JPH0569981A - Medium transport device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To transport a thick medium such as card or bank book at a fixed speed. CONSTITUTION:In a transport passage 5 constituted of upper and lower plane guides 3, 4, a plurality of roller pairs 7, 7... are arranged so that arrangement interval (r) is satisfied with relation of L=(r), where L is the length of a medium 2 in the transport direction. Hereby, decrease of transport speed generated at rushing of the front end of the medium 2 into the roller pair 7 and increase of transport speed generated at breaking away of the rear end of the medium 2 from the roller pair 7, are simultaneously generated, and hence unevenness of transport of the medium 2 can be cancelled.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a medium transporting device, and more particularly to a medium transporting device for transporting a thick medium such as a booklet such as a card or a passbook at a constant transporting speed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, as financial institutions have become online,
The functions of automatic teller terminals have improved significantly. For example, in an automatic teller machine (ATM) having a deposit function, almost the same transaction as the counter business can be performed by using a card with a magnetic stripe or a passbook.

For this reason, the ATM is equipped with a function for performing various processes. Among them, the card handling section or the passbook handling section has the following basic functions, so that each processing can be performed on the magnetic stripe card or the passbook medium inserted by the user through the ATM insertion slot. There is. That is, the card handling unit has a function of reading the magnetic stripe of a card with a magnetic stripe, a function of printing predetermined transaction information on a transaction statement, and a function of imprinting an emboss of the card surface on the transaction statement. Has a function to read the magnetic stripe of the passbook, a function to print predetermined transaction information on the passbook, a page turning function, etc., to read the information of the medium conveyed to the predetermined position and print various transaction information in the predetermined column. You can do it.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a medium transport device for a passbook used in this type of ATM. In the figure, reference numeral 1 indicates an insertion port of the passbook 2. The ATM user opens the page to be printed in the passbook 2 and inserts the passbook 2 into the insertion slot 1. Inside the insertion opening 1, a lower surface guide 3 having a width substantially equal to the width of the passbook 2 is continuously provided. An upper surface guide 4 is arranged so as to face the lower surface guide 3, and the upper surface guide 4 and the lower surface guide 3
A transport path 5 for the passbook 2 is formed between the and. Therefore, the interval between the upper and lower guides is
Is set to a size such that it can be freely transported through this gap.

In addition, photoelectric sensors 6 are arranged in the upper and lower positions in the vicinity of the insertion port 1 of the transport passage 5 with the transport passage 5 interposed therebetween. The photoelectric sensor 6 detects the insertion of the passbook 2 when the passbook 2 is inserted into the ATM transport passage 5 and the optical path is blocked. Further, a plurality of roller pairs 7, 7 ... Which are in contact with each other are arranged in the transport passage 5 so that a part of the upper and lower guide plates are cut out. The roller pairs 7, 7 ... Are arranged at equal intervals r throughout, and the material of the roller portions is set so that at least one roller row is a rubber roller. In this embodiment, the upper guide 4 side. Drive roller 7A. The drive roller 7A is adapted to rotate using a motor (not shown), which rotates by a start signal transmitted by detecting that the passbook 2 has been inserted by the photoelectric sensor 6, as a drive source. On the other hand, a lower idle roller 7B is held in contact with each drive roller 7A while maintaining a predetermined contact pressure, and the upper and lower roller pairs 7 sequentially hold the passbook 2 in the conveying direction for conveyance. ing.

A printing section 8 is incorporated in the path of the transport passage 5, and the printing section 8 is composed of a printing head 9 and a platen 10 for carrying the passbook 2 during printing. Further, the conveyance path 5 in front of the printing section 8 is provided with a width direction guide section and a page turning section (not shown) for conveying the passbook 2.

FIG. 8 shows a state in which the passbook 2 is conveyed by the medium conveying device having such a structure. When the length of the passbook 2 in the conveyance direction in the opened state is L, the relation between the length L of the passbook 2 and the arrangement interval r of the roller pair 7 is usually L> 2r, and the passbook 2 is in the conveyance direction. Therefore, it is always sandwiched by two or three roller pairs 7 and transported in the transport passage 5.

[0008]

By the way, in a medium conveying apparatus having the above-mentioned structure, when a thick medium such as a card or a passbook is conveyed by a roller pair using a rubber roller, the medium rushes into the roller pair. When the medium speed is lowered, the medium is separated from the roller pair, and the trailing edge of the medium is pushed out like a slip, causing a temporary increase in the medium speed (stick slip). ..

