JPH05266232A - Card handling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely return a card to a customer even at the time of card jam or a power failure by controlling a lock means so that the energizing operation is unlocked at the time of the occurrence of a power failure or a device abnormal operation. CONSTITUTION:In the case of normal transaction, a hook 6 is stopped at the rear end of a card tray 1. If a power failure occurs, a motor 9 is stopped, and power supply to a solenoid 11 is cut off. Consequently, a latch 10 is turned upward by the action of a spring and is disengaged from the hook 6. The hook 6 is energized backward to the tray 1 by the tensile strength of a tension spring 7 to inversely carry the tray 1 to an insertion part. Since power supply to a solenoid 7 is cut off also, a clamp 2 is separated from a card 4, and the card 4 can be pulled out any time by the customer. If abnormality occurs in the device, power supply to the motor 9 and solenoids 11 and 17 is cut off by the control of a control part. Consequently, the card tray 1 is moved to the customer side by the tensile strength of the tension spring 7 in the same manner as the occurrence of a power failure.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a card handling device for reading / writing data of a card which is a transaction medium such as an automatic teller machine, and more particularly to a card handling device suitable for returning a card.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a method of returning a card to a customer when a card inserted in the device is jammed in the device due to a jam or a power failure, the card jam is returned by a retry operation or a power failure. A method such as pushing back the card with an emergency power supply is conceivable. However, if the cause of the stagnation is due to dirt on the rollers or the belt, it is not possible to carry the card for return, and a separate power supply is required for the emergency power supply, which increases the cost.

Further, as shown in JP-A-62-196780 and JP-A-63-204384, there is a structure in which a card conveying system is manually driven from the outside of the apparatus. However, since the card is carried through the card carrying system of the normal transaction, if the card carrying means has a card stagnation, it cannot be carried like the above.

Further, when an illegal card or a forgotten card is collected inside the apparatus, the conveying path becomes long because it is collected in the depth direction of the conveying system.

[0005]

Since the use of cards has become widespread along with the spread of automated teller machines and the unmanned operation on holidays, even if there is a device failure or power failure, the device always returns the imported card to the customer. However, it is becoming an indispensable condition to prevent the card from being used in other devices. However, the conventional technology has a problem in terms of customer service because the card may not be returned when there is a jam or a power failure as described above. In addition, the installation area of automated teller machines and the like has been reduced, and it is essential that the card handling device itself be downsized.

An object of the present invention is to reliably return a card to a customer even when a card jam occurs in the card handling device or a power failure, and to provide a small card handling device.

[0007]

The above object is to provide a tray on which a card inserted from an insertion portion is placed, a conveyance means for conveying the tray back and forth between the insertion portion and a predetermined position inside the apparatus, and conveyance means. A head for reading and writing data to and from a card inside, a biasing means for biasing the tray to return to the insertion portion side, a locking means for blocking the biasing operation of the biasing means, a power failure and a device abnormality. This is achieved by including a control unit that controls the locking means so as to unlock the biasing operation when at least one of the operations occurs.

[0008]

The tray biasing means always applies a biasing force to the tray in the direction of moving it to the card insertion section on the customer side, so that the tray is forced to the insertion slot side even if the transporting means cannot be activated due to a device malfunction. To return the card to the customer.

[0009]

1 is a perspective view of a card handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a tray, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a read / write head and a card insertion portion of the device with the card removed from FIG. It is a figure. A card tray 1 carries an inserted card 4 and conveys it back and forth between an insertion slot and a predetermined position in the apparatus. A motor 9 conveys and drives the tray 1 in both directions indicated by an arrow A via a belt 9a. The tray 1 is conveyed while being guided along the guide bar 13. These 9, 9a and 13 form a tray carrying means. A clamp 2 presses the card when the card 4 is inserted into a predetermined position of the tray 1, and presses the card by exciting a solenoid 17. Reference numeral 3 denotes a card stopper that regulates the card position when the card is pushed into the tray 1 to a predetermined position, and is fixed to the bottom of the tray so that it can be retracted from the card mounting surface of the tray (the configuration and operation will be described later). A hook 6 is guided by the guide rod 14 and is engaged with the rear end of the tray 1 by the tension spring 7 to constantly urge the tray in the backward direction toward the card insertion portion 12. These 6, 7, and 14 constitute the biasing means of the tray.

