JPH04228141A - Card reader writer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a card reader writer which does not need a card carrying mechanism using frictional force by a roller, which can accurately read out and write information and whose maintenance is facilitated. CONSTITUTION:This card reader writer is provided with a main body 1 having a card insertion port in which a card 4 where the information can be read and written is inserted, reading and writing means 38 and 39 for reading and writing the information on the card 4, which are set in the main body 1, a grasping means 6 for grasping the card 4, a carrying means provided with a moving means 6A for moving the means 6 along a specified path so as to carry the card 4 inserted in the insertion port to the means 38 and 39, and a position adjusting means 22A for correcting the position of the card 4 grasped by the means 6.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a card reader/writer for exchanging information with a magnetic card or an IC card.

0002

[Prior Art] Automated financial devices such as automatic teller machines (CDs) and automatic teller machines (ATMs) that use magnetic cards or IC cards as information recording media are used in financial institutions such as banks, post offices, and credit unions. It has been developed with the aim of saving labor and speeding up counter operations at institutions.

[0003] Since these automated financial devices are unmanned facilities,
Efforts are being made to eliminate maintenance and improve reliability so that it can be used with peace of mind even on holidays. In particular, if the equipment stops due to a jam in the card reader/writer, etc., it becomes impossible to return cards to customers, causing a serious situation. In order to avoid such a situation, various measures are taken in card readers/writers.

A conventional card reader/writer has a card insertion slot formed in the center of one side of its frame.
A card is selectively inserted into this card insertion slot. A magnetic stripe is formed on the front and back of the inserted card. Further, at positions close to the card insertion slot within the range surrounded by the frame, take-in rollers for taking in the card inserted into the card insertion slot are arranged above and below.

On the other hand, in the space surrounded by the frame, behind the take-in roller, conveyance rollers are arranged in pairs, one above the other. These conveyance rollers and the above-mentioned take-in rollers are made of rubber or plastic. Further, near the conveyance roller, magnetic heads are arranged vertically facing each other with a predetermined magnetic gap. The conveying rollers and the taking-in rollers are commonly driven by a motor.

[0006] A card inserted through the card insertion slot is taken in by the take-in rollers, conveyed rearward, and then sent between the conveyance rollers at the front. This card is conveyed rearward by the pressure generated between the conveying rollers by the spring and the friction caused by the rotation of the conveying rollers. that time,
The card is conveyed to the conveyance rollers at the rear while pushing the upper and lower magnetic heads apart. During this time, the magnetic head reads information recorded on the magnetic stripe and writes new information. When these series of operations are completed, the card is returned to the insertion slot and returned to the customer.

[0007]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional card reader/writer configured as described above, the principle of card conveyance is that the card is conveyed by a rubber-like taking-in roller, a plastic roller, a conveying roller, and the card. Because frictional conveyance utilizes the frictional force between the rollers, the frictional force may vary depending on the surface condition of each roller, the surface condition of the card, the material of the card, etc., or the card may be conveyed while each roller repeatedly undergoes elastic deformation. This causes a problem in that the card transport speed is not constant, and as a result, reading and writing of magnetic information is not necessarily performed accurately.

[0008]Also, the card is sequentially conveyed backward by three pairs of conveying rollers, but each time the card is taken between the rollers, it is subjected to a collision and vibrates. As a result, there is a problem that the stability of card transportation is reduced, and as a result, reading and writing of magnetic information cannot be performed accurately.

Furthermore, if the conveyance rollers are used for a long period of time without maintenance, dust, oil, etc. will adhere to the roller surface, resulting in a decrease in card conveyance ability. In the worst case, there is also the problem that card transportation becomes impossible.

[0010] Furthermore, in the case of an IC card in which an IC is incorporated into the card, the magnetic stripe, the embossed part, and the IC node part are usually adjacent to each other in the width direction of the card. For this reason, the rollers for conveyance can only pinch the card by about 2 to 3 mm from the edge, and there is a possibility that the card conveyance ability will further deteriorate.