The diagram shown in FIG. 9 quantitatively captures these phenomena experimentally. FIG. 9 shows the relationship between the number of steps counted by the stepping motor for conveyance and the error in the amount of conveyance corresponding to the number of steps. The portion A in the diagram shows the state in which the medium separates from the roller pair. , B shows the state in which the medium plunges into the roller pair. Here, the roller pair distance r is set to be slightly smaller than 1/2 times the medium length L, and a conveyance error appears such that the B portion and the A portion are continuous. Similarly, the roller pair spacing r
Is set to be slightly larger than 1/2 times the medium length L, this time, a transport error appears such that the A portion and the B portion are continuous. When uneven transport occurs on a medium such as a passbook, the printing section does not accurately line-feed the printing column, which causes a problem in that the printing accuracy deteriorates due to printing misalignment. Further, in the case where the medium is a card with a magnetic stripe, there is a problem that reading failure with a magnetic head may occur.

It has been clarified that these problems are caused by a transport mechanism in which a medium having a large thickness is sandwiched by rollers having a predetermined pressing force and transported. That is,
As shown in FIGS. 10A to 10C, when the rollers enter, the tip of the medium begins to be sandwiched by the roller pair 7 so as to deform a part of the elastic roller 7a. During this time, the medium is prevented from being conveyed due to the repulsion due to the elastic deformation of the rollers 7A and 7B, and the conveying speed is temporarily reduced (see FIG. 10A). Then, as shown in FIG. 10B, in the state where the entire medium is sandwiched by the rubber rollers, the medium can be sent out at a high conveyance speed by the long radius r ₁ at the roller end portion formed by deforming the rubber roller flatly. .. Furthermore, FIG.
As shown in (c), when the medium is released from the roller, the velocity is increased so that the medium is repelled in the transport direction by the repulsion of the elastically deformed part 7b of the rubber roller. It is known that uneven conveyance occurs when a predetermined pressing force is applied to the roller portion of the roller pair.

Further, the rubber roller is supported by a support mechanism incorporating a solenoid in order to prevent unevenness in medium conveyance at the time of entering or leaving the rubber roller, and at the moment when the medium enters or leaves the rubber roller. There has been proposed a medium conveying device in which a solenoid is operated to separate the roller pair from each other (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-149467). According to this device, the solenoid is operated to separate the roller pair from each other at the moment when the medium enters the rubber roller or separates from the rubber roller, and the rollers are brought into contact with each other again when the medium passes directly below the roller. .. However,
A large impact occurs when the solenoid returns to a fixed position from the power failure state and the rollers come into contact with each other. At this time, vibration is applied to the roller pair and the medium itself, and it is still impossible to sufficiently reduce unevenness in conveyance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and to provide a medium carrying device capable of carrying out stable medium carrying without carrying unevenness during carrying.

[0013]

In order to achieve the above object, the first aspect of the present invention is to arrange a plurality of pairs of rollers in the medium conveying direction and rotate the rollers to sequentially sandwich the medium between the roller pairs. In the medium transporting device for transporting the medium, the roller pair is 1 / n times the length in the transport direction of the medium (however, n
Is a natural number) and is arranged at intervals.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a medium conveying device in which a plurality of pairs of rollers are arranged in a medium conveying direction, and the rollers are interlocked to convey the medium so that the medium is sequentially sandwiched between the roller pairs. When the end portions in the direction enter the roller pair or separate from the roller pair, the rollers forming the roller pair are separated from each other, and after the end portion of the medium has passed through the portion, the above-mentioned force is applied via the depressing means. It is characterized in that the roller is returned to the position when the medium is conveyed.

[0015]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the pair of rollers for conveying the medium are arranged at an interval of 1 / n times the length of the medium in the conveying direction. Therefore, when the leading edge of the medium plunges into the pair of rollers. It is possible to simultaneously cause a decrease in the transport speed that occurs in 1) and an increase in the transport speed that occurs when the trailing edge of the medium leaves the roller pair, and it is possible to suppress uneven transport. Further, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the roller pair can be returned without impacting the medium being conveyed, and the medium can be smoothly conveyed.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a medium carrying device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

1 shows a structure in which the arrangement interval r of the roller pairs 7, 7 ... Of the medium conveying device shown in FIG. 8 is arranged so that L = 2r with respect to the length L of the passbook 2 in the conveying direction. Each mechanism in the carrier is the same as in FIG. Therefore, in FIG.
The same components as those in are denoted by the same reference numerals. Here, the operation of the medium carrying device shown in FIG. 1 will be described by taking the carrying operation of the passbook 2 as an example.