Reference numeral 10 is a latch which is rotated up and down by driving the solenoid 11 and is rotated downward when the solenoid is energized to be locked to the hook 6 to prevent the hook 6 from biasing the tray. When the solenoid is not energized, the latch 10 pivots upward to release the engagement with the hook 6. The latch 10 and the solenoid 11 constitute a lock means. A card collection box 8 collects invalid cards and forget-to-collect cards in the form of sliding the cards from the rear of the tray 1 when collecting them in the device. At this time, the card stopper 3 is depressed from the card mounting surface of the tray 1. 18
Is a sensor provided near the rear end of the tray 1 and detects whether or not there is a card at a predetermined position on the tray. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 16 denotes a pair of heads for reading and writing data to and from the magnetic band of the card 4, which is supported downwardly (indicated by a solid line) and upwards (indicated by a broken line) with respect to a tray supported by the frame 5 and passing therethrough. It This head 16 can read and write to the magnetic strips on the front and back of the card 4 on the tray. The structure of the tray 1 is shown in FIG. Reference numeral 1a is a groove for supporting both ends of the card when receiving the card, 1b is a through hole into which the guide rod 13 is inserted, and 1c is a notch provided on the tray surface in accordance with the magnetic band portion of the card.
6 face each other from above and below. Reference numeral 1d is a notch provided in the front portion of the tray, and is configured so that the convex portion at the rear end of the concave portion 15a into which the finger of the card insertion portion 15 shown in FIG. 3 is inserted. 18a is a light emitting element, 18b is a light receiving element, and the card 4
The card is detected by interposing between them to block light from the light emitting element.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the automatic cash handling apparatus 20. Reference numeral 21 is an operation display section comprising an input keyboard and a numerical value, a display such as a CRT for displaying operation guidance, and 22 is a card which takes in the data. A card handling mechanism relating to the present patent for reading and writing, 24 is a bill paying mechanism for taking in and out bills according to transaction contents, and 25 is a control unit including a program in a memory for controlling the operations of the respective units.
Reference numeral 27 is a power source for the entire apparatus, and 28 is a connection unit for connecting the cash handling apparatus 1 to a central system (not shown) online. The control unit 25 has an abnormality detection unit 26, which detects a power failure, an operation abnormality of the card handling mechanism, and other abnormality in the device, and controls the operation of each unit by a control signal for the detection. The operation of each unit is also controlled based on the detection signal from the sensor.

The operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The operation of the tray 1 when a power failure or a device abnormality occurs will be described with reference to FIGS. When the card 4 is inserted into the card tray 1 and reaches the stopper 3, the sensor 18 detects the card 4, and the solenoid 17 operates according to a control signal from the control unit 25 to position the card 4 by the clamp 2. The card 4 positioned by the clamp 2 is conveyed forward in the arrow direction by the rotation of the motor 9 together with the card tray 1, and the magnetic head 16 reads / writes data from / to the card 4. At this time, the rear end of the tray 1 gradually extends the tension spring 7 as the hook 6 moves forward.
5 shows a state in which the tray 1 has moved a little, and FIG. 6 shows a state immediately after the tray 1 reaches a predetermined position and the reading / writing of data is completed. At this time, the latch 10 faces upward and is not yet engaged with the hook 6. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7, the solenoid is energized by a control signal from the control unit 25, and the latch 10 is rotated downward against the spring 19 to engage with the hook 6. The solenoid 11 may be energized at all times to rotate the latch 10 downward, and the latch 19 may be mounted on the slope 6a of the hook 6 and engaged with the hook 6 as the tray 1 advances. .. In this way, the control of the control unit 25 becomes unnecessary. When the normal transaction is completed, the card tray 1 is conveyed backward toward the insertion portion 15 by the reverse rotation of the motor 9. Since the latch 10 is still engaged with the hook 6 as shown in FIG. 8, the hook 6 is left in the position of FIG. In this state, biasing of the tray 1 in the backward direction by the hook 6 (biasing means) is blocked. The motor 9 stops when returning to the original position where the card can be returned. Next, the solenoid 17 is de-energized to release the clamp 2 from the card 4, and the card 4 can be removed from the insertion portion 15 by the customer. When this sampling is done, one transaction ends. In this state, the tension spring 7 is in an expanded state, and the urging energy to the insertion portion 15 side is accumulated. The next transaction is performed in this state, that is, with the hook 6 left in the position shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, and the tray 1 is conveyed by the motor 9 without being affected by the tension spring 7. The state of FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 in which the hook 6 and the latch 10 are engaged is continued from the start of operation to the end of operation for one day, and when the power supply is stopped at the end of operation, the same operation as power failure (described later) is performed. It is out of sync.

