card transport path 13A, and the card C is completely pulled out from the card insertion / eject port 12. Can be detected.

  A pair of photosensors 32 and 33 (first detectors) are arranged at the upper end and the lower end of the entrance-side card transport path 13A at a portion between the entrance shutter 26 and the first transport roller 21 in the entrance-side card transport path 13A. Has been. These photosensors 32 and 33 are for detecting that the card C is located at the card read / write position by the RF antenna 28. In this example, when the card C is positioned at the card read / write position, the rear edge portion of the read / write target card C (28) in the conveyance path loading direction is located at the detection position of the upper photosensor 32, From the detection position of the lower photo sensor 33, the position deviates in the carry-in direction. Based on the detection signals of both the photosensors 32 and 33, it can be detected that the card C is positioned at the card read / write position.

  Next, one photo sensor 34 (second detector) is disposed at the lower end portion of the card transport path 13B corresponding to the nip position of the first transport roller 21 and the idler roller 23 in the card transport path 13B. Yes. Based on the detection signal of the photo sensor 34, the leading end of the card C inserted from the card insertion / ejection port 12 is inserted into the nip portion of the first transport roller 21 and the idler roller 23 (at the start of transport), and It can be detected that the discharged card C has passed through the nip portion (at the end of conveyance).

  One photosensor 35 (third detector) is disposed at the lower end portion of the rear end 13b of the card transport path 13B. Based on the detection signal of the photo sensor 35, it can be detected that the card C sent to the card stacker 14 along the card transport path 13B has been stored in the card stacker 14.

  Next, the structure of the card stacker 14 will be described mainly with reference to FIG. The card stacker 14 formed in the opening / closing unit 3 is formed on the rear side of the second transport path surface portion 17 and has a rectangular shape that can be stored in a stacked state by inserting one card C in the thickness direction. It is a concave part with a certain depth. The stacker opening 14a of the card stacker 14 is opposed to the rear conveyance path surface portion 15a of the first conveyance path surface 15 on the apparatus body unit 2 side. The card stacker 14 is provided with a rectangular card push-up plate 41 (card push-up member) that defines the bottom surface of the card stacker 14 in a state of facing the rear conveyance path surface portion 15a. The card push-up plate 41 is pushed up from the back side toward the rear conveyance path surface portion 15a by a truncated conical compression coil spring 42 (biasing member). The push-up position 42A (biasing position) by the compression coil spring 42 is the center position of the card push-up plate 41 or a position behind the center position when viewed along the card transport direction. It matches.

  On the other hand, in the rear conveyance path surface portion 15a, the second conveyance roller 22 is exposed in the vicinity of the rear end 13b (card delivery port) of the card conveyance path 13B. A pair of solenoid-driven push-down members 43 and 44 (card push-down mechanism) that can enter the card stacker 14 along the apparatus width direction are arranged at the rear position. The push-down members 43 and 44 are arranged at symmetrical positions in the vertical direction of the card stacker 14 (the short side direction of the stored IC card C).

  In the non-excited state, these push-down members 43 and 44 are in a retracted position retracted to the rear side of the rear conveyance path surface portion 15a as shown in FIG. 3A, and when energized, the rear conveyance path surface portion. From 15a toward the inside of the card stacker 14, the card is switched to a card push-down position that has entered at least the thickness of one card C or more. Further, the card push-down position 43A by these push-down members 43, 44 is a position that is offset to the front side of the apparatus with respect to the push-up position 42A of the compression coil spring 42 when viewed along the card carrying direction. This is a position on the rear side of the apparatus with respect to the contact position 22A of the 22 storage card C (14).