As mentioned above, the conventional card reader/writer uses a method of transporting the card using the frictional force generated between the rubber roller and the card, so it is not possible to transport the card at a constant speed. As a result, there is a problem in that the reliability of reading and writing information is reduced.

[0012] An object of the present invention is to provide a card reader/writer that can read and write information accurately without requiring a card conveyance mechanism that uses frictional force by rollers, and that is easy to maintain. .

[0013]

[Means for Solving the Problems] A card reader/writer according to the present invention includes a main body having a card insertion slot into which a card capable of reading and writing information is inserted; The card inserted into the insertion slot is read/written by a read/write means for reading/writing the card, a gripping means for gripping the card, and a moving means for moving the gripping means along a predetermined path. The card includes a conveyance means for conveying the card to the write means, and an alignment means for correcting the position of the card held by the gripping means.

[0014]

[Operation] In the present invention, a card inserted through the card insertion slot is gripped by the gripping means. This card holding means is moved along a predetermined path by the moving means. At this time, the moving speed of the card is determined only by the feeding speed of the moving means, and since it is easy to keep this feeding speed constant, stable conveyance of the card is possible. Further, since the present invention does not use a conveyance system that utilizes friction using, for example, rubber rollers, the card conveyance ability will not deteriorate even if used for a long period of time.

[0015]

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the main parts of a card reader/writer according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

This card reader/writer includes a frame 1 that is shaped like a rectangular frame when viewed from above. This frame 1 has side plates 2a and 2b arranged in parallel.
and a plurality of connecting rods 3 that connect these side plates 2a and 2b in a parallel state.

A front panel (not shown) is disposed at a position slightly forward of the right end surface of the side plates 2a, 2b in the drawing, and a card insertion slot (not shown) is formed in this front panel. Then, the card 4 is selectively inserted through this card insertion slot. In this case, the card 4 is an IC card in which an IC is incorporated into a magnetic card.

Near the inner surface of the side plate 2b, two guide rods 5a and 5b are arranged parallel to each other in a relationship parallel to the direction in which the card 4 is inserted. And these guide rods 5a, 5b
The card chucking mechanism 6 that constitutes the carriage 6A
is supported in a movable manner.

The chucking mechanism 6 grips one edge of the card 4 in the width direction in the thickness direction in response to the opening/closing mechanism 14 described later when the card 4 is inserted by a certain amount or more into the card insertion slot. Specifically, it is configured as shown in FIG. That is, the card chucking mechanism 6 includes a base 7 movably supported by guide rods 5a and 5b. The aforementioned side plate 2b of this base 7
A lower claw 8 serving as a gripping claw is integrally formed in a portion located on the opposite side. An upper claw 9 is arranged above the lower claw 8, and a base end 10 of the upper claw 9 is rotatably supported by the base 7 via a pin 11. A pressurizing spring 12 formed of a torsion coil spring is installed between the upper claw 9 and the base 7, and this pressurizing spring 12 always maintains a predetermined gripping force between the upper claw 9 and the lower claw 8. It is designed to work.

The upper claw 9 and the lower claw 8 have a length of several mm in the width direction of the card 4, and a length in the longitudinal direction of the card 4 such that the card 4 can be pulled out from the insertion slot (for example, 20 m).
It is formed to have a gripping surface with a length of approximately In fact, since the card 4 has a magnetic stripe adjacent to and parallel to one edge of the card,
The gripping surfaces of the upper and lower claws 8 and 9 are formed to grip the edge of the card 4 excluding the magnetic stripe, and preferably 2/2 of the edge of the card 4 excluding the magnetic stripe.
It is formed to grip an area of 3 or less. Also,
On the upper surface of the upper claw 9, there is a pin 13a that stands up parallel to the side plate 2b and then bends into an L-shape toward the side plate 2b.
, 13b are provided. The upper claw 9 is connected to the opening/closing mechanism 14 described below via the pins 13a and 13b described above.
Opening/closing is controlled by

