JPH07334629A - Card reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the size of a card reader which is usable for magnetic cards and IC cards by shortening the card path of the reader. CONSTITUTION:The card reader 1 contains three pairs 4, 5 and 6 of rollers which are placed against a card path 3 extending in AH the card traveling direction (a) from a card slit 2 and transfer an inserted card C, an IC contact 8 which is provided between the 1st pair 4 of rollers placed near the slit 2 and the 2nd pair 5 of rollers placed after the pair 4, a magnetic head 7 which records and reproduces the magnetic information to the card C, and a shutter 9 which can freely move back and forth on the path 3 between the slit 2 and the pair 4 of rollers.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a card reader compatible with magnetic cards and IC cards.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a card reader capable of handling different types of cards such as IC cards and magnetic cards, information is recorded / reproduced on / from a magnetic card or an IC card by an IC card contact which is a magnetic head or an IC contact. There is. The IC card contact is provided on the far side of the card path from the magnetic head because of the space of the device. By the way, in recent years, in order to prevent unauthorized use of the card, a sensor called a security sensor for determining the quality of the card may be provided in the card reader, but this sensor must be provided in a position not overlapping the magnetic head. At present, it is provided on the card passage on the card insertion side of the magnetic head.

[0003]

As described above, when the magnetic head for processing the card, the IC card contact, the security sensor, etc. are arranged in the card entry direction for each function, the following problems occur. Conceivable. For example, in a pass-through type card reader that ejects an IC card to the side opposite to the insertion slot, a drive roller must be provided deeper than the IC card contact to eject the card processed by the IC card contact. There is a problem that the passage becomes long and the card reader becomes bulky. Also, when a security sensor is provided in a reciprocating card reader that returns the processed card to the insertion slot and ejects it, at present, since it is provided on the card insertion side rather than the magnetic head, the card passage becomes long and the size of the card reader is large. It causes bulkiness.

[0004]

In view of the above, according to the present invention, a card which is provided so as to face a card passage formed so as to extend from the card insertion opening toward the card entry direction and is inserted into the card passage. Of three pairs of transport rollers for transporting the sheet, and a second pair of transport rollers arranged next to the first pair of transport rollers provided in the vicinity of the card insertion slot of the three pairs of transport rollers. IC installed between the pair
It has a contact point, a shutter provided between the card insertion port and the first conveying roller pair, and is movable back and forth in the card passage, and a magnetic head for recording and reproducing magnetic information on and from the card. According to a second aspect of the present invention, the rollers located above the card passage in the three pairs of conveying rollers and the IC contact are supported by a support body provided on the traveling reference side of the card passage. According to a third aspect of the present invention, the magnetic head is arranged on the axis of the driving roller that constitutes one of the second conveying roller pair. In the invention according to claim 4, the distance between the second conveying roller pair and the shutter is set longer than the length of the card, and the distance between the first conveying roller and the card insertion portion is 30 mm or more than the length of the card. It is characterized by being set short.

[0005]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the IC contact is provided so as to face the card passage formed so as to extend from the card insertion opening toward the card entry direction, and the card inserted in the card passage is conveyed. Since the pair of conveying rollers is provided between the first conveying roller pair provided near the card insertion port and the second conveying roller pair arranged next to the pair of conveying rollers, the card processing by the IC contact can be performed. It is performed between the first transport roller pair and the second transport roller pair. In the case of returning the processed card to the card insertion slot, the card is conveyed by the first and second conveying roller pairs, and in the case of discharging in the card advancing direction, it is positioned in the card advancing direction rather than the second roller. It is discharged to the outside of the device by the third conveying roller pair. According to the second aspect of the present invention, the rollers located above the card path and the IC contacts in the three pairs of conveying rollers are supported by the support provided on the traveling reference side of the card path, thereby supporting the support. A space is formed on the card passage located on the opposite side. According to the third aspect of the present invention, the magnetic head is arranged on the axis of the drive roller that constitutes one of the second conveying roller pair, so that the card processing is performed by the magnetic head after the card conveying speed is stabilized. According to the invention of claim 4, the interval between the second conveying roller pair and the shutter is set longer than the length of the card,
Since the distance between the first transport roller and the card insertion portion is set shorter than the length of the card by 30 mm or more, the card is held in a state of protruding by 30 mm or more from the card insertion port when returned to the card inserter.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The card reader indicated by reference numeral 1 in FIGS.
A card C such as a magnetic card C1 typified by the cash card shown in FIG. 6A or an IC card C2 shown in FIG. A reciprocating traveling method that discharges from 2 is adopted.