When the passbook 2 is inserted from the insertion slot 1, the photoelectric sensor 6 arranged in the vicinity of the insertion slot 1 detects the presence of the passbook 2, and accordingly a motor (not shown) for driving each roller pair 7 is started. And the inserted passbook 2 is a roller pair 7,
It is taken into the transfer passage 5 so as to be sandwiched by 7. At this time, as described above, the arrangement interval r of the roller pairs 7, 7 ... Is arranged such that L = 2r with respect to the length L of the passbook 2 in the conveyance direction. There is a moment when both are nipped by the roller pair 7. Also in this case, the transport distance of the passbook 2 increases at a constant rate. That is, the decrease in the transport speed that occurs when the leading end of the passbook 2 enters the roller pair 7 and the increase in the transport speed when the trailing end of the passbook 2 leaves the roller pair 7 are offset, and the passbook 2 is transferred in the transport passage 5. This is because the can be moved at a substantially constant transport speed. During this time, the passbooks 2 are aligned by a width direction guide (not shown) and conveyed to the printing unit 8, and a predetermined print start line is detected before the printing unit 8. The passbook 2 is fed and moved so that the print start line and the position of the print head 9 coincide with each other, and necessary transaction information is printed. In order to enable such fine passbook feeding, the roller pairs 7, 7 ... Are rotated by a stepping motor or the like in increments of a predetermined step amount. After that, when the predetermined printing is completed, the passbook 2 is transported in the transport passage 5 in the direction opposite to the insertion direction. Next, as another embodiment of the present invention, an ATM for reading a card with a magnetic stripe
The card handling unit will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 21 indicates an insertion port of the card C with a magnetic stripe. Inside the insertion port 21, a plurality of rows of feed rollers 22, 22 ... Are spaced at intervals r in the card C transport direction. It is open. The interval r between the feed rollers 22 is set to L = 2r with respect to the length L of the card C with a magnetic stripe in the carrying direction. Each feed roller 22 is composed of a plurality of rubber rollers coaxially attached to a rotary shaft 23, and each rotary shaft 23 is provided with a pulley 24. A timing belt 25 is wound around these pulleys 24, 24, ..., Each rotation shaft 23 is interlocked and rotated by a motor (not shown). Also the feed roller 2
An idle roller 27 is provided which is urged toward the feed roller 22 by a spring 26 so as to come into contact with the roller 2.

A magnetic head 28 for reading the magnetic stripe of the card C and a head pressure adjusting roller 29 for adjusting the contact pressure between the magnetic head 28 and the card C are arranged in the transport path. The head pressure adjusting roller 29 is biased by a spring 30. The tip of the magnetic head 28 can be contacted. In addition to the process of reading the magnetic stripe of a card with a magnetic stripe, this card handling unit performs multiple processes such as printing specified transaction information on the transaction statement and imprinting the card surface embossing on the transaction statement. Done. For this reason, a lateral guide (not shown) and a CCD image sensor are incorporated, and accurate positioning of the card is required.
Unlike the booklet such as a passbook, the thickness of the card-shaped medium as described above does not change, so that the transport amount can be controlled more accurately.

As is apparent from this embodiment, even when the roller diameters of the roller pairs are different, the arrangement interval r of the roller pairs is r.
By arranging so that L = 2r with respect to the length L of the medium in the transport direction, uneven transport can be prevented.

Next, the result of quantitatively grasping the reduction of the transport unevenness by the experiment when the arrangement interval r of the roller pairs 7, 7 is set to L = 2r with respect to the length L of the medium in the transport direction will be described.

In this experiment, the arrangement interval r of the roller pair is r = 8.
In the conveying path set to 5 mm, the medium length L is L = 1
Several kinds of card-shaped media (thickness: 650 μm) having a size of about 70 mm were prepared, and a transport experiment was conducted on each media. FIG. 3 is an example of the result of this experiment, and is a diagram showing the relationship between the number of conveyance steps of the motor that rotates the roller pair and the medium conveyance amount. From this diagram, at L = 170mm,
The decrease in the transport speed that occurs when the front end of the medium enters the roller pair 7 and the increase in the transport speed when the rear end leaves the roller pair 7 are offset, and the medium has a substantially constant transport speed in the transport passage 5. You can see that you are moving. In addition, in the table below and FIG. 4, the ratio (L / 2
The relationship between r) and the peak value of uneven transport is shown.

[0024]

[Table 1] It can be seen that when L = 2r = 1.0, the unevenness of conveyance is significantly reduced, and stable conveyance can be realized.