Next, the operation of the card tray 1 when a power failure or a device abnormality occurs during a normal transaction will be described.
In the normal transaction, the hook 6 is locked to the rear end of the card tray 1. If there is a power failure in this case, the motor 9
Is stopped, and the energization of the solenoid 11 is cut off. Therefore, the latch 10 is rotated upward by the action of the spring 19 to be disengaged from the hook 6, and the pulling force of the tension spring 7 biases the hook 6 in the backward direction with respect to the tray 1. Reverse transport to 12. The tension force of the tension spring 7 is set to be large enough to rotate the non-energized motor 9. Further, since the solenoid 17 is also de-energized, the clamp 2 is separated from the card 4, and the card can be removed by the customer at any time. On the other hand, when an abnormality occurs in the device instead of a power failure, the control unit 25 causes the motor 9, the solenoids 11 and 17 to operate.
Cut off the energization of. Therefore, the card tray 1 is moved to the customer side by the pulling force of the tension spring 7 as in the case of the power failure.

The card collecting operation according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. When the card 4 is inserted into the card tray 1 and reaches the stopper 3, the detection mechanism 18 causes the card 4 to
Is detected, the solenoid 17 operates and the clamp 2 positions the card 4 at a predetermined position. The data of the card 4 is read by the magnetic head 16 by the movement of the card tray 1, and the card tray stops at a predetermined position. In this normal transaction operation state, the stopper 3 is in a position projecting from the card mounting surface of the tray, and the lever 12 is in a lowered position which is recessed from the card mounting surface. This lever 12 is a spring or the like (not shown) so that it always projects from the notch 1c of the tray 1.
And is normally pushed into contact with the inserted card and pushed down. When the control unit 25 determines that the card has been forgotten or the card is invalid by reading the data, the control unit 25 controls the motor 9 to convey the tray 1 to a position further forward than a predetermined position where the card data is read and written.
In this advanced position, the link 35 with the stopper 3 attached
Abuts on a lever 34 fixedly provided on the apparatus,
Rotate in the direction of arrow 1 (clockwise) and descend from the tray surface. Further, at the advanced position, the lever 12 is disengaged from the contact with the card 4, so that the lever 12 rises from the notch 1c and projects from the tray surface. Next, the control unit 25 cuts off the energization of the solenoid 17 and separates the clamp 2 from the card, so that the card 4 can be separated from the card tray 1.
In this state, the control section 25 reverses the motor 9 to convey the card tray 1 backward to the insertion section 15 side, and the card 4 is left behind by the lever 12. When the card tray 1 is further conveyed backward, the left-over card 4 is detached from the rear end of the tray 1 and dropped into the collection box 8. That is, the cards left behind by the backward movement of the tray are scraped off by the lever 12 and fall into the collection box. The transport distance of the tray 1 required for handling this card requires a length of one sheet for reading and writing card data, and a length for advancing the tray slightly for collection. It is enough if the length is about 2.5 times the length of the card.