The opening/closing mechanism 14 includes a lever 15 arranged above and parallel to the guide rod 5a and selectively engaged with the lower surfaces of the pins 13a and 13b. The lever 15 is supported by a rotating member 16 extending along the inner surface of the side plate 2b. Both ends of the rotating member 16 are supported by bearings 18a and 18b via a pin 17. Bearings 18a and 18b are fixed to the inner surface of side plate 2b. A shaft (not shown) that protrudes toward the side plate 2b is provided on the surface facing the side plate 2b at the center of the rotating member 16, and a roller 19 is attached to this shaft. The roller 19 is in contact with an eccentric cam 20, and this eccentric cam 20
is connected to the rotating shaft of the motor 21. therefore,
When the motor 21 rotates half a turn and the outer surface of the longer diameter portion of the eccentric cam 20 comes into contact with the roller 19, the rotating member 16 rotates about the position of the pin 17. This rotation causes the lever 15 to engage at least the pin 13b and push it up. This pushing up causes the upper claw 9 to rotate against the restoring force of the pressurized spring 12. As a result, the gripping operation by the lower claw 8 and the upper claw 9 is released. Further, when the motor 21 rotates another half rotation, the outer surface of the shorter diameter portion of the eccentric cam 20 comes into contact with the roller 19 . As a result, the rotating member 16 rotates in the opposite direction, and the lower claw 8 and the upper claw 9 return to the gripping operation state. The opening/closing mechanism 14 operates as described above to open the card chucking mechanism 6.
Open and close.

A positioning mechanism 22A is provided along the inner surface of the side plate 2a for guiding the free end side of the card 4, that is, the edge of the side not gripped by the card chucking mechanism 6, and positioning it in the width direction. It is being This alignment mechanism 22A
has a guide member 22, which is supported by support levers 23, 24. Support lever 2
Pins 25 and 26 are protruded at intermediate positions of 3 and 24, respectively, and each support lever 23 and 24 is connected to the pin 25 and 26.
It is rotatably supported via a support member (not shown). Between the lower end portions of the support levers 23, 24 in the figure and the side plate 2a, pressurized springs 2 are provided which apply a weak force to the support levers 23, 24 in the direction of tilting them toward the guide rod 5a.
7 and 28 are stretched.

On the other hand, a motor 29 is disposed at a lower position between the guide rod 5a and the guide member 22. The rotational force of the motor 29 is transmitted to the belt 35 via a belt 30, a pulley 31, a belt 32, a pulley 33, and a pulley 34. The belt 35 is stretched between the pulleys 34 and 36 along the lower surface of the guide rod 5a. A portion of the belt 35 is connected to the base 7 of the card chucking mechanism 6 by a connecting means (not shown). Therefore, the above-mentioned motor 29, each belt, and each pulley constitute a drive mechanism that moves the card chucking mechanism 6 along the guide rods 5a, 5b.

Between the guide rod 5a and the guide member 22, magnetic heads 38 and 39 are arranged vertically with a predetermined gap 40 between them so that they can contact the magnetic stripes provided on the front and back surfaces of the card 4. are placed facing each other. These magnetic heads 38, 39 are supported by suspensions 41, 42 so as to be movable in the rolling direction and the gap direction. The suspensions 41 and 42 have a structure in which contact pressure is applied by plate springs, coil springs, etc. in order to stabilize the contact between the magnetic heads 38 and 39 and the card 4. Note that although sensors and control circuits are omitted in FIG. 1, they function together as will be described later. Next, the operation of the card reader/writer configured as described above will be explained.

First, in a steady state, the card chucking mechanism 6 is on standby at the card insertion slot side, that is, at the position shown in FIG. 1. In this standby state, the lower claw 8 and the upper claw 9 are held open by the opening/closing mechanism 14.

[
In this state, when the card 4 is inserted through the card insertion slot and one edge of the card 4 is inserted a certain amount between the lower claw 8 and the upper claw 9, a sensor (not shown) detects this state. Detected in Based on this sensor output, the motor 21 of the opening/closing mechanism 14 is controlled to rotate by half a rotation. With this rotation control, the lever 15 is lowered and the upper claw 9 is rotated by the force of the pressurizing spring 12. As a result, one edge of the card 4 is gripped by the upper claw 9 and the lower claw 8 with a constant pressure.