  When the card push-down members 43 and 44 are projected into the card stacker 14, the storage card C (14) is pushed down against the push-up force of the push-up plate 41. In this example, the storage card C (14) is pushed down by the card push-down members 43 and 44 at the card push-down position 43A offset from the push-up position 42A of the push-up plate 41 by the compression coil spring 42 to the front side of the apparatus. As a result, the front portion of the storage card C (14) is pushed down with the pushing position 42A by the compression coil spring 42 as a fulcrum. Therefore, as compared with the case where the entire storage card C (14) is pushed down, the card conveyance path is reliably between the rear conveyance path surface portion 15a and the uppermost card C1 of the storage card C (14) with a small pushing force. A gap for feeding the card C from 13B can be formed.

  Next, at the rear end of the card stacker 14 in the front-rear direction of the apparatus, the uppermost card C1 stacked on the top of the storage cards C (14) stored in the card stacker 14 has the card thickness. A storage card feeding mechanism 90 that pushes in the pushing direction perpendicular to the direction, in this example, in the card carrying direction along the rear carrying path surface portion 15a and feeds it to the card carrying path 13B is arranged. The storage card payout mechanism 90 includes a pair of card engagement claws 91 and 92 protruding from the rear end portion of the rear conveyance path surface portion 15a, and these card engagement claws 91 and 92 via compression coil springs 93 and 94. And a supporting claw slide mechanism 95.

  The card engaging claws 91 and 92 are disposed at symmetrical positions in the vertical direction in the rear conveyance path surface portion 15a, and can be engaged with the rear end surface of the uppermost card C1 from the rear side. Further, the card engaging claws 91 and 92 can be reciprocated within a certain range in the longitudinal direction of the apparatus by a claw slide mechanism 95. The storage card feeding mechanism 90 having this configuration and the second transport roller 22 of the card transport mechanism 20 ensure that the uppermost card C1 is stored from the storage card C (14) stored in the card stacker 14 in a stacked state. It is possible to separate and send out the card C1 toward the card transport path 13B.

(Card transport path length)
In the card processing apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, the read / write target IC card C (28) positioned at the card read / write position by the RF antenna 28 has a leading end portion in the transport path loading direction as shown in FIG. The stacker 14 enters a state where it enters the back from the card delivery port (the rear end 13b of the card transport path 13B) by a predetermined distance. At this card read / write position, the end surface Ca on the front end side in the conveyance path loading direction of the IC card C (28) is positioned immediately before the pair of push-down members 43 and 44, and the end surface Cb on the rear end side is a pair of photosensors 32. , 33. Therefore, the leading end portion of the IC card C (28) at the card read / write position in the transport path loading direction is the rear end of the storage card C (14) stored in the card stacker 14 in the transport path loading direction. It is in a state where it overlaps the end portion by a predetermined length. Further, both the first and second transport rollers 21 and 22 are in contact with the card C (28) at the read / write position.

  The overlap dimension ΔL of these cards is set to the maximum dimension that does not cause a collision with the storage card C (14) when the card C (28) at the card read / write position is read / written by the RF antenna 28. ing. In this example, the overlap dimension ΔL is larger than the length dimension L (12) from the photosensors 32 and 33 to the card insertion / ejection port 12. Therefore, the total length L (13) of the card transport path 13 (13A, 13B) is shorter than the length dimension L (C) in the longitudinal direction of the card C. Further, the length L (14) from the card insertion / discharge port 12 to the rear end of the card stacker 14 is shorter than twice the length L (C) of the card C, and the total length L (1) in the longitudinal direction of the apparatus. Is twice the length dimension L (C) of the card C or shorter.

  Thus, since the card conveyance path 13 (13A, 13B) can be short, the length dimension of the card processing apparatus 1 in the front-rear direction can be reduced. Moreover, since the card | curd C should just be conveyed along the short card | curd conveyance path 13, the card | curd C can be conveyed using a pair of conveyance rollers 21 and 22 instead of a conveyance belt. In other words, the pair of transport rollers 21 and 22 can be arranged at an interval narrower than the length L (C) in the transport direction of the card C, so that the card can be transported reliably. When a transport belt is used, there is a high risk of transport failure and card clogging due to the elongation of the belt due to long-term use, but the durability of the transport mechanism can be improved by using a transport roller.

