JPS59185006A - Magnetic card reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To decrease number of components, to simplify a titled reader and to prevent induced noises by supporting a magnetic head by a plate spring, supporting freely turnably both end parts of the plate spring, and fitting a circuit part to the rear side of the magnetic head. CONSTITUTION:A holding mechanism of the magnetic head 13 includes a moving part 14 constituted integrally with the magnetic head 13 and two support members 15, 16 projected in the opposite direction of a path 12 from a guide member 10 to support the moving body 14. The major components of the moving body 14 are a holding frame 18 provided with a hollow part 17, the plate spring 19 stretched left and right from this holding frame, rod parts 20, 21 fitted to each end part and the circuit part 40. Through the constitution above, since the magnetic head supports turnably the plate spring 19 so as to follow up deformation and inclination of the card, the structure is simplified and miniaturized. Since the circuit part 40 is fitted to the magnetic head 13 or the holding frame 48, no lead wire is required and the induced noise is prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a magnetic card reader that uses a transducer to read information recorded on a magnetic card. Magnetic card readers, which are often used in terminal devices such as financial institutions, gun stands, and data telephones, have a card passageway to guide the movement of the card. To ensure smooth operation, there is usually a considerable amount of leeway in the thickness of the card.

However, inside this passage, the transducer and the magnetic head must be securely brought into close contact with the recording surface of the magnetic card.

In order to ensure this adhesion, a conventional structure has been adopted in which a rotating roller made of an elastic material is placed facing the passage, and this roller presses the card against the magnetic head.

However, in the conventional structure, the number of rollers and parts for supporting the rollers increases, and the parts must be attached to both sides of the card passage, resulting in an increase in the size of the reading device.

On the other hand, a circuit section for processing information read by the magnetic head has conventionally been placed on the opposite side of the magnetic head across the card path. In this structure, parts are placed on both sides of the card path as described above, so it does not become bulky, and the lead wires that electrically connect the magnetic head and the circuit section must be routed and wired. First, it is necessary to secure space for this routing wiring, and wiring work is required, and even if shielded wires are used as lead wires, there is a possibility of generating electrostatic noise, electromagnetic noise, and other inductive noise, which can cause malfunctions. There are drawbacks that can lead to

The present invention was developed based on these circumstances, and its basic purpose is to reduce the number of parts and simplify the configuration, thereby eliminating the need for lead wires between the magnetic head and the circuit section. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a magnetic card reading device that eliminates the need for routing wiring and prevents the cause of induced noise.

That is, in the present invention, the magnetic head is supported by a leaf spring so that the leaf spring obtains a biasing force that presses the magnetic head toward the card path, and the magnetic head is prevented from being distorted or tilted by the card. Both ends of the plate spring are held rotatably so as to follow the same motion, thereby eliminating the conventional rollers, reducing the number of parts as a whole, and simplifying and downsizing the structure. be a sign.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9.

In the figure, 1 is a magnetic card, which has a strip-shaped magnetic recording surface 2 on the negative side. Reference numeral 10 denotes a guide member made of synthetic resin, which forms a card passage 12 through which the magnetic card 1 can pass.
1B and a side plate 11C are integrally molded. The card passage 12 has a constant gap approximately twice as thick as the thickness of the card 1, so that the magnetic card 1 can move smoothly.

A holding mechanism for holding the magnetic helad 13 is configured in the Acno 4-plate 11A. The holding mechanism includes a movable body 14 integrally constructed with the magnetic head 13, and two support members i, s, and i6 protruding from the guide member 10 in a direction opposite to the passage 12 to support the movable body 14.

The movable body 14, as shown in detail in FIGS. 4 and 5,
A holding frame 18 made of synthetic resin has a hollow part 17 for press-fitting and holding the magnetic head 13, and a metal (stainless steel spring material, phosphor bronze spring material, beryllium copper spring material, etc.) extending left and right from this holding frame. ) and a synthetic resin plate with a circular cross section attached to each end of this plate spring 19 (
The main elements are a rod-shaped portion 20°2 made of ABS resin, for example, and a circuit portion 40. Note that the holding frame 18
The leaf spring 19 and the rod-shaped portion 20.21 are integrated by insert molding.