When the gripping operation is completed, the motor 29 starts rotating. With this rotation, the belt 35 starts circulating. Therefore, the card chucking mechanism 6 starts moving in the direction of arrow A, and the card 4 also moves in the direction of arrow A. At this time, vibrations in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement that are likely to occur in the card are prevented by the guiding action of the guide member 22, and stable conveyance is realized. When the card 4 passes between the magnetic heads 38 and 39 provided on the card transport path, information is read and written on the magnetic stripes provided on the front and back surfaces of the card 4.

When the card 4 moves to a predetermined position, this state is detected by a sensor (not shown). Based on this sensor output, the motor 29 is now controlled in reverse. When the card chucking mechanism 6 returns to the initial position by this reverse control, the opening mechanism 14 operates to rotate the eccentric cam 20 by half a rotation. As a result, the lever 15 pushes up the upper claw 9, and the space between the lower claw 8 and the upper claw 9 becomes open. At this time, a portion of the card 4 is in a state protruding from the card insertion slot to the outside. Therefore, the card 4 can be pulled out by hand.

FIGS. 3 to 6 show only the main parts of a card reader/writer according to a modification of the first embodiment. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to the same functional parts as in Fig. 1.
Detailed explanation will be omitted.

In the first modification shown in FIG. 3, the position of the card insertion slot is provided at a position different from that shown in FIG. It has different degrees. The lower claw 8 and upper claw 9 of the card chucking mechanism 6 grip one longitudinal edge of the card 4 in the thickness direction. Even with such a configuration, effects similar to those of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 can be obtained.

In the second modification shown in FIG. 4, an elastic body 43 such as a rubber material is attached to the gripping surface of the upper claw 9 of the card chucking mechanism 6b, and in the third modification shown in FIG. Here, elastic bodies 43 and 44 are attached to the gripping surface of the upper claw 9 and the gripping surface of the lower claw 8, respectively.

With this configuration, by providing the elastic body 43 or the elastic bodies 43 and 44, the card 4 can be gripped more stably, so that even more stable card transportation is possible.

Further, in another modification shown in FIG. 6, there is a release mechanism for forcibly releasing the gripping operation of the card chucking mechanism 6 toward the front side of the standby position of the card chucking mechanism 6, that is, toward the card insertion slot 45 side. A mechanism 46 is provided.

The release mechanism 46 includes a support member 47 whose base end is fixed to the inner surface of the side plate 2b and whose free end protrudes into the space above the guide rods 5a and 5b. It consists of a roller 48 provided at the tip. The roller 48 is rotatably supported by a shaft 49 provided at the distal end of the support member 47 so that its axis line is orthogonal to the direction in which the guide rod 5a extends. Further, the roller 48 is arranged such that the highest part of its outer peripheral surface is higher than the height of the pin 13a of the card chucking mechanism 6 by about the thickness of the card 4 when it is attached to the shaft 49. ing.

With this configuration, when the card 4 gripped by the card chucking mechanism 6 returns to the standby position, even if the card chucking mechanism 6 is unable to open due to a power outage or the like, the card 4 can be removed. It can be pulled out easily. That is, in this case, when the card 4 is pulled in the direction of arrow B, the pin 13a comes into contact with the roller 48, and when the card 4 is pulled further, it is pushed upward by the roller 48, so the upper claw 9 opens and the card 4 can be pulled out. FIG. 7 shows a card reader/writer according to a second embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is designed for magnetic cards.

As shown in FIG. 7, a front panel 49a is installed at the front of the side plates 2a, 2b constituting the frame 1, and a card insertion slot 45 is formed in this front panel 49a. The card 4 is inserted through this card insertion slot 45.