The card reader 1 conveys a card passage 3 extending from the card insertion opening 2 in the card entry direction indicated by an arrow a, and a card C for inserting a card C inserted in the card passage 3. And three pairs of conveying rollers consisting of the third conveying roller pairs 4, 5 and 6, a magnetic head 7 for magnetically treating the card C, an IC contact 8 for electrically treating the IC card C2, and a card passage 3. Free shutter 9,
It is mainly composed of 10. The card passage 3 is formed between the side plates 11 and 12 as shown in FIG. 3, and the inner wall of the side plate 11 is used as a traveling reference surface 11a for card transportation. The side plate 12 side is provided with a pressing mechanism (not shown) that presses the inserted card C so as to be conveyed along the traveling reference surface 11a side.

Each pair of conveying rollers has a first pair of conveying rollers 4 from the card insertion slot 2 toward the rear end 3a of the card passage 3.
The second conveying roller pair 5 and the third conveying roller pair 6 are arranged in this order. First transport roller pair 4 and second transport roller pair 5
The inter-axis distances L and L'of the second conveying roller pair 5 and the third conveying roller pair 6 are set shorter than the total length CL of the card C shown in FIG. The distance L1 from the card insertion slot 2 to the axial center of the first conveying roller pair 4 is set to be shorter than the total length CL of the card by 30 mm or more. Interval L here
1 is 30mm less than the total length CL of the card,
The size is defined by subtracting the amount β of biting of the card C by the transport roller pair 4. This biting amount β is the distance from the contact portion between the tip of the card C and the first conveying roller pair 4 to the shaft center of the roller pair.

Each of the first, second and third conveying roller pairs comprises a driving roller 4a, 5a, 6a and a driven roller 4b, respectively.
It is composed of 5b and 6b and is arranged to face each other. The drive rollers 4a, 5a, 6a are connected to the card passage 3
And is fixed to the rotary shafts 13, 14, and 15 pivotally supported by the side plate 12, respectively. The driven rollers 4b, 5b, 6b located above the card passage 3 are
The driving roller 4 is rotatably supported by a pad block 16 as a support provided on the reference surface 11a side.
The peripheral surfaces of a, 5a and 6a are in contact with each other in the card passage 3.

The pad block 16 is rotatably supported by the side plate 11, and can be opened and closed between a closed position where each driven roller contacts the drive roller and an open position where each driven roller is retracted from the card passage 3. Has been done. The pad block 16 is formed to have a width of about 1/3 of the width of the card passage 3, and the driven rollers 4b, 5b, 6b that support the pad block 16 are arranged substantially at the center of the card passage 3. That is, a space is formed on the card passage 3 opposite to the pad block 16. A biasing force in the closing direction is applied to the pad block 16 by a pressing mechanism (not shown), and each driven roller is pressed against each drive roller. A pad roller 27 is rotatably supported by the pad block 16 at a position facing the magnetic head 7 so as to face the peripheral surface of the card passage 3 and the position of the card C on the card passage 3. Optical card sensors S1, S2, S3, S4 for detecting the are provided.

A belt 20 is attached to the rotary shafts 13, 14, and 15.
Pulleys 17, 18 and 19 around which is wound are fixed outside the side plate 12. Rotatable rollers 21 and 22 are arranged on both sides of the pulley 18, and tension is applied to the belt 20 on both sides of the pulley 18. A drive pulley 23 having a larger diameter than the pulley 18 is fixed to the rotating shaft 14. A drive belt 26 is wound around the drive pulley 23 and a drive pulley 25 having a small diameter and fixed to a drive shaft 24a of a motor 24 capable of rotating in the forward and reverse directions as a drive source.

The drive motor 24, when loading a card,
In FIG. 2, the control rollers (not shown) are rotated so as to rotate the drive rollers 4a, 5a, 6a counterclockwise, and when the reading operation or the recording operation of the card C by the magnetic head 7 is completed, the driving rollers 4a, 5a, 6a are rotated in the reverse direction to the time of taking in. Is under the control of. Further, when the card C that has completed the reading operation is the IC card C2 and the card comes into contact with the shutter 9 or has finished passing over the magnetic head 7, the drive motor 24 is once stopped and the IC contact 8 is used. It is designed to be re-driven after the electrical processing is completed.