In this experiment, consideration is given so that the thickness of the medium does not affect the contact position with the roller. Also,
In addition to the case of L / 2r = 1.0, when the medium length L is an integer multiple of the arrangement interval r, that is, in the range where the relationship of L = nr (n is an integer) is satisfied, uneven transport is caused. It can be reduced as well. Next, the second invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 5 shows an ATM passbook handling unit. The photoelectric sensor 6 and the upper and lower surface guides 3 and 4 of this passbook handling unit have the same structure as a conventional one, and a roller pair 7,
Idle roller 7 forming a pair with drive roller 7A
B is supported by the roller support mechanism 40 . In the roller support mechanism 40, the idle roller 7B is rotatably attached to an L-shaped lever 31. The lever 31 has a root portion pivotally attached to a shaft 32 and a tip end portion to which a spring 33 is attached. Has been done. The other end of the spring 33 is fixed to the spring support plate 34, and the lever 31 is urged so that the idle roller 7B contacts the drive roller 7A. Further, the tip of the rod 35a of the solenoid 35 is pivotally mounted near the attachment position of the spring 33 at the tip of the lever 31. When the solenoid 35 is energized, the movable rod 35a retracts into the main body of the solenoid 35 so as to resist the spring 33, whereby the lever 31 slightly rotates around the shaft 32, and the idle roller 7B moves away from the drive roller 7A. Be pulled apart. The energization timing of the solenoid 35 can be performed by a signal from a position sensor (not shown) provided in the passbook 2 for each of the roller pairs 7, 7 ... Then, the idle roller 7B is returned to the fixed position during medium conveyance by the urging force of the spring 33 provided on the lever 31. At this time, a compression spring 36 having a compression characteristic is attached to the lever 31 so as to resist rotation caused by the biasing force of the spring 33. This compression spring 36 is the spring 33
Acting to reduce the biasing force of the idle roller 7B
Is slowly returned to a fixed position during medium transportation. Therefore, the idle roller 7B can be returned so as not to generate impact or vibration due to contact between the idle roller 7B and the drive roller 7A.

Although only one set of the roller supporting mechanism 40 is shown in FIG. 5, it is preferable to mount the same roller supporting mechanism 40 on all the idle rollers 7B.
As a result, the idle rollers 7B at the roller thrusting portion and the roller releasing portion are operated so as to be sequentially separated from the drive roller 7A as the passbook 2 is conveyed. As a result, even when the medium is nipped by the rubber rollers and is conveyed, uneven conveyance can be eliminated.

The roller support mechanism 40 shown in FIG. 6 is shown in FIG.
6 shows another embodiment in which a tension spring 38 is used as a depressurizing mechanism when the solenoid 35 returns, instead of the compression spring 36 shown in FIG. The base of the tension spring 38 is supported by a spring support plate 37 fixed to the solenoid 35, and the tip is fixed to the tip of the lever 31 like the tension spring 33. Like the compression spring 36, the tension spring 38 can reduce the return operation of the lever 31 in the power failure state of the solenoid.

FIG. 7 shows a compression spring 36 or a tension spring 38.
An embodiment is shown in which the solenoid 39 itself is provided with the same deceleration action as the above. This solenoid 39 is movable rod 3
9a and a fixed iron core (not shown) are used to decelerate the movable rod 39a by utilizing the pressure of the air chamber, so that the electromagnetic force and the air pressure are used in combination. With this solenoid, it is possible to reduce the impact during operation, and it is also possible to decelerate one or both of the reciprocating movements. The operation setting of this solenoid is to operate rapidly when energized and slowly operate when a power failure occurs. It is also possible to do so. As a result, the unevenness of the medium can be surely reduced.

[0030]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the roller pairs for conveying the medium are arranged at intervals of 1 / n times the length in the medium conveying direction. Since it is provided, it is possible to eliminate transport unevenness of the apparatus without using any additional apparatus, and according to the second aspect of the invention, the de-energizing means is provided after the end portions of the medium pass the rollers separated from each other. Since the medium is returned to the position at which the medium is conveyed, the medium can be smoothly conveyed, and as a result, the recording and reproduction of the card with the magnetic stripe can be performed accurately and the passbook printing accuracy can be improved. It is possible to exert effects such as being able to.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an embodiment of a medium carrying device according to the first invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another embodiment of the medium carrying device according to the first invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a transport experiment result by the medium transport device according to the first invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a transport experiment result by the medium transport device according to the first invention.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view showing an embodiment of a medium carrying device according to the second invention.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another embodiment of the medium carrying device according to the second invention.

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another embodiment of the medium carrying device according to the second invention.

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of a conventional medium transport device.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a transport experiment result by a conventional medium transport device.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing a mechanism of medium conveyance by a rubber roller.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 passbook (medium) 5 transport passage 7, roller pair 22,27 rollers 26,33 springs 35,39 solenoid 36 compression spring 38 tension spring 40 roller support mechanism C card (medium)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A medium conveying device, wherein a plurality of pairs of rollers are arranged in a medium conveying direction, and the rollers are rotated so that the medium is conveyed so as to be sandwiched between the roller pairs in sequence. A medium conveying device, which is arranged at an interval of 1 / n times the directional length (where n is a natural number). 2. A medium carrying device in which a plurality of pairs of rollers are arranged in the medium carrying direction and the media are carried by interlocking the rollers so as to sequentially sandwich the media between the pair of rollers, wherein the end part of the medium in the carrying direction is When the medium is conveyed to or from the roller pair, when the rollers forming the roller pair are separated from each other and the end portion of the medium passes through the portion, and the roller is conveyed through the deceleration means. The medium carrying device characterized by being returned to the position.