JPH06176207A - Contact cleaner for ic card reader/writer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To clean the contact of an IC card reader/writer without damaging it. CONSTITUTION:A cleaning member 6 is provided in the area, which touches the contact at least, of a substrate 1 loadable to the IC card reader/writer and movable inside the carrying path of the IC card. When the member is inserted to the IC card reader/writer, a head is moved forward to the side of the cleaner with an operation similar to the mounting of the IC card, and the head is elastically touched to the cleaning member 6. When the reader/writer is moved forward and backward while taking a grip part 3 exposed outside in this state, the cleaning member 6 scrubs this head while elastically touching the contact and sweeps out dirt on the contact.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tool for cleaning contacts attached to a head of an IC card reader / writer having a built-in semiconductor memory circuit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An IC card is an information storage means in which a semiconductor memory circuit and a control microcomputer are molded in a plate shape, and has a plurality of contacts on its surface for connecting to an IC card reader / writer. Such an IC card is
Due to the fact that it is carried around, it is susceptible to pollution and the contacts are easily polluted. When an IC card whose contacts are contaminated is loaded into the reader / writer, the head B of the IC card reader / writer is loaded.
Dirt adheres to the contacts E, E, E, ... Provided at (see FIG. 2), causing a defective electrical connection and causing an error during reading and writing. For this reason, the contacts of the IC card reader / writer are regularly cleaned. However, since the contact mechanism is extremely small and may cause damage, the IC card reader / writer is disassembled to expose the contacts. It is necessary to wipe it off with a waste cloth etc. For this reason, there is a problem that not only time and labor are required for cleaning, but also the reading and writing operations of the IC card are forced to be interrupted.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to reliably contaminate contacts without requiring disassembly of the IC card reader / writer. An object of the present invention is to provide a contact cleaning tool for an IC card reader / writer that can remove the above.

[0004]

In order to solve such a problem, according to the present invention, at least a contact point of a substrate which can be loaded in an IC card reader / writer and which can be moved in a transport path of an IC card is in contact with the contact. A cleaning member is provided in the area.

[0005]

When the cleaning tool is inserted into the IC card reader / writer, the head advances to the cleaning tool side by the same operation as when the IC card is loaded, and the contact point of the head makes elastic contact with the cleaning member. In this state, when the cleaning tool is moved back and forth while holding the portion exposed to the outside, the cleaning member rubs the contact while elastically contacting the contact to wipe off the dirt on the surface.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The details of the present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 is a substrate composed of a plate material having a strength capable of moving in a state where contacts of an IC card reader / writer are elastically contacted, and a main body 2 and a gripping member. When divided into a portion 3 and a cleaning portion 4, one end is inserted to a position facing the head B of the IC card reader / writer A (FIG. 2), the other end is exposed from the insertion port C of the IC card reader / writer. The length is such that it can be slid in the IC card reader / writer.

Further, the body portion 2 has side portions 2a, 2a of which I
The width W is such that it comes into contact with the guide of the C card reader / writer. The boundary between the grip 3 and the main body 2 is I
A shoulder portion 5 is formed so as to come into contact with the C card lock member D, and the head B when the substrate 1 slides on the cleaning portion 4
A cleaning member 6 is provided in the region of the locus drawn by the contacts E, E, E.

The cleaning member 6 is made of a material suitable for polishing contacts when it is loaded in an IC card reader / writer and moved back and forth, for example, a mat-shaped member made of long fibers, or as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the brush 10 may be formed by implanting an elastic polymer thread such as nylon. When the brush 10 is used, the contact E,
The cleaning efficiency can be increased by reducing the load on E, E, ... As much as possible.

In this embodiment, when a cleaning tool is loaded from the insertion port C of the IC card reader / writer A in the same manner as an IC card (FIG. 2I), the head B is moved to the side of the substrate 1 when it is inserted to a predetermined position. Heading out, contact points E, E, of head B
E ... makes elastic contact with the cleaning member 6, and the IC card lock member D blocks the passage (II in FIG. 2).

When the substrate 1 is pushed further inward in this state by holding the grip portion 3, the side portions 2a, 2a are brought into contact with the passage and guided, and the cleaning member 6 elastically contacts the contacts E, E, E. Move in the state of receiving the contact, the tips of the contacts E, E, E ...
And the vicinity thereof is rubbed (FIG. 2III).

Then, when the main body 1 is pulled toward the front side, the contacts E, E, E are rubbed by the cleaning member 6 as in the case of pushing. In this way, when the shoulder portion 5 moves to the position of the IC card lock member D (FIG. 2 II), the movement is stopped by the lock member D, and the contacts E, E, E. No unreasonable load is applied by the substrate 1, and the contacts E, E, E are not damaged.

Thereafter, by repeating such an operation several times, the contacts E, E, E, ... Can be rubbed by the cooling member 6 to wipe off the dirt. Then, when the cleaning is completed, the same operation as the ejection of the IC card is performed, whereby the locking by the lock member D is released and the cleaning card can be taken out.

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. In the drawing, reference numeral 20 is a substrate, and cleaning portions 22 and 23 are formed symmetrically on the front and rear portions of a main body portion 21 to form an IC. The shoulder portions 24 and 25 that are locked by the card lock member D are provided, and a mat-like cleaning member 26 suitable for cleaning is attached to the surface of these.

In this embodiment, when one cleaning portion 23 is gripped and the other cleaning portion 22 is inserted into the IC card reader / writer with the other end being the tip, the cleaning portion 22 makes elastic contact with the contacts E, E, E, and contacts E, E, E. E, E ... will be cleaned. In this way, when one cleaning unit 22 is contaminated, it can be grasped and cleaned using the other cleaning unit 23, so that it can be used for a long period of time.

[0015]

As described above, in the present invention,
Since the cleaning member is provided at least in the area in contact with the contact of the substrate that can be loaded in the IC card reader / writer and movable in the IC card transport path, it can be inserted into the IC card reader / writer by the same operation as the IC card. By moving this back and forth, the contact can be rubbed in the state where the contact is elastically contacted with the cleaning member, and the contamination can be removed without giving unnecessary load to the contact.

[Brief description of drawings]

1A and 1B are perspective views showing an embodiment of the present invention.

2 (A) to (III) are explanatory views each showing a usage state.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 substrate 2 main body 3 gripping part 4 cleaning part 5 shoulder 6 contact cleaning member A IC card reader / writer B head C insertion port D IC card lock member E contact

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An IC card reader / writer that can be loaded,
Also, a contact cleaning tool for an IC card reader / writer, which is provided with a cleaning member at least in a region in contact with a contact of a substrate that can be moved in a conveyance path of an IC card.