The magnetic head 7 is arranged near the running reference surface 11a on the axis of the drive roller 5a, and the head surface 7a is exposed in the card passage 3. The magnetic head 7 and the pad roller 27 urge either one of the pad roller 27 and the magnetic head 7 toward the other side by a spring (not shown) so as to sandwich the conveyed card C with a predetermined pressing force. . In this embodiment, the magnetic head 7 is biased against the pad roller 27, and a space smaller than the thickness of the card is formed between the head 7 and the pad roller 27. The magnetic head 7 is a magnetic stripe C of the magnetic card C1 and the IC card C2 shown in FIGS.
The magnetic information recorded on the same stripe is read by contacting with 1a and C2a, or the magnetic information is recorded on the same stripe, and they are arranged opposite to the same stripe via the card passage 3.

Here, the magnetic card C1 and the IC card C2
Will be described. The magnetic card C1 shown in FIG. 6 (a) is provided with a magnetic stripe C1a in the longitudinal direction on one side of the card body made of vinyl chloride. Magnetic information is recorded on the magnetic stripe C1a, the information of the magnetic head 7 is read, or the magnetic information is recorded and updated as necessary. The IC card C2 shown in FIG. 6 (b) is a card having an electric recording means (not shown) therein, and reads (reproduces) information stored in the recording means and information to the recording means. An input / output unit C2b for writing (recording) and a magnetic stripe C2a for recording magnetic information for recognizing the IC card are provided. Magnetic stripe C1a,
Here, C2a is provided on the back side of the card,
The input / output unit C2b is provided on the front side of the card. Further, non-recorded portions are formed on both ends of the magnetic stripes C1a and C2a.

The IC contact 8 includes a first conveying roller pair 4 and a second conveying roller pair.
A plurality of contact pieces 8b are swingably supported by a pad block 16 located between the transport roller pair 5 and the main body 8 has a plurality of contact pieces 8b.
It is installed in parallel with a. The contact 8 is provided at a portion where the contact piece 8b faces the input / output portion C2b of the card when the IC card C2 is held between the first roller pair 4 and the second roller pair 5. As shown in FIG. 4, an arm plate 30 that is engaged with a slide plate 29 that is slid in the card moving direction indicated by arrow ab by an electromagnetic solenoid 28 is fixed to the main body 8a. The base end 30b of the arm plate 30 is fixed to the rotating end side of the main body 8a with a screw 8c, and the free end 30a extends downward from the card reader 1. The free end 30a has a recess 30c that engages with the tip 29b of the protrusion 29a formed on the slide plate 29.
Are formed. One end 29c of the slide plate 29 has a pin 31 provided on the movable piece 28a of the electromagnetic solenoid 28.
It is fixed to.

When the IC card C2 is inserted, the electromagnetic solenoid 29 is placed at a position where the IC contact 8 is inserted into the card passage 3 shown by a solid line, and when another card is inserted, it is shown by a chain double-dashed line. The IC contact 8 is driven to the retracted position. The contact piece 8b is formed of a conductive spring material, and is attached to the main body 8a in a direction projecting toward the card passage 3, and the input / output portion C3b.
It is designed to be pressed against.

In the vicinity of the insertion slot 2, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a pre-head 32 that contacts the magnetic stripes C1a and C2a of the card faces the inside of the card passage 3 from below.
The pre-head 32 is composed of a magnetic head and detects the card type by the presence or absence of a magnetic signal of the card C. Here, the motor 20 is started, the electromagnetic solenoid 28 is driven, and the shutters 9 and 10 are opened and closed. It is a part of the trigger for controlling. A rotatable pad roller 33 is arranged above the card passage 3 located on the opposite side of the pre-head 32.

The shutter 9 is movable between the first transport roller 4 and the card insertion slot 2, and the shutter 10 is movable back and forth in the card passage 3 between the first transport roller 4 and the second transport roller 5, respectively. It is located in. Shutters 9 and 10
2 and 5 are rotatably supported on the side surfaces of arms 34 and 35 that are swingably supported by the immovable portion of the card reader. An electromagnetic solenoid 36 for driving a shutter, which is installed at the bottom of the device, is provided on the arms 34, 35.
Protrusion 39 of moving plates 39 and 40 slid by 37
Bent portions 34a and 35a engaging with a and 40a are formed so as to extend downward. The movable plates 39 and 40 are attached to the movable rods 36a and 37a of the solenoids 36 and 37 by the pin 4
The shutters 9 and 10 are connected to each other by means of 1, 42 and are slidable in the card conveying directions a and b, and the shutters 9 and 10 are moved forward and backward with respect to the card passage 3 by the movement of the moving plates 39 and 40. . Further, the shutter 9 and the second conveyance roller pair 5
The interval L2 to the axis center of is set longer than the card length CL.