To explain in detail, the holding frame 18 includes the metal plate 22 and the magnetic head 13.
and the direction of the white arrow (see Figure 4).
Hold it in the press-fit state.

In this case, the head and the holding frame may be fixed with adhesive, but by forming a protrusion on the inside of the holding frame 18, when the magnetic head 13 and the metal plate 22 are press-fitted, they are pressed inward. It is preferable to hold it in the same position for ease of operation.

Note that the holding frame has a stepped portion 23 for determining the press-fitting position of the magnetic head 13.

In order to ensure good electrical contact with the outer plate of the magnetic head 13, the metal plate 22 has several protrusions 2 as shown in FIG.
2a... is formed by press working. metal plate 22
The terminal portion 22b is connected to the terminals 13a, 13 of the magnetic head 13.
b and protrudes into the opening of the holding frame 18 and is connected to the circuit section 40. The metal plate 22 is effective, for example, for grounding the outer plate of the magnetic head 13.

The holding frame 18 has a protrusion 24 extending in the left-right direction, and cooperates with a positioning member to be described later to serve as a stopper against incorrect insertion of the magnetic card 1.

The plate springs 19 extend in the left and right direction and are provided with elastic members 25 and 26, respectively.
A cylindrical first rod-shaped part 20 is integrated at one end by insert molding, and a cylindrical first rod-shaped part 20 having a constricted part 21a is formed at the other end. the second of
The rod-shaped portion 21 is also integrated. The central axes of these two rod-shaped portions substantially coincide with each other, and the movable body 14 is supported in rotation around the central axes.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first support member 15 is vertically erected from the upper plate 11A by insert molding. Slidably supported. On the other hand, the second support member 16 is also inserted into the upper grate 11 by insert molding.
It has a cut groove 16k that stands perpendicular to the person and whose inner periphery is shaped like an inverted J, and supports the constricted part 21a of the second rod-shaped part 21 in a rotatable (non-slidable) manner. Note that the cut groove 16a
In order to further strengthen the support of the constricted portion 21a, a passage for pushing the constricted portion 21a into the hole is formed in the constricted portion 25a.
You can also make it slightly narrower.

A hole 27 opened in the upper plate 11A near where the second support member 16 stands is provided to facilitate fitting of the rod-shaped portion 2.

The two positioning members 28 and 29 are the upper plate J.
It is molded integrally with the IA. two positioning members 2
The hole 30 that is placed while the card 8.29 is upright allows the head of the magnetic head 13 to be confined to the opening that faces the card passage 12.

When the movable body 14 is installed, the positioning members 28 and 29 abut respective portions of the elastic members 25 and 26 close to the holding frame 18, and determine the minimum distance between the abutting portions and the reference plane of the card passage 12. Then, the offset position of the reading surface of the magnetic head 13 is determined. Furthermore, the positioning member 28.29
The height of the rod-shaped part 2 supported by both support members 15 and 16 is
It is set slightly higher than the height of the central axis of 0.21 from the guide member reference plane.

For this reason, each end of the elastic member 25, 26 is connected to the rod-shaped portion 2o.
, 21, the magnetic head is slightly biased in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3 in the vicinity of the magnetic head.

As a result, the elastic member is given an initial load that urges the magnetic head 13 in the opposite direction of the arrow, causing the reading surface of the magnetic head to come into close contact with the magnetic card inserted into the card path, and also preventing vibrations and external sources. This prevents the position of the magnetic head 13 from being displaced due to pressure or the like.

The positioning members 28 and 29 also have flat portions 29b (see FIG. 7) at their tips that are parallel to the card path so as to provide a stop position for the rotation of the movable body 14 and to ensure smooth rotation. There is.

The circuit section 4o includes various necessary circuit elements on the printed circuit board 41,
For example, an integrated circuit IC1 with a capacitor and a resistor attached thereto is used. Mounting hole 42 on printed circuit board 4
The terminals 13m of the magnetic head 13 are inserted into these mounting holes 42a, 42b, and 42c.

13b and the terminal portion 22b of the metal plate 22 which also serves as a ground are inserted, and these terminals 13a+13b.

22b is connected to a printed circuit (not shown) and soldered on the back side of the printed circuit board 41.