  Further, the second transport roller 22 is disposed on the rear transport path surface portion 15 a facing the card stacker 14. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the second transport roller 22 abuts on the rear portion of the card C (28) at the read / write position. When the card C (28) is not present at the read / write position, the card C (28) comes into contact with the front portion of the uppermost card C1 located at the top of the storage card C (14). Therefore, the card C (28) at the read / write position can be sent into the card stacker 14 using the second transport roller 22, and the card C1 in the card stacker 14 is sent out toward the card transport path 13. (See FIGS. 5 and 6).

(Storage card payout mechanism)
4A is a perspective view showing a state in which the storage card feeding mechanism 90 is in the retracted position, and FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing a state in which the storage card feeding mechanism 90 is in the forward movement position. (C) is the exploded perspective view. As described above, the storage card payout mechanism 90 has a rear end surface (front end surface in the card transport path loading direction) of the uppermost card C1 stacked on the top of the storage card C (14). A plurality of card engaging claws that can be engaged from the rear side at symmetrical positions separated in the vertical direction (symmetric positions separated in the card short side direction), in this example, a pair of upper and lower card engaging claws 91 and 92 are provided. ing. The card engagement claws 91 and 92 are mounted on the claw slide mechanism 95 via compression coil springs 93 and 94, respectively.

  The claw slide mechanism 95 has a common slider 96 that supports the card engagement claws 91 and 92, and the slider 96 is moved from the retracted position shown in FIG. 4A along the card pushing direction (card transport direction). 4B, a DC motor 97 (common drive source) for sliding between the forward positions shown in FIG. 4B and a power transmission mechanism 98 for converting the drive force of the DC motor 97 into the slide motion of the slider 96. I have. The power transmission mechanism 98 includes a cam gear 98b that is driven via a gear box 98a that decelerates the rotation of the DC motor 97, and a swing link 98c that swings within a predetermined turning angle range in the longitudinal direction of the apparatus by the cam gear 98b. A slider 96 is connected to the tip of the swing link 98c, and the slider 96 is attached to the apparatus main body unit 2 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction.

  The pair of card engagement claws 91 and 92 are movable in the apparatus width direction (card stacking direction) with respect to the claw attachment portions 96a and 96b formed on the slider 96 via the compression coil springs 93 and 94. It is attached. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the card engaging claws 91 and 92 protrude into the card stacker through an opening formed in the rear end portion of the rear conveyance path surface portion 15a of the apparatus main body unit 2. The front end surfaces of the card engaging claws 91 and 92 are formed with contact surface portions 91a and 92a that are pressed by a spring force against a portion on the rear edge side of the card surface of the uppermost card C1 of the storage card C (14). ing.

  The storage card payout mechanism 90 having this configuration includes a pair of card engaging claws 91 and 92 that can be engaged with the rear end surface of the card C1 at different positions. When the card C1 is deformed such as warp, even if one of the card engagement claws 91 and 92 cannot be engaged with the deformed portion on the card rear end face, the other card engagement claw is placed on the card rear end face. It can be engaged with a portion that is not deformed. Therefore, it is possible to reliably perform the operation of pushing out the cards C1 one by one.

  The pair of card engaging claws 91 and 92 are mounted on a common slider 96 and are synchronously driven by a common drive mechanism (DC motor 97, power transmission mechanism 98). Compared with the case where the slider and the drive mechanism are individually arranged, the slide mechanism can be made simple and inexpensive. Further, by sliding the pair of card engaging claws 91 and 92 in synchronization, it is possible to avoid the problem that the card C1 is pushed out in an inclined state and the card C1 cannot be smoothly conveyed.