Near the inner surface of the side plate 2b, two guide rods 5a and 5b are arranged parallel to each other in parallel to the direction in which the card 4 is inserted. A carriage 6A equipped with a card chucking mechanism 6 is movably supported on these guide bars 5a and 5b.

The chucking mechanism 6 closes the opening/closing mechanism 1 when a certain amount or more of the card 4 is inserted into the card insertion slot 45.
4, one edge of the card 4 in the width direction is gripped in the thickness direction. A base 7 of the chucking mechanism 6 is movably supported by guide rods 5a and 5b. A lower claw 8 is fixed to the base 7, and an upper claw 9 is arranged above the lower claw 8. The base end of the upper claw 9 is rotatably supported by the base 7. As in the first embodiment, the upper claw 9 is urged in the closing direction by a pressurizing spring (not shown). Further, on the upper surface of the upper claw 9, there are pins 13a, 1 that rise upward parallel to the side plate 2b and protrude toward the side plate 2b.
3b is provided. And these pins 13a, 13
Bearings 13c and 13d are fitted into the bearings 13c and 13d, respectively. The upper claw 9 has the above-mentioned bearing 13c.
, 13d, the opening/closing mechanism 14 controls opening/closing.

The opening/closing mechanism 14 includes a lever 15 and a stepping motor 52. The lever 15 is arranged above the guide rod 5a and parallel to the guide rod 5a, and engages with the lower surfaces of the bearings 13c and 13d. The lever 15 is attached to a rotating member 16 extending along the inner surface of the side plate 2b, and the rotating member 16 is rotatably supported by bearings 18a, 18b and pins 18c, 18d.

The stepping motor 52 is attached to an intermediate plate 2c installed approximately at the center of the frame 1, and a rotating shaft 52a protrudes toward the side wall 2b. A pulley 53 and a camshaft 54 are rotatably arranged in parallel with the stepping motor 52, and the rotational shaft 54a of the stepping motor 52, the pulley 53, and the camshaft 54 are connected to belts 51a, b.
are connected to form a speed reduction mechanism.

An eccentric cam 20 is attached to the camshaft 54, and the cam surface of the eccentric cam 20 is in contact with one side edge of the rotating member 16. Therefore, the stepping motor 52 rotates, and the outer surface of the longer diameter part of the eccentric cam 20
6, the rotating member 16 rotates. This rotation causes the lever 15 to move at least to the bearing 13b.
and push it up. This pushing up releases the gripping operation. Further, when the stepping motor 52 makes another half turn, the outer surface of the shorter diameter portion of the eccentric cam 20 comes into contact with the edge of the rotating member 16 . As a result, a gripping operation state is achieved. The opening/closing mechanism 14 operates in this manner to open/close the card chucking mechanism 6.

A guide member 22 is arranged along the inner surface of the side plate 2a for guiding the free end of the card and positioning it in the width direction. An elastic sheet 22a made of rubber or the like having a large coefficient of friction is adhered to the surface where the guide member 22 and the side surface of the card are in contact with each other. This guide member 22 is supported by a support lever 55. A midway portion of the support lever 55 is pivotally supported on the side wall 2a by a pin 55a and support plates 55b and 55c. A driving solenoid 5 is provided at the lower end of this support lever 55.
6 are connected, and the guide member 2 is connected by this solenoid 56.
2 is driven. Further, a motor 29 for transporting the card is arranged below the guide rod 5a. The rotational force of the motor 29 is transmitted via the belt and pulley as in the first embodiment, and moves the card chucking mechanism 6 along the guide rods 5a, 5b.

At adjacent positions along the guide rod 5a,
a pre-head 61 for detecting magnetism by contacting a magnetic stripe provided on the back (or front) of the card;
A magnetic head 57 for reading and writing information is arranged. Next, the sensor and actuator incorporated in the card reader/writer of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9.

[0044] Card insertion slot 4 of this guide reader/writer
5, a card width detection sensor 60 serves as a card check mechanism for pre-inspecting the inserted card 4.
(SW), a pre-head 61 (PHD), and a first card sensor 62 (PD1). The card width detection sensor 60 detects whether the inserted card has a predetermined width. The pre-head 61 detects the magnetic stripe of the card and determines the orientation of the card. Further, the first card sensor 62 detects insertion of a card.

