JPH0620197Y2 - Card reader - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial application] The present invention relates to a card reader for reading magnetic information recorded on a magnetic card, writing information to the magnetic card, and the like.

[Prior Art] Generally, a card reader of this type for reading magnetic information recorded on various magnetic cards such as a telephone card, recording information on the magnetic card, and confirming the information is as shown in FIG. It is provided with a card insertion detection sensor 1, a card position detection sensor 2, a bar code reading sensor 3 and a magnetic head 4 which are arranged in parallel in the card transport direction (direction of arrow A) at appropriate intervals. As the card insertion detection sensor 1 and the card position detection sensor 2, a transmissive sensor composed of receiving and light emitting elements 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, which are arranged to face each other with a card conveyance path 5 in between, is used. A reflection type sensor is used in which the light receiving and emitting portions 3a and 3b are arranged in parallel in the card transport direction, and is arranged below the card transport path 5.

In such a configuration, when the card insertion detection sensor 1 detects the tip of the magnetic card 7 inserted into the card insertion slot 6, the drive motor is activated by the detection signal to take the magnetic card 7 into the card reader. When the card position detection sensor 2 detects the leading end of the taken-in magnetic card 7, the counter operates by the detection signal to count the time t until the magnetic card 7 reaches the bar code reading sensor 3, and this time t Starts the barcode reading of the magnetic card 7 by the barcode reading sensor 3,
It is determined whether the card is a legitimate card. If it is a legitimate card, magnetic information is read and written by the magnetic head 4 to continue normal service, and if it is determined to be a fake card, normal operation is stopped and the fake card is inserted into the card insertion slot 6. return.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in such a conventional card reader, after the card position detection by the card position detection sensor 2,
Since the time t until the bar code is read by the bar code reading sensor 3 is measured, the software design of the control section becomes complicated, and the card position detection sensor 2 and the bar code reading sensor 3 are separated from each other. Since the depth dimension of the reader becomes long, there is a problem that it becomes large.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and the purpose thereof is to simplify the software by performing card position detection and bar code reading start in real time, that is, substantially at the same time. It is an object of the present invention to provide a card reader in which the light source can be used in common and the size and size of the device can be reduced.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention includes a bar code reading sensor for reading a bar code printed and displayed on a magnetic card and a card position detecting sensor with a card conveyance path interposed therebetween. The light source of the bar code reading sensor is also used as the light source of the card position detecting sensor so as to face each other.

Further, according to the present invention, in claim 1, an upper holder for accommodating the card position detecting sensor is arranged so as to be vertically movable, and the upper holder is biased toward the bar code reading sensor by an elastic member.

[Operation] In the present invention, the card position detection sensor and the bar code reading sensor are arranged at the same position,
Bar code reading starts almost simultaneously. The light source of the bar code reading sensor is also used as the light source of the card position detecting sensor.

The upper holder is urged downward to bring the magnetic card into close contact with the lower surface of the card transport path, thereby keeping the sensor gap of the bar code reading sensor constant.

[Embodiment] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on an embodiment shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional view of an essential part of a card reader according to the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view of the card reader, FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway plan view of the card reader, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an arrangement relationship between the sensor and the magnetic head. In these figures,
10 is a base that is long in the front-rear direction, 11 and 12 are a pair of left and right side plates that extend in the front-rear direction and face each other in parallel, and are vertically erected on the base 10. 13 is the front end of both side plates 11 and 12. A front plate having a slit-shaped card insertion / return port 6 fixed to the surface by a set screw 14, and constitutes a housing 15 elongated in the front-rear direction.

Center part in the width direction of the upper surface of the base 10, that is, both side plates 11, 1
The upper surface portion between the two forms a card guide surface 16 that guides the lower surface of the magnetic card 7 by forming the same surface as the card insertion / return opening 6. On the other hand, a printed circuit board 17 is incorporated on the lower surface side of the base 10, and an electric circuit of a card reader is formed on the printed circuit board 17.

Inside the housing 15, a card taking-in passage 18 communicating with the card inserting / returning port 6 and a card carrying passage 5 communicating with the inner end of the card taking-in passage 18 are provided. The card insertion passage 18 has a card insertion detection sensor 1, a first magnetic head 19 for detecting whether or not the magnetic card 7 is present, and a touch roller 2 for pressing the magnetic card 7 against the first magnetic head 19.
4 and the shutter mechanism 2 for closing the normal card transport path 5
5 are provided. Magnetic card 7 in card transport path 5
Of the card conveying means 26 for reciprocating along the card conveying path 5, the card position detecting sensor 2 for detecting the position of the magnetic card 7, the bar code reading sensor 3 for reading the bar code of the magnetic card 7, and the magnetic card 7. A second magnetic head 4 for reading, writing and confirming magnetic information, a touch roller 28 for pressing the magnetic card 7 against the second magnetic head 4, a punch mechanism 29 for punching a small hole in the magnetic card 7, and A drive motor 30 with a speed reducer, which is driven based on the detection signal of the card insertion detection sensor 1 and operates the card carrying means 26, is provided.