  Further, the card engaging claws 91 and 92 are attached to the slider 96 so as to be movable toward and away from the card surface of the card C1, and are pressed against the card surface by the compression coil springs 93 and 94. Accordingly, the card engagement claws 91 and 92 are always in contact with the card surface, and the relative position between the card engagement claws 91 and 92 and the card C1 is always kept constant regardless of whether or not the card C1 is deformed. . As a result, the card engagement claws 91 and 92 can always be held in a state of being engaged with the rear end face of the card, and the pushing operation of the card C1 can be reliably performed.

  In addition to this, the pair of card engagement claws 91 and 92 are arranged at symmetrical positions in a direction (vertical direction) orthogonal to the card push-out direction. Therefore, the card C1 is pushed out in the correct posture without tilting upward or downward, so that the card can be drawn out smoothly.

(Card processing operation)
Next, FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a card delivery operation in the card processing apparatus 1, and FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing an operation from the standby state to the completion of card taking in the card processing apparatus 1. The card processing operation by the card processing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to these drawings. First, as shown in FIGS. 5A1 to 5A3, it is assumed that a plurality of storage cards C (14) are stored in the card stacker 14 in a power-off state. In this state, the storage card C (14) in the card stacker 14 is pushed up by the card push-up plate 41 toward the rear conveyance path surface portion 15a of the first conveyance path surface 15, and the uppermost position located on the uppermost side thereof. The card C1 is pressed against the rear conveyance path surface portion 15a and the second conveyance roller 22 from which the outer peripheral surface is slightly exposed in the card stacker 14. Further, a pair of card engagement claws 91 and 92 are urged to the end surface Ca on the leading end side in the conveyance path loading direction of the uppermost card C1, and these engage with the end surface Ca on the card front end side from the rear side. ing.

  When the power is turned on, as shown in FIGS. 5 (b1) and 5 (b2), the pair of card engaging claws 91 and 92 of the storage card feeding mechanism 90 starts to slide forward, and these are engaged. The uppermost card C1 in the existing card stacker 14 is pushed forward. At the same time, the card transport mechanism 20 is driven, and the first and second transport rollers 21 and 22 start to rotate counterclockwise. As a result, the card C1 is separated from the other card C (14) and sent out from the card stacker 14 to the card transport path 13. After the card C1 is sent out by a predetermined distance, the slider 96 moves backward and returns to the original position. In contrast, the rotation of the transport rollers 21 and 22 is continued, and the card C1 is continuously sent out.

  When the end face Cb on the delivery side of the sent out card C1 moves forward to a state located between the pair of photosensors 32 and 33, the conveyance of the card C1 is stopped. As a result, the card C1 is positioned at the card read / write position. As a result, the standby state shown in FIGS. 6A1 and 6A2 is formed. In this state, both the first and second transport rollers 21 and 22 are in contact with the card C1 at the card read / write position.

  In the card processing apparatus 1 in the standby state, as shown in FIGS. 6 (b1) and 6 (b2), when the card C2 is inserted from the card insertion / ejection port 12, the insertion of the card C2 is detected by the entrance lever 31. The When card insertion is detected, the card transport mechanism 20 is driven, and the card C1 held at the card read / write position on the card transport path 13 is stored in the card stacker 14 by the first and second transport rollers 21 and 22. Return to position.

  When it is detected by the photo sensor 35 that the card C1 has returned into the card stacker 14, the entrance shutter 26 is opened as shown in FIGS. 6C1 and 6C2, and the card C2 is moved to the first transport roller 21. Insertion is possible up to the nip position. When the card C <b> 2 is pushed in, the card C <b> 2 is taken in by the rotating first transport roller 21 and transported toward the rear side along the card transport path 13.