According to this embodiment, since the normal card conveying means is carried out by the moving means of the card tray, the card can be corrected and conveyed without being influenced by the deformed state of the card, and the card jam can be reduced. it can. Further, by using an elastic body as the urging means and performing a normal transaction, the latch is automatically released in the event of a power failure or device abnormality, so that stable reading / writing of the card is possible without being affected by the spring force during normal operation. Further, since the lever for scraping the card from the tray is taken out at the time of collecting the card, the card conveying path can be configured to be about 2.5 times as long as the card length, so that the apparatus can be downsized.

Next, the customer inserts the card into the tray,
Another embodiment for facilitating the extraction will be described. A guide that opens and closes upwards is provided on the card tray that takes the card into the device.When inserting the card, keep the guide open to facilitate the insertion of the card. The card is held by closing the guide, and in the case of a deformed card, the deformation is corrected so that the magnetic information of the card can be reliably read. When removing the card, the guide is opened upward so that the card can be easily removed. The guide provided on the card tray holds the card by providing a fixed guide plate that moves downward as the tray moves in the suction direction, and the guide is released from the guide plate at the extraction position during ejection.
Instead of the guide plate, a drive source capable of raising and lowering the guide itself is provided, and the guide is lowered when the card insertion position is detected, and is released upward when the ejection position is detected.

The operation of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. A fixed guide plate 34 is provided above the card tray 1, and a guide 31 that is vertically openable and closable about a rotation shaft 35 is arranged at one end of the card tray 1.
Is constantly urged upward by a spring 32 provided between the card tray 1 and the card tray 1. The roller 32 provided above the guide 31 by the spring 32 is always in contact with the fixed guide plate 34. Here, FIG. 12 shows the card 4 in a state immediately after the tray 1 is inserted. In order to easily insert the card 4 into the card tray 1, the slope 34 provided on the fixed guide plate 34
The guide 31 opens with the roller 33 in contact with the upper end (point A) of a. Next, when the card 4 is inserted into the card tray 1, the sensor 30 detects that the card 4 has been inserted, and the motor 9 is driven to convey the card tray 1 into the card handling mechanism 22. Roller 3 when transported
While 3 slides on the slant 34a of the fixed guide plate 34, the guide 31 descends to a position (point B) for correcting the deformation of the card 4.

Here, when the distance from point A to point B is L1 and the height is such that the deformation of the card 4 is corrected, the contact surface between the fixed guide plate 34 and the roller 33 is made flat and the card 4 is made flat.
It is possible to continue to correct the deformation of. Further, the card tray 1 is sucked into the card 4 by the magnetic head 16.
Magnetic data is read. Here, since the magnetic head 16 enables accurate reading of magnetic data in a state where the deformation of the card 4 is corrected, the distance L from the end of the card 4 is
2 is set equal to or slightly larger than L1 (FIG. 13). After the tray 1 is conveyed forward to the position where all the magnetic data of the card 4 is read (FIG. 14), when the card 1 is retracted to return it, the card tray 1 is conveyed in the reverse direction to the position where the card 4 is returned. Here, the roller 33 moves in the direction opposite to the forward conveying direction of the card, and the slant surface 34a of the fixed guide plate 34 rises to open the guide 31, whereby the card 4 can be easily removed from the card tray 1. .. The operation of each unit is controlled by the control unit 25.