Normally, the electromagnetic solenoids 36 and 37 keep the shutter 9 retracted from the inside of the card passage 3 when the shutter 10 is entering the card passage 3, and the one inserted into the insertion slot 2 is the magnetic card C1 or IC. With the card C2, the shutter 10 is opened to allow the card C to be taken in, and when the card C is taken into the card passage 3, the shutter 9 is closed so as to prevent foreign matter and continuous cards from being taken in. It is driven by the detection signal of the pre-head 32.

The operation of the card reader 1 thus constructed will be described. First, the card C is inserted into the card insertion slot 2, and when the magnetic signal of the stripe C1a (C2a) is detected by the pre-head 32, the electromagnetic solenoid 37 is driven to retract the shutter 10 from the card passage 3 and open the card passage 3. , The drive motor 24 starts and the drive shaft 2
4a drives. Then, this rotation is transmitted to the pulley 23 via the belt 26 to rotate the rotating shaft 14. When the shaft 14 is driven to rotate, the pulley 1 is passed through the belt 20.
Shafts 13 and 15 to which 7 and 19 are fixed respectively rotate in unison, and the conveying roller pairs 4, 5 and 6 in the card path 3 are driven. When the inserted card C is the IC card C2, the electromagnetic solenoid 28 is driven and the IC contact 8 is placed in the card passage 3.

The card C is further inserted and its tip is the first.
When it comes into contact with the pair of conveying rollers 4, the card is taken in and conveyed through the card passage 3. When the card C has finished passing over the shutter 9 and is taken into the card passage 3, the shutter 9
Is closed. Therefore, continuous insertion of cards and insertion of foreign matters into the card passage 3 are restricted. Card C inserted
First, magnetic information is read by the magnetic head 7, and when the read operation is completed, the drive motor 24 is rotated in the reverse direction to convey the magnetic information toward the insertion slot 2.

The inserted card is the IC card C2, which passes over the magnetic head 7 and the shutter 9
When it comes into contact with, the drive motor 24 is temporarily stopped. Then, the eight contact pieces 8b of the IC contacts located in the card passage 3
And the input / output unit C2b come into contact with each other to electrically process the IC card and record necessary information. When this electrical recording operation is completed, the drive motor 24 is re-driven and I
The C card C2 is sent to the magnetic head 7 for magnetic recording.

On the other hand, the inserted card is the magnetic card C1.
When the card passes over the magnetic head 7 and comes into contact with the shutter 9, the drive motor 24 rotates forward and is sent to the magnetic head 7 to record magnetic information.

When the recording process of the card C is completed, the drive motor 24 is reversely rotated and the card is conveyed toward the insertion slot 2. During the conveyance, the magnetic head 7 verifies the information recorded on the magnetic stripe. (Reconfirmation) is performed and the sheet is ejected from the insertion slot 2. At this time, the distance L1 from the card insertion slot 2 to the shaft center of the first roller pair 4
Is set to be 30 mm shorter than the card length plus β, so the shorter setting is the card insertion slot 2
Will be projected from. Therefore, when the card C is pulled out from the insertion slot 2, at least 30 mm or more of the card C projects from the insertion slot 2, so that the card C can be securely held and can be easily inserted into and removed from the card insertion slot 2. .

As described above, since the IC contact 8 is arranged between the drive roller 5a of the second conveying roller pair 5 and the first conveying roller pair 4 which are arranged substantially in the center of the card passage 3, the IC contact 8 is used. The information processing of the IC card C2 can be processed in front of the magnetic head 7, and the IC contact 8 has the innermost part 3 of the card passage 3.
Compared with the card reader provided in a, it is not necessary to provide the fourth roller pair, and the card passage 3 can be shortened. This can contribute to miniaturization of the card reader. Also,
Since the magnetic head 7 is arranged on the axis line of the second conveying roller pair 5, the magnetic information to the magnetic stripes C1a and C2a by the magnetic head 7 after the card C is held by the conveying roller pair 5 and the conveying speed is stabilized. Since the recording / reproducing is performed, the magnetic information can be stably recorded / reproduced. Furthermore, since the distance L2 between the shutter 9 and the second transport roller 5 is set longer than the total length CL of the card,
The card C can be held within the same interval L2 by bringing the card C into contact with the shutter 9 and stopping the drive motor 24. This means that the electrical processing by the IC contact 8 and the magnetic processing by the magnetic head 7 can be individually performed within the limited space between the second conveying roller pair 1 and the shutter 9.