  Here, when the photo sensor 34 disposed at the nip portion of the first conveying roller 21 detects the card C2 being taken in, the card push-down members 43 and 44 project into the card stacker 14 in the card stacker 14, The storage card C is pushed in a direction away from the first conveyance path surface 15. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 6 (d1) and 6 (d2), in the card stacker 14, a gap into which the taken card C2 can be inserted is formed on the rear conveyance path surface portion 15a side. When the leading end portion of the taken card C2 on the feeding side is inserted into the card stacker 14, and the end face Cb on the rear side in the feeding direction reaches between the pair of photosensors 32 and 33, the card conveyance is stopped and the card is taken in. Is completed.

  In this manner, information is read from and written to the card C2 taken into the card read / write position. The end face Ca on the leading end side in the transport path loading direction of the card C2 taken in is in contact with the pair of card push-down members 43 and 44 protruding to the card push-down position, and is positioned at the card read / write position. Accordingly, the card push-down members 43 and 44 also function as a stopper for positioning the taken card C2 at the card read / write position.

(Photo sensor configuration and mounting position)
Next, FIG. 7A is an exploded perspective view for showing the mounting positions of the components of the photosensors 32 to 35 in the card processing apparatus 1, and FIG. 7B is the configuration of the photosensors 32 to 35. FIG. 7C is an explanatory view showing the arrangement relationship between the light-emitting elements and the light-receiving elements of the respective photosensors 32 to 35 and the right-angle prism. With reference to these drawings, the configuration and mounting positions of the four sets of photosensors 32 to 35 for detecting the position of the card C on the card transport path 13 (13A, 13B) will be described.

  These photosensors 32 to 35 are prism regressive transmission sensors having the same configuration, and light emitting elements 32a to 35a, light receiving elements 32b to 35b, and light emitted from the light emitting elements 32a to 35a are received by light receiving elements 32b to 35b. And right-angle prisms 32c to 35c that reflect toward the surface. The light emitting elements 32 a to 35 a and the light receiving elements 32 b to 35 b are mounted on a single circuit board 27 arranged in the apparatus main body unit 2. In contrast, the right-angle prisms 32c and 33c are mounted on the entrance guide unit side, and the right-angle prisms 34c and 35c are mounted on the opening / closing unit 3 side.

  Light emitted from the light emitting elements 32a to 35a is reflected by the pair of reflecting surfaces of the right-angle prisms 32c to 35c across the card transport path 13 (13A, 13B) from the transmission window formed on the first transport path surface 15. Is done. The reflected light again crosses the card transport path 13 and enters the light receiving elements 32b to 35b. When the card C does not exist at the detection positions of the photosensors 32 to 35 in the card transport path 13, the detection light is received by the light receiving elements 32b to 35b, and when the card C exists at the detection position, the detection light is emitted. Since it is blocked by the card C, the presence or absence of the card C can be detected by the presence or absence of light reception.

  As described above, the light emitting elements 32a to 35a and the light receiving elements 32b to 35b that require wiring with the circuit board 27 are all mounted on the circuit board 27, and a right-angle prism that does not require wiring with the circuit board 27. 32c to 35c are mounted on the inlet guide unit and the opening / closing unit side. Since no electrical components are mounted on the side of the opening / closing unit 3 and the entrance guide unit 6, the wiring of the photosensors 32 to 35 becomes an obstacle when the opening / closing unit 3 and the entrance guide unit 6 are removed from the apparatus body unit 2. There is nothing. In addition, since these photosensors 32 to 35 are mounted on a single circuit board 27, unlike the conventional case where a photosensor mounted on an individual sensor board is incorporated, wiring is not required. Therefore, these assembling operations are also simplified.

(Opening / closing mechanism of the opening / closing unit, locking mechanism)
FIG. 8A is a perspective view showing a state where the lock of the detachable opening / closing unit 3 is released, and FIG. 8B is a perspective view showing a state where the opening / closing unit 3 is opened, and FIG. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing a state in which the opening / closing unit 3 is detached from the apparatus main body unit 2, and FIG. 8D is a perspective view when the removed opening / closing unit 3 is viewed from the inside. The opening / closing / detaching mechanism of the opening / closing unit 3 will be described with reference to these drawings.