As shown in FIG. 3, the touch roller 24 (similar to 28) is formed in a drum shape (barrel shape) in a plan view in which the central portion of the outer peripheral surface is curved outwardly with an appropriate curvature to form a convex curved surface. It is rotatably arranged via a support shaft 32. The bracket 31 is provided on the inner surface of the side plate 12 so that the shaft 3 is horizontally arranged.
3, the other end of which is rotatably supported, and the shaft 33
The touch roller 24 is pressed against the first magnetic head 19 from above by being urged in the clockwise direction in FIG.

The shutter mechanism 25 normally closes the front end of the card transport path 5 and inserts the magnetic card 7 through the card insertion / return port 6.
Of the card insertion detection signal from the card insertion detection sensor 1 to open the card transport path 5 and to open the card conveyance path 5.
A lever 37 rotatably arranged on the shaft 36 and rotated counterclockwise in FIG.
Is rotatably mounted on the card and normally closes the card transport path 5.
It is composed of a shutter 38 that opens the card transport path 5 by being rotated and raised clockwise by the rotation of the lever 37, and a spring (not shown) that biases the lever 37 and the shutter 38 in predetermined directions. ing. The shutter mechanism 25 is the same as the card shutter mechanism of Japanese Patent Application No. 63-104752 already filed by the present applicant.

The card transport path 5 faces the upper surface of the base 10, that is, the card guide surface 16, the lower surface of the timing belt 40 for transport constituting the card transport means 26, and above the base 10 at a predetermined interval. It is formed with the lower surface of the upper plate 41 (FIG. 1) arranged.

The card carrying means 26 has a total of four carrying rollers 43a, 43b, 43c, 43d arranged at the front and rear ends of the card carrying path 5 so as to face each other with the card carrying path 5 in between.
And the above-mentioned conveying timing belt 40 stretched between the upper two conveying rollers 43a and 43b, and these conveying rollers 43a, 43b, 43c and 43d so as to be freely rotatable, and both ends thereof have side plates 11, respectively. It is composed of shafts 36, 45 and 47 supported by 12. Of these, the lower shafts 46 and 47 are vertically movable with respect to the side plates 11 and 12, and are urged upward by the leaf springs 48, so that the lower conveying rollers 43c and 43d are moved upward. , 43b are in pressure contact with each other via the conveyance timing belt 40. Then, the transport roller 43b
A driven pulley 50 is attached to one end of the shaft 45 along the outer surface of the side plate 11, and a timing belt 53 is provided between the driven pulley 50 and a driving pulley 52 fixed to an output shaft 51 of the drive motor 30. It has been passed over.

The punch mechanism 29 is a conventionally well-known one including a solenoid 29A, a punch, and a die (not shown). By punching a small hole in the magnetic card 7 at the end of service, the punching mechanism 29 can be changed depending on the punching position. Visually display the approximate remaining balance information.

Now, the magnetic card 7 that has been transported into the card transport path 5
The card position detecting sensor 2 for detecting the front end of the card is composed of a light receiving element for detecting infrared rays, and is mounted in the cylindrical portion 56 provided on the upper plate 41 mounted on the lower surface of the printed circuit board 55 as shown in FIG. It is set up. An upper holder 57 for accommodating the lower half portion of the card position detection sensor 2 is vertically movably disposed inside the cylindrical portion 56, and the lower end portion thereof conveys the card from the lower end opening portion of the cylindrical portion 56. It projects into the passage 5. The upper holder 57 is formed in a cup shape with an open upper surface, and integrally has a light receiving hole 57a in the center of the lower end surface and a flange 57b on the outer peripheral surface of the upper end portion. Cylindrical part 5
An inner flange 58 extending in the center direction is provided at the lower end opening of 6
Are integrally provided so as to project over the entire circumference, and the inner flange 58 holds the flange portion 57b of the upper holder 57 and prevents the flange portion 57b from coming off from the cylindrical portion 56. Then, the upper holder 57 is biased downward by a spring 59 as an elastic member elastically mounted in the cylindrical portion 56.