In order to reduce the size and weight of the circuit section 40, a flip-chip IC 43 is used as the integrated circuit, a chip capacitor (however, there is no limit to the number used) 44 is used as the capacitor, and a chip resistor (however, there is no limit to the number used) 45 is used as the resistor. preferable. However, if it does not impede the miniaturization and weight reduction of the circuit section 4o, not only the chip type element but also a lead type element may be used. In addition to flip-chip type ICs, mini plant package type ICs are also available.
It may be a single-chip carrier type IC or a wire boarding type IC@.

A wire lead connection portion 46 is provided on one side of the printed circuit board 41, and a wire lead 50 is connected to this connection portion 46.

4 printed circuit boards, each terminal part 13 a Hl 3 b
+22b1 circuit elements 43, 44.45 and connection part 46
is coated with an electrically insulating coating layer 47. This is not only suitable for moisture resistance, dust resistance, and electrical insulation of each element, but also helps prevent each element from peeling off due to vibration.

The wire lead 50 is preferably as light as possible and has good flexibility in order to improve its mobility. This wire lead 50 is flanged by a fixing portion 51 that integrally projects from the bottom wall of the guide member 10. The fixed part 51 is opposed to the side wall 52 of the guide member 10 with a gap therebetween,
It can be elastically displaced in the direction of arrow X in FIG. Therefore, when the wire lead 50 is inserted through this gap, the return force of the fixed part 5 causes the wire lead 50 to be inserted between the side wall 52 and the
Hold 0. This wire lead 50 is prevented from being pulled out by a stop claw 53 formed on the fixed part 51. Therefore, the wire lead 50 is pressed against the side wall 52 by the fixing portion 51, so that it does not wobble.

Note that the wire lead 50 is connected to the fixed part 51 and the printed circuit board 40.
There is a slack that allows the movable body 14 to move.

In the device having the above configuration, when assembling the device, the magnetic head 13 and the metal plate 22 are press-fitted into the movable body 14, and the circuit section 40 is integrally incorporated. Support member 15.1 by integral molding
6 and a guide member 10 provided with positioning members 28, 29
will be prepared. First, the first rod-shaped portion 20 of the movable body 14 is inserted into the hole of the support member 15, and then the leaf spring is bent, and the constricted portion 21& of the other second rod-shaped portion 21 is inserted into the second support member 15. It is fitted into the cut groove 16a in the member 16. During this process, the tapers 28a, 29a provided on the positioning members 28.29 help the elastic members 25.26 to fit smoothly into the flat portion. Also, the second part of the rod-shaped part 21
The hole 27 allows the rod-shaped portion 21 to move smoothly without interfering with the movement of the rod-shaped portion 21 when the support member 16 is recessed.

With the magnetic head 13 held in this way, the head 1
3, the card passage 12 is inserted from the hole 30 as shown in FIG.
stand out against The position of the head reading surface is kept constant by positioning members 28,29.

When the magnetic card 1 is manually moved along the card path 12 as shown in FIG. 1, the magnetic head 13 is pushed up in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3 by the thickness of the card 1. Therefore, the magnetic head 13 is further urged by the restoring force of the elastic members 25 and 26, and tightly adheres to the magnetic card 1. The contraction of the elastic members 25 and 260 in the left-right direction caused by the above-mentioned displacement of the magnetic head 13 appears as sliding of the first rod-shaped portion 20 with respect to the support member 15.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show cases where the magnetic card 1 is inserted at an angle and cases where a distorted card is inserted. If the contact surface of the card with the magnetic head 13 is not parallel to the card path, as in these cases, the magnetic head 13 will tilt when lifted due to the thickness of the card.

Thus, the movable body 14 is rotatably supported and rotates smoothly so that the head reading surface comes into close contact with the card 1. Therefore, even in these cases, the recorded information on the magnetic card can be read accurately.

FIG. 9 shows a case where the insertion direction of the magnetic card 1 is perpendicular to the normal direction and the card cannot be read at all. In response to such insertion, the magnetic head 13 receives pressure from the end of the card 1 and is tilted, and the movable body also rotates. However, the two protrusions 24 provided on the holding frame 18 of the movable body come into contact with the positioning members 28, 29 and prevent the movable body from rotating further. This prevents the movable body from rotating to an irreversible angle.