  In the opening / closing unit 3, pivot shafts 51 and 52 protruding in the vertical direction are formed coaxially at the rear end portions of the upper surface portion 3a and the lower surface portion 3b. On the apparatus main body unit 2 side, shaft mounting grooves 53 and 54 are formed in a vertically symmetric state at the rear end side portions of the upper lower surface portion 4a and the lower upper surface portion 4b of the recess 4. In a state where the lock by the lock mechanism described later is released, the opening / closing unit 3 is centered on the pivot shafts 51, 52 (opening / closing center axis 5) removably attached to the shaft attaching grooves 53, 54, so that the apparatus main unit 2 It can be opened and closed between a closed position 3A (see FIG. 2A) fitted in the recess 4 and an open position 3B opened approximately 90 degrees shown in FIG. 8B.

  The lower shaft mounting groove 54 includes a linear groove portion 54 a having a rectangular cross section extending in the apparatus width direction in the upper surface portion 4 b of the recess 4 of the apparatus main body unit 2, and an end of the groove portion 54 a is at the end of the apparatus main body unit 2. A groove opening end 54b is formed in the side surface 2a. The end on the far side of the groove portion 54a is a groove portion 54c extending in a direction bent at a right angle to the rear of the apparatus. Since the upper shaft mounting groove 53 has the same configuration, the description thereof will be omitted, and the corresponding portions will be described using the reference numerals used for the portions of the shaft mounting groove 54. In the state where the opening / closing unit 3 is located at the closed position 3A, the upper and lower pivot shafts 51, 52 are mounted in a rotatable state in the inner groove portions 54c of the upper and lower shaft mounting grooves 53, 54. After unlocking the opening / closing unit 3 (see FIG. 8A), the upper and lower pivot shafts 51, 52 are once slid forward along the corresponding shaft mounting grooves 53, 54, and then in the device width direction. By sliding, these can be removed from the groove opening ends 54b of the shaft mounting grooves 53, 54. Thereby, the opening / closing unit 3 can be completely removed from the apparatus main body unit 2 as shown in FIG.

  Here, the open / close unit 3 that has been unlocked and can be opened / closed may fall off the shaft mounting grooves 53 and 54 on the apparatus body unit 2 side due to its own weight when it is turned downward. In order to prevent the opening / closing unit 3 from being inadvertently detached from the apparatus main body unit 2, the pivot shafts 51 and 52 are urged by an elastic urging member such as a compression coil spring in the protruding direction thereof. It is desirable to keep it. In this way, the pivot shafts 51 and 52 are pressed against the groove bottom surfaces of the shaft mounting grooves 53 and 54 and are engaged with the groove bottom surfaces with a predetermined engagement force. Therefore, by setting the engagement force to an appropriate value, it is possible to prevent adverse effects such as the opening / closing unit 3 slipping from the apparatus main body unit 2 due to its own weight.

  Next, a lock mechanism that locks the opening / closing unit 3 to the apparatus main body unit 2 will be described with reference to FIG. The lock mechanism includes a pair of lock pins 55 and 56 disposed on the opening / closing unit 3 side and a pair of lock grooves 57 and 58 disposed on the apparatus body unit 2 side. The lock pins 55 and 56 protrude coaxially toward the upper and lower portions of the upper surface portion 3a and the lower surface portion 3b of the opening / closing unit 3, respectively. The lock grooves 57 and 58 are respectively formed in the upper lower surface portion 4a and the lower upper surface portion 4b of the concave portion 4 of the apparatus main body unit 2, and the lock pins 55 and 56 can be inserted from the side surface 2a side.