[0045] Adjacent to this card check mechanism, a first
A first carriage sensor 63 (CRS1) is provided, and this first carriage sensor 63 detects the backward end position of the carriage 6A. A stopper solenoid 64 (SOL1) is provided in front of this sensor 63 to prevent insertion of a defective card and to regulate the insertion position of the card.

A card alignment section is provided in front of the stopper solenoid 64. In this card alignment section,
A solenoid 56 (SOL2) for card alignment, a second carriage sensor 66 (CRS2), and second and third card sensors 67, 68 (PD2, PD3) are provided. The second and third card sensors 67 and 68 are arranged adjacent to each other in the front and back, and the second card sensor 67 detects the aligned position of the card to stop the advance of the carriage 6A, and the third card sensor 68 and the second carriage sensor 66, the accurate relative position between the card and the carriage is detected and positioned. In addition, the third card sensor 6
8 to set the read/write start position. The card alignment solenoid 56 (SOL2) drives the guide member 22 to laterally bias the card at the card alignment position, thereby aligning the card in the lateral direction.

A fourth card sensor 69 (PD4) and a read/write head 57 are installed in front of the card alignment section. When the fourth card sensor 69 detects the card, the read/write head 57 starts reading and writing to the magnetic stripe of the card.

The stepping motor 52 (SMOT) is provided at the front upper part of the read/write head 57, and the motor 29 (CMO) for moving the carriage is provided at the lower part.
T) is installed. As shown in FIG. 9, these sensors and actuators are connected to a controller 70 including a CPU. Next, the operation of the card reader/writer configured as described above will be described with reference to the time chart of FIG. 10.

First, in a steady state, the carriage 6A equipped with the card chucking mechanism 6 is inserted into the card insertion slot 4.
I'm waiting on the 5th side. It is held open in this standby state. In this state, insert the card 4 through the card insertion slot 45.
When the card 4 is inserted, the state of the card 4 is detected by a width detection sensor 60 (SW) that detects the width of the card 4, a pre-head 61 (PHD), and a first card sensor 62 (PD1). The signals from these sensors are sent to the controller 70
If the card is determined to be normal, the controller 70 activates the stopper solenoid 64 (SOL1).
is turned on to open the card passage, and the opening/closing mechanism 1
The stepping motor 52 of No. 4 is rotated by half a rotation. This rotation lowers the lever 15, closes the card chucking mechanism 6, and grips one side edge of the card 4 by the claws 8 and 9 with a constant pressure.

When the gripping operation is completed, the motor 29 starts rotating in the forward direction (MCF). With this rotation, the card chucking mechanism 6 starts moving forward, and the card 4 also moves forward. When the card 4 comes to the card alignment section, the second card sensor 67 (PD2) detects the card 4, and based on this signal, the motor 29 is stopped and the stopper solenoid 64 is turned off.

Subsequently, the carriage 6A and the card 4 move forward by inertia, and when the third card sensor 68 detects the card 4, the motor 29 rotates in the reverse direction (MCB) and reaches the read/write start position. Stop the carriage 6A. Simultaneously with the stoppage, the card holding solenoid 56 operates to rotate the guide member 22 to hold the card 4 at a predetermined position (read/write start position) and align it in the lateral direction.

After lateral alignment, the stepping motor 52
is activated, the chucking mechanism 6 is opened, and then the motor 29 rotates in the reverse direction to position the carriage 6A. At this time, the motor 29 is controlled by the signal from the second carriage sensor 66. When the carriage 6A is positioned, the card holding solenoid 56 is turned off and the stepping motor 52 is activated again to close the chucking mechanism 6.

When the alignment of the card 4 and the carriage 6A is completed, the motor 29 rotates in the forward direction (MCF) and the card is sent forward. Then, the card 4 passes over a magnetic head 57 provided on the card transport path. At this time, when the fourth card sensor 69 detects the card 4, writing (or reading) of information on the magnetic stripe provided on the back (or front) of the card 4 is started.