In this embodiment, a so-called reciprocal traveling method is used in which each inserted card is returned to the insertion slot 2 and ejected, but the card C is ejected from the third conveying roller pair 6 side. Needless to say, it may be used for a forward-traveling type card reader.

The IC contact 8 is controlled by the electromagnetic solenoid 28 so as to enter the card path 3 after the reading operation by the magnetic head 7 is completed.
As another example, when the driving of the drive motor 24 is temporarily stopped and the IC card C2 is held between the second conveying roller pair 5 and the shutter 9, the electromagnetic solenoid 28 is driven to set the IC contact 8 to the card. You may make it enter in the passage 3. By doing so, the resistance during the transportation of the card can be reduced. Furthermore, since a space is formed in the upper part of the card passage 3 located on the opposite side of the pad block 16, it is possible to arrange a security sensor provided in the back of the conventional card passage 3 in this space. In this case, for example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a bracket 43 is provided on the side plate 12 side located between the first conveying roller pair 4 and the second conveying roller pair 5, and the security sensor is attached to the bracket 43. 44 is provided. Examples of this security sensor include an infrared sensor and a magnetic sensor that read an identification label such as an infrared bar code and a magnetic bar code shown in FIG. It is important to provide the identification label S at a position deviated from the magnetic stripe.

As described above, by providing the pad block 16 on the card traveling reference surface 11a side, the security sensor 44 is provided with the first conveying roller pair 4 and the second conveying roller pair 5.
And the magnetic head 7 are provided so as to be offset from each other. Therefore, unlike the conventional case, it is not necessary to provide the card passage 3 at the back, and the card passage 3 can be shortened.

[0029]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, by disposing the IC contact between the first conveying roller pair and the second conveying roller pair, the card passage can be shortened and the card reader can be miniaturized. You can

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the conveying roller and the IC contact located above the card passage are supported by the support provided on the traveling reference side of the card passage so as to face the support. Since a space can be formed on the card passage located on the side, by providing a security sensor or the like in this space, the card passage can be shortened and the card reader can be downsized.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, by disposing the magnetic head on the axis of the drive roller which constitutes one of the second conveying roller pair, the card processing by the magnetic head is performed after the card conveying speed becomes stable. Therefore, defective recording / reproducing of magnetic information can be reduced.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the distance between the second conveying roller pair and the shutter is set longer than the length of the card, and the distance between the first conveying roller and the card insertion portion is larger than the length of the card. By setting the length to be 30 mm or more, when the card protrudes from the card insertion portion by at least 30 mm or more, the feeding action by the first conveying roller pair is not received, and the card is held between the shutter and the second conveying roller pair. As a result, the card reader can be surely inserted and removed, and the card reader can be easily used.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a card reader showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the card reader shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the card reader shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing the configuration and operation of an IC contact drive mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a configuration of a shutter drive mechanism.

6A is a plan view of a magnetic card used for a card reader, and FIG. 6B is a plan view of an IC card.

[Explanation of reference symbols] 1 card reader 2 card insertion slot 3 card passage 4 first conveying roller pair 5 second conveying roller pair 6 third conveying roller pair 4a, 5a, 6a drive rollers 4b, 5b, 6b rollers above card passage (Following roller) 4, 5, 6 3 pairs of conveying rollers 7 Magnetic head 8 IC contact 9 Shutter 11a Travel reference surface side 16 Support (Pat block) a Card entry direction C card CL Card length L1 First conveyance Distance between roller pair and card insertion part L2 Distance between second conveying roller pair and shutter

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A pair of conveying rollers, which are provided so as to face a card passage extending from a card insertion port in a card entrance direction and convey a card inserted into the card passage, and the above-mentioned three pairs. An IC contact provided between a first transport roller pair provided near the card insertion port and a second transport roller pair arranged next to the first transport roller pair, A card reader having a magnetic head for recording and reproducing magnetic information, and a shutter provided between the card insertion slot and the first conveying roller pair and movable back and forth in the card passage. 2. The rollers located above the card passage and the IC contacts in the three pairs of conveying rollers are supported by a support body provided on the running reference surface side of the card passage. 1. The card reader described in 1. 3. The card reader according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic head is arranged on the axis of a driving roller that constitutes one of the pair of second conveying rollers. 4. The distance between the second conveying roller pair and the shutter is set longer than the length of the card, and the distance between the first conveying roller and the card insertion portion is set shorter than the length of the card by 30 mm or more. The card reader according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein.