JPS6133235B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a card reading device, and more particularly to a card reading device that stores information such as oil type, oil amount, customer number, etc. used at a gas station.

This type of card reading device needs to prevent the card from being removed from the reading device after reading the stored contents of the card until the operation of other devices is completed. In addition, even if a magnetic or optical detector is used as a detector for a card reading device, electric power is used as a drive source for card transportation in a card reading device at a loading/unloading area for flammable liquids such as petroleum onto tank trucks. If a motor is used, there is a risk of sparks occurring due to wire breaks or short circuits, so the card must be kept stationary when reading.

This type of card reading device that holds the card still and reads the data stored on the card all at once has the disadvantage that it is expensive because it requires as many reading detectors as there are data. For this reason, conventional devices have used card reading devices that manually move the card along a guide and read a large amount of data using a small number of reading detectors. However, with such card reading devices, it is not possible to determine the insertion position of the card, so if the insertion position is inaccurate, reading errors may occur, and if the pressing force on the card guide is too strong, it may interfere with the sliding of the card. This creates a gap between the card and the guide, which causes the card to shift during movement, which has the disadvantage of causing a reading error.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks and to provide a card reading device that can move the card and read the card with a small number of detectors without any reading errors.

According to the present invention, the above object is a box-shaped frame having a card insertion slot and a spring that presses the inserted card against one side wall, and which holds the card and is guided along the rail; A detector placed opposite the frame; a pin that moves together with the frame and engages with a card inserted into the frame to position the card; and a detector that positions the card when the pin is not engaged with the card; This has been achieved by providing a positioning mechanism having a stopper member that prevents movement of the frame, and a transport drive source that is coupled to the frame and transports the frame along the rail.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below based on the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a card reading device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 and 4 are partial side views taken in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 2. Two rails 2 are attached to a base surrounded by a chassis 1. A frame 3 having a card insertion slot 30 (see Fig. 2) is provided with four wheels 4 having V-shaped grooves.
These wheels 4 engage the rails 2, so that the frame 3 can be guided by the rails 2 and moved exactly along the same path. The frame 3 is also provided with a contact portion 6 against which one side of the peripheral edge of the rectangular card 5 comes into contact, and a spring 7 that presses the card 5 toward the contact portion 6.
An air cylinder 8, which orients the piston rod perpendicularly to the card 5 inserted into the frame 3, is fixedly disposed on the frame 3, and this fixed support structure is omitted in the drawing for ease of understanding. Air cylinder 8
The piston rod has an axis in the same direction as the piston rod, and when driven by the air cylinder 8, the tip formed in a conical shape is inserted into the hole 9 of the card 5.
pin 10 that fits into the frame 3 and presses the card 5 against the frame 3
and a stopper member 11 facing in a direction perpendicular to the frame 3 are attached. This stopper member 11 faces a stopper 12 fixed to the base, and when the pin 10 is not pressed against the card 5 and frame 3, the stopper member 11
faces and abuts against the arch-shaped stopper 12 to prevent movement of the frame 3, and the pin 10 pushes the card 5 into the frame 3.
When the frame 3 is pressed against the arch-shaped stopper 12, the stopper member 11 does not come into contact with the arch-shaped stopper 12 as shown in FIG. 4, so that the frame 3 can be moved. The card 5 inserted into the frame 3 is pressed in the direction of the contact portion 6 by the spring 7, and is fixed to the frame 3 by the pin 10 by the operation of the air cylinder 8. Air cylinder 1
3 is fixedly arranged on the base, and its piston rod 131 is connected to the frame 3 via a connecting rod 132. Due to the operation of this air cylinder 13, the frame 3
performs a reciprocating linear motion along the rail 2. Frame 3
Rod lenses 14 and 15 are provided facing each other with holes 31 and 32 cut out in between, and light sent from a separate photoelectric processing device to the light-emitting rod lens 14 through an optical fiber 16 is irradiated onto the card. Then, the light passing through the hole 17 provided in the card 5 as data is sent from the light-receiving rod lens 15 to the photoelectric conversion device via the optical fiber 18, and the stored contents of the card 5 are read. 81 and 133 are air hoses for supplying and exhausting air to and from the air cylinders 8 and 13, respectively.

Next, to describe the operation of this device, when inserting the card 5 into the frame 3, the air cylinder 8
is in a standby state, the stopper member 11 faces the stopper 12, and the frame 3 cannot move. When the card 5 is fully inserted, the card 5 is pressed against the abutting portion 6 in the frame 3 by the card piece alignment spring 7. At this time, hole 1 of card 5
Depending on the presence or absence of the rod lens 7, the emitted light from the light-emitting rod lens 14 is incident on or blocked by the light-receiving rod lens 15. In response to this incident light, the insertion of the card 5 into the microcomputer is detected via a photoelectric conversion device (not shown) connected to the light-receiving rod lens 15 via an optical fiber 18. When card insertion is detected in this way, the solenoid valve of the air cylinder 8 is controlled, and when air is supplied to the air cylinder 8, the card fixing pin 10 engages with the hole 9 of the card 5, and the card is positioned within frame 3. As the stopper member 11 is removed from the stopper 12 as shown in FIG. 4, the frame 3 can now move, and when the solenoid valve of the air cylinder 13 is controlled, air is supplied to the air cylinder 13. As a result, the frame 3 moves along the rail 2, and during this movement, the hole 17 of the card 5 passes through the rod lenses 14 and 15, and data is read one after another. When data acquisition is completed, the solenoid valve of the air cylinder 13 is controlled, and the air cylinder 13 returns the frame 3 to its original standby position. When the refueling operation is completed, the air cylinder 8 pulls up the card fixing pin 10 by controlling the solenoid valve thereof, so that the card 5 can be taken out. When card 5 is removed from frame 3, everything returns to its initial state and waits for the next card to be inserted.

Although the case has been described in which an air cylinder is used as a drive source for fixing and moving the card, it can be replaced with an air cylinder as long as there is no risk of fire or other dangers, such as hydraulic pressure.

As described above, in the card reading device according to the present invention, the card 5 is fixed to the frame 3 by being pressed against the contact portion 6 by the spring 7 and by fitting the pin 10 into the hole 9 of the card. Therefore, the card 5 is always securely fixed, and the frame 3 is guided by the rail 2 and moves accurately. This prevents the card 5 from being misaligned and causing reading errors. Further, the frame 3 is held by the stopper member 11 and the stopper 12 until the card 5 is fixed to the frame 3 with the pin 10.
Since movement of the card 5 is prevented, the card 5 has the advantage that it is easy to position the card 5 in the frame 3.

It should be noted that a card reading device as in this embodiment, which uses air and light in its card reading section and does not use electricity, can be safely used in hazardous locations such as oil handling stations.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a card moving device of a card reading device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken in the direction of the − arrow in FIG. 1, and FIGS. FIG. 2...Rail, 3...Frame, 5...Card, 6...
...Abutting portion, 7...Spring, 9...Hole, 10...Pin, 11...Member, 12...Stopper.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A box-shaped frame that has a card insertion slot and a spring that presses the inserted card against one side wall, and that holds the card and is guided along the rail; Detector: a pin that moves together with the frame and engages with a card inserted into the frame to position the card; and a stopper member that prevents the frame from moving when the pin is not engaged with the card. A card reading device comprising a positioning mechanism and a transport drive source coupled to the frame and transporting the frame along a rail.