  The lock groove 58 includes a wide groove opening end 58a and a groove portion 58b extending in the apparatus width direction therefrom, and an engagement surface 58c protruding rearward of the apparatus is formed on the end surface of the groove portion 58b on the apparatus front side. Is formed. The lock pin 56 is slidable rearward of the apparatus and is always urged forward of the apparatus by an unillustrated elastic urging member. The same applies to the upper lock groove 57 and the lock pin 55 (in the following description, each part of the lock groove 57 will be described using the reference numerals used for each part in the lock groove 58). Therefore, in a state where the opening / closing unit 3 is in the closed position 3A, the lock pins 55, 56 engage with the engaging surfaces 58c of the lock grooves 57, 58, and the opening / closing unit 3 is locked in the closed position 3A.

  Here, a lock release lever 59 for releasing the lock by the lock mechanism is attached to the front end portion of the side surface 3c outside the opening / closing unit 3. The lock release lever 59 is connected to the lock pins 55 and 56. When the lock release lever 59 is pushed rearward against the urging force acting on the lock pins 55 and 56, the lock pins 55 and 56 are disengaged from the engagement surfaces 58c of the lock grooves 57 and 58. Accordingly, when the open / close unit 3 is pulled sideways while pushing the lock release lever 59, the lock pins 55, 56 can be removed from the lock grooves 57, 58 sideways as shown in FIG.

  After releasing the lock in this way, as shown in FIG. 8B, the opening / closing unit 3 can be opened to the opening position 3B opened about 90 degrees around the opening / closing center axis 5 at the rear end. When the opening / closing unit 3 is opened, the card transport path 13B is switched to the open state except for the entrance-side card transport path 13A on the card insertion / discharge port 12 side. After releasing the lock, as shown in FIG. 8C, the upper and lower pivot shafts 51 and 52 at the rear end of the opening / closing unit 3 are moved from the shaft mounting grooves 53 and 54 on the apparatus body unit 2 side. Thus, the opening / closing unit 3 can be completely separated from the apparatus main body unit 2. When the opening / closing unit 3 is detached from the apparatus main body unit 2, the stacker opening 14a of the card stacker 14 on the inner surface of the opening / closing unit 3 is exposed as shown in FIG.

  Therefore, by opening the opening / closing unit 3, it is possible to easily remove the card jammed in the card transport path 13B. Further, it is possible to easily clean dust, dirt, and the like attached to each part of the card transport path 13B. Further, if the opening / closing unit 3 is detached from the apparatus main body unit 2, cleaning work on the opening / closing unit 3 side, maintenance of each part of the card stacker 14, and the like can be easily performed.

  In addition to this, when the card processing device 1 is removed from the gaming machine pedestal machine 100, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the fixing screw 7 is loosened by using a tool and the inlet guide unit 6 is moved to the device. It can be removed from the main unit 2 and the card insertion / discharge port 12 and the inlet side card transport path 13A can be switched to the open state. Therefore, these parts can be easily cleaned.

  On the other hand, as described below, a guide cartridge 60 is detachably attached to the inlet guide unit 6 of this example (see FIG. 9). In a state where the card processing apparatus 1 is assembled in the gaming machine inter-table machine 100, the portion of the inlet side card transport path 13A covered by the inlet guide unit 6 by removing the guide cartridge 60 from the inlet guide unit 6 Can be easily maintained.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Card processing apparatus 2 Apparatus main body unit 3 Opening / closing unit 3a Upper surface part 3b Lower surface part 3c Side surface 3d Front end surface 3e Notch part 4 Recessed part 4a Lower surface part 4b Upper surface part 5 Opening / closing center axis 6 Entrance guide unit 7 Fixing screw

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Front end surface 12 Card insertion discharge port 13 Card conveyance path 13A Entrance side card conveyance path 13B Card conveyance path 13b Rear end 14 Card stacker 14a Stacker opening 15 First conveyance path surface 15a Rear conveyance path surface portions 16, 17 Second conveyance path surface portion