The bar code reading sensor 3 for reading the bar code of the magnetic card 7 is composed of an infrared light emitting section 3a and a light receiving section 3b which are arranged adjacent to each other in the card transport direction, and corresponds to the cylindrical section 56 of the upper plate 41. In the recessed portion 60 that is recessed on the lower surface side of the base 10, the center is aligned with the card position detection sensor 2 and is stored. The upper surface of the bar code reading sensor 3 is bent into a V shape, and the infrared ray emitted from the light emitting portion 3a and hitting the magnetic card 7 and reflected is received by the light receiving portion 3a.
b receives light. When the magnetic card 7 is not above the barcode reading sensor 3, the infrared rays emitted from the light emitting portion 3a pass through the small hole 57a of the upper holder 57 and are received by the card position detecting sensor 2. Therefore, the light emitting portion 3a of the bar code reading sensor 3 is also used as the light source of the card position detecting sensor 2. The thin portion 10a of the base 10 where the recess 60 is formed has a light-transmitting property and forms a sensor gap G. The gap G ₁ between the thin portion 10 a and the upper holder 57 is set to be slightly smaller than the thickness T of the magnetic card 7.

In the card reader having such a configuration, when the leading end of the magnetic card 7 conveyed to the card conveying path 5 by the card conveying means 26 reaches between the card position detecting sensor 2 and the bar code reading sensor 3, the magnetic card 7 is detected. Since the infrared rays emitted from the light emitting section 3a are blocked by the card position detection sensor 2, the sensor 2 no longer receives the light, and the sensor 2 detects the magnetic card 7. Immediately after the card is detected, the light-receiving section 3b receives the infrared light emitted from the light emitting section 3a and hitting the bar code of the magnetic card 7 and reflected by the light receiving section 3b to read the bar code to determine whether the card is a regular card or not. Therefore,
The card position detection by the card position detection sensor 2 and the reading of the bar code by the bar code reading sensor 3 are performed substantially at the same time. When the magnetic card 7 reaches the positions of the card position detection sensor 2 and the bar code reading sensor 3, the gap G ₁ between the upper holder 57 and the thin portion 10a of the base 10 is set to be smaller than the thickness T of the magnetic card 7. Therefore, the upper holder 57 is pushed up against the spring 59. Then, the reaction force at this time presses the magnetic card 7 against the upper surface of the thin portion 10a, thereby keeping the distance between the bar code reading sensor 3 and the magnetic card 7 constant, and stabilizing the bar by the bar code reading sensor 3. A code read output is obtained.

In the above embodiment, the infrared light emitting portion 3a is used as the light source of the bar code reading sensor 3 so as to eliminate the influence of external light. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a sufficient light shielding measure is taken. Of course, it may be a light source that emits visible light if applied.

[Advantage of the Invention] As described above, according to the card reader of the present invention, it is possible to detect the card position and start reading the bar code substantially at the same time, so that the software of the card reader can be simplified. In addition, since the card position detection sensor and the bar code reading sensor are placed opposite to each other at the same position, space efficiency can be improved and the depth dimension of the device can be shortened. Moreover, the light source of the bar code reading sensor can detect the card position. Since it is also used as the light source of the sensor, the light source of the card position detection sensor is not required and a stable barcode reading output can be obtained.
Its practical effect is great.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional view of an essential part of a card reader according to the present invention.
2 is a partially cutaway side view of the card reader, FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway plan view of the card reader, FIG. 4 is a view showing an arrangement relationship between the sensor and the magnetic head, and FIG. 5 is a conventional sensor. It is a figure which shows the array relationship of a magnetic head. 1 ... Card insertion detection sensor, 2 ... Card position detection sensor, 2a ... Light emitting element, 2b ... Light receiving element, 3 ... Bar code reading sensor, 3a ... Light emitting portion, 3b ... Light receiving portion, 4 ... ... magnetic head, 5 ... card transport path, 6 ... card insertion slot, 7 ... magnetic card, 57 ... upper holder,
59 …… Spring.

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A bar code reading sensor for reading a bar code printed and displayed on a magnetic card and a card position detecting sensor are arranged to face each other with a card conveying path in between, and the light source of the bar code reading sensor is a card position detecting sensor. A card reader characterized by being shared with the light source of. 2. A card according to claim 1, wherein an upper holder for accommodating the card position detecting sensor is arranged so as to be vertically movable, and the upper holder is urged toward the bar code reading sensor by an elastic member. leader.