Still another embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In this example, when the card 4 is inserted into the card tray 1, the card detection sensor 30 provided inside the card tray 1 detects the card 4, and the solenoid 40 provided at a part of the card tray 1 causes the card tray 1 to be detected. The guide 31 is closed in the direction in which the deformation of the card 4 is corrected around a fulcrum provided at one end of the card 4 and the card 4 is held. Here, since the card detection sensor 30 needs to close the guide 31 with the card 4 completely inserted in the card tray 1,
The edge of the card 4 is detected to detect whether or not the card 4 has entered the card tray 1 without fail. Next, the motor 9 is rotated to move the card tray 1 forward into the card handling mechanism 22.
Since the deformation of the card 4 has already been corrected while the motor 9 is rotating and the card tray 1 is being conveyed forward, the magnetic head 16 can be arranged closer to the card 4 regardless of the distance L1 in the above-described embodiment. .. Card 4 with magnetic head 16
While reading the magnetic data of 1, the card tray 1 is conveyed forward and stopped at a predetermined position (FIG. 18, S105). When the read data is correct, the normal transaction is started, and when it is not correct, a retry operation of reading the data again is executed (S106 to S109). When returning the card 4, the motor 9 is rotated in the reverse direction and the card tray 1 is backwardly conveyed backward (S110). When the card tray 1 reaches the return position of the card 4, it is stopped by the detection signal from the stop position sensor 41. Next, the solenoid 40 is driven, and the guide 3
1 opens in the direction to release the holding of the card 4 (S111-
S112). As a result, the card 4 from the card tray 1
Can be easily removed (S113). The operation of each unit is controlled by the control unit 25.

According to the present embodiment, the card insertion opening is opened when the card is inserted into the card tray, and the guide plate for correcting the deformation of the card is provided when the magnetic information of the card is read. The property is improved, and the effect of surely reading the magnetic information of the card can be obtained. Further, when returning the card, the card can be easily removed by retracting the guide plate.

[0021]

Since the urging means of the card tray is a means different from the transfer means of the normal transaction, the card can be surely returned in the event of a power failure or device malfunction. Moreover, a separate power supply for returning the card is not required, and an inexpensive card handling device can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a card handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tray according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a card handling device showing a head and a card insertion portion of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory view of the tray of the embodiment of the present invention immediately after the start of conveyance.

FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory diagram at the end of conveyance of the tray according to the embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory view when the hook and the latch of the embodiment of the present invention are engaged.

FIG. 8 is an operation explanatory diagram of the tray of the embodiment of the present invention during reverse conveyance.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram when a card of the tray of the embodiment of the present invention is inserted.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram at the end of conveyance of the tray according to the embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram at the time of card recovery associated with reverse transport of the tray according to the embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 12 is a state diagram when a card is inserted into a tray according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a state diagram of the tray according to another embodiment of the present invention during conveyance.

FIG. 14 is a state diagram at the end of conveyance of a tray according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a state diagram when a card is inserted into a tray according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a state diagram of a tray according to still another embodiment of the present invention during conveyance.

FIG. 17 is a state diagram at the end of conveyance of a tray according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is an operation flowchart of yet another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Tray, 2 ... Clamp, 3 ... Card stopper, 4 ...
Card, 6 ... Hook, 7 ... Extension spring, 8 ... Card collection box, 9 ... Motor, 9a ... Belt, 10 ... Latch, 1
1 ... Solenoid, 12 ... Lever, 13 ... Guide rod, 15
... insertion part, 16 ... head, 18 ... sensor, 19 ... elastic body, 25 ... control part,

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A tray on which a card inserted from an inserting section is placed, a conveying means for conveying the tray back and forth between the inserting section and a predetermined position inside the apparatus, and data for a card being conveyed. A read / write head, a biasing means for biasing the tray in the backward direction so as to return the tray to the insertion portion side, a locking means for blocking the biasing operation of the biasing means, and a power failure and / or an abnormal operation of the device. A card handling apparatus comprising a control unit for controlling the locking means so as to unlock the biasing operation when one occurs. 2. The urging means is an elastic body for accumulating urging force as the tray is conveyed in a forward direction when the tray is conveyed to a predetermined position inside the apparatus. Item 1. A card handling device according to item 1. 3. The control means controls the locking means such that the biasing operation is locked during normal operation of the apparatus and unlocked at the end of operation.
Or the card handling device described in 2.