20 Card transport mechanism 21 1st transport roller 22 2nd transport roller 22A Contact position 23 Idler roller 24 Drive motor 25 Gear train 26 Entrance shutter 27 Circuit board 28 RF antenna

31 Entrance lever 32, 33 Photo sensor 34 Photo sensor 35 Photo sensor 32a-35a Light emitting element 32b-35b Light receiving element 32c-35c Right angle prism

41 Card push-up plate (card push-up member)
42 Compression coil spring (biasing member)
42A Card push-up position 43, 44 Card push-down member 43A Card push-down position

51, 52 Pivot shaft 53, 54 Shaft mounting groove 54a Groove portion 54b Groove opening end 54c Groove portion 55, 56 Lock pin 57, 58 Lock groove 58a Groove opening end 58b Groove portion 58c Engagement surface 59 Lock release lever

90 Storage card payout mechanism 91, 92 Card engaging claws 91a, 92a Abutting surface portions 93, 94 Compression coil spring 95 Claw slide mechanism 96 Slider 97 DC motor 98 Power transmission mechanism 98a Gear box 98b Cam gear 98c Oscillating link

C Card C (28) Read / write target card C (14) Storage card C1 Uppermost stored card C2 Inserted card Ca, C1a Card end face Cb Card end face ΔL Card overlap dimension L (1) Length dimension L in the longitudinal direction of the device (12) Length dimension L from the card insertion / discharge port L (13) Length dimension L of the card transport path L (14) Length dimension L from the card insertion / discharge port to the rear end of the card stacker (C) Length dimension in card transport direction

Claims (4)

A device body unit;
An opening / closing unit that is detachably attached to the apparatus main body unit, and is openable and closable between a closed position and an open position around a predetermined opening / closing center axis in the attached state;
A locking mechanism that locks the open / close unit in the closed position;
A card transport path formed between the opening / closing unit and the apparatus main body unit in the closed position, and switching to an open state when the opening / closing unit is opened;
Insertion of a card into the card transport path and a card insertion / discharge port for discharging the card from the card transport path;
A card transport mechanism for transporting a card along the card transport path;
A card read / write unit that reads / writes information from / to the card conveyed along the card conveyance path;
A card stacker that can be stacked and stored in the thickness direction, has a card stacker for taking the card from the card transport path, and sending the card to the card transport path,
In the apparatus main body unit, the card insertion / exhaust port and the card read / write unit are arranged, and in the opening / closing unit, the card stacker is arranged,
Opening the opening / closing unit exposes the stacker opening connected to the card transport path in the card stacker ,
Furthermore, a support shaft that is formed on the opening / closing unit side and that defines the opening / closing center axis line;
A shaft mounting groove formed on the device body unit side;
The support shaft is mounted so as to be slidable and rotatable with respect to the shaft mounting groove,
One end of the shaft mounting groove is an opening end, and by removing the support shaft from the shaft mounting groove through the opening end, the opening / closing unit is detached from the apparatus main body unit,
A card processing apparatus having a conveyance path opening structure, wherein the support shaft is urged against a groove bottom surface of the shaft mounting groove by an elastic urging member . In claim 1,
A card processing apparatus having a conveyance path opening structure, wherein the opening / closing unit is provided with a lock release lever for releasing the lock by the lock mechanism . In claim 1 or 2,
It has a plurality of detection units for detecting the position of the card conveyed along the card conveyance path,
Each of the detection units is a transmissive photosensor including a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and a right-angle prism that reflects light emitted from the light emitting element toward the light receiving element,
Each of the light emitting element and the light receiving element of the detection unit is mounted on a common circuit board disposed in the apparatus main body unit,
The card processing apparatus having a conveyance path opening structure , wherein each of the right-angle prisms of the detection unit is disposed in the opening / closing unit . In any one of claims 1 to 3,
A card processing apparatus having a conveyance path opening structure, wherein the card read / write unit is an RF antenna that communicates with an RFIC chip mounted on a card.

Images