In the above embodiment, since the circuit section 4θ is integrally attached to the back surface of the magnetic head 13, the circuit section 4θ is mounted on the opposite side of the magnetic head across the card passage 12, on the side of the tab cyan double plate IIB, as in the conventional case. The mounting structure is simpler and fewer parts are required compared to the case where the In addition, since the magnetic head 13 and the printed circuit board 41 are directly electrically connected, the conventional lead wires are abolished and there is no need to route the lead wires, so the space and work required for routing the wires can be reduced. Noise generation due to lines is also prevented.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

For example, when moving a magnetic card, it is not limited to manual operation, and the card may be moved automatically by motor drive or the like.

Further, the rod-shaped body 20.21 may have a rectangular cross-section instead of a circular cross-section, and the rod-shaped body 20.21 may be rotatably supported by the support member 15.16. Further, the material of the rod-shaped bodies 20 and 21 is not limited to resin, but may be metal, and the supporting members 15 and 16 are not limited to metal, but may also be resin.

The circuit section 40 connects terminals 13m and 13 to the magnetic head 13.
b and 22b are attached by soldering, but they may also be joined with adhesive, as shown in another embodiment in Fig. 10. ,
The fixing projections 10 protruding from the holding frame 18 may be fixed by heat caulking.

Furthermore, since the structure of the present invention is simple, compact and compact, it can also be applied to a structure as shown in FIG. If there is a request for the user to create the main body 110 of the guide member, the upper plate 11
Only one person is required to prepare the magnetic head 13, holding frame 18, plate spring 19, circuit section 40, and other constituent members into the arranger 111k to form a unit. If such a unit is provided to the user, it can be freely installed in the main body 110 of the guide member prepared by the user.

Note that 112 is a locking groove formed in the support member 16 to support the wire lead 5o.

Furthermore, the guide member 10. Mma Shia Gu-Plate 1
lAs under grate 11B and side plate 1
1C etc. are not limited to resin products, but may be ones formed by pressing a metal plate.

According to the present invention described in detail above, the magnetic head is urged toward the card path by the plate, and the plate is adapted to follow the distortion or inclination of the card. Since both ends of the spring are rotatably supported, the structure is simple and compact. In addition, since the circuit section is mounted on the magnetic head or holding frame, the mounting of the circuit section requires fewer parts and the support structure for the circuit section is simple. It becomes a list. In addition, since the circuit section is directly electrically connected to the magnetic head, there is no need for lead wires as in the past, there is no need for wiring or work, and there is no need for IJ-head wires. This has the effect of preventing the occurrence of induced noise.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 9 show an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a perspective view, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view, and FIG. 3 is a cross section taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. Figure 4 is a top view of the movable body, Figure 5 is a front view of the movable body, Figure 6 (, ) is a front view of the metal plate, and Figure 6 (b) is the A of Figure 6 (a). -A sectional view, FIG. 6(C) is a bottom view of the metal plate, and FIGS. 7 to 9 are explanatory views showing the operation in the card insertion state, respectively. 10 and 11 are perspective views showing other embodiments of the present invention, respectively. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Magnetic card, 2... Recording surface, 10... Guide member, 12... Card path, 13... Magnetic head,
14... Movable body, 15.16... Support member, 18.
...Holding frame, 19...Plate spring, 20.21...Bar-shaped part, 40...Circuit part, 41...Printed circuit board, 43
゜44.45...Circuit element.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A guide member forming at least one surface of the card passage for guiding the movement of the magnetic card, and a transducer disposed on the guide member at a position facing the card passage for reading information recorded on the magnetic card. a user, a holding frame for the transducer, a leaf spring extending in the direction of movement of the magnetic card that supports the holding frame and presses the transducer toward the card passage; Both ends of the leaf spring are rotatable relative to the guide member so as to be rotatable in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the magnetic card. 1. A magnetic card reading device comprising: a circuit section attached to a rear facing surface. (2) The circuit section is constructed by mounting a chip-type circuit element on a printed circuit board.
1) The magnetic card reading device described in item 1).