Further, when the card 4 moves to a predetermined position, the fourth card sensor 69 outputs an OFF signal. Based on this output, the controller pauses for about 0.5 seconds and then rotates the motor 29 in the opposite direction (MCB). This reverse control causes the carriage 6A to move backward. When retracting, the card 4 passes over the magnetic head 57 again, but at this time, the back side of the card 4 (
Information is read (or written) on the magnetic stripe provided on the magnetic strip (or surface).

When the carriage 6A returns to the initial position, the first carriage sensor 63 detects this, and the stepping motor 52 is rotated half a rotation to open the chucking mechanism 6. In this state, part of the card 4 is inserted into the card insertion slot 4.
Projects outward from 5. Therefore, the card 4 can be pulled out by hand.

[0056] In the above embodiment, only the magnetic head is shown as an element for exchanging information with the card, but in the case of an IC card, a connective mechanism for exchanging signals is also provided. Of course, it can be done. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the pressurized spring that provides the gripping force should be selected to exert a force that corresponds to the specifications. Further, although the conveyance mechanism of the carriage in the above embodiment uses a belt that circulates in the conveyance direction, the present invention is not limited to this, and a ball screw and nut rotated by a motor may also be used.

[0057] Since the card reader/writer of the present invention is equipped with the chucking mechanism, conveyance mechanism, and alignment mechanism as described above, it will not bend within a predetermined range, be bent in part, or be corrugated. It can also be used with deformed cards. Furthermore, it is possible to use the card even if the size of the card is slightly different, has cracks or missing parts, or has cellophane tape attached to it.

[0058]

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, since it is possible to eliminate the need to transport cards using rubber rollers, it is possible to carry out stable card transport at a constant speed.
This improves the reliability of information reading and writing operations,
Furthermore, it is possible to obtain a card reader/writer that is easy to maintain.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing only the essential parts of a card reader/writer according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing only the card chucking mechanism incorporated in the main part.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a modification of the card chucking mechanism in the card reader/writer.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a modification of the card chucking mechanism in the card reader/writer.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a modification of the card chucking mechanism in the card reader/writer.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a main part of a card reader/writer according to another modification.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing essential parts of a card reader/writer according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of sensors and actuators in the card reader/writer.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a control section in the card reader/writer.

FIG. 10 is a timing chart showing the operating states of sensors and actuators in the card reader/writer.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Frame (main body), 4... Card, 5a, 5b... Guide rod, 6, 6a, 6b, 6c... Card chucking mechanism (gripping means), 6A... Carriage (moving means), 8... Lower claw, 9... Upper claw, 22A...alignment mechanism (alignment means), 27,
28... Pressure spring (pressing means), 38, 39, 57... Magnetic head (read/write means), 45... Card insertion slot,
48...Roller (release means), 56...Solenoid (pressing means).

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A main body having a card insertion slot into which a card capable of reading and writing information is inserted; read/write means installed in the main body for reading and writing information on the card; and the card. a conveyance means comprising a gripping means for gripping the card and a moving means for moving the gripping means along a predetermined path to convey the card inserted into the insertion slot to the read/write means; A card reader/writer comprising: alignment means for correcting the position of a gripped card. 2. The card reader/writer according to claim 1, wherein the moving means includes a guide rod for guiding the gripping means along the predetermined path. 3. The card reader/writer according to claim 1, wherein the gripping means includes means for gripping a specific area of the card. 4. The card reader/writer according to claim 1, wherein the alignment means includes pressing means for pressing in the width direction the card gripped by the gripping means in the thickness direction. 5. The card is disposed near a standby position of the gripping means adjacent to the card insertion slot, and a tensile force of a predetermined value or more is applied to the card gripped by the gripping means in a card ejection direction. 2. The card reader/writer according to claim 1, further comprising a release means for releasing the grip of the gripping means when the grip is released.