JPH11325811A - Gap dimension detecting method, laminated member for detecting gap dimension and gap dimension detecting equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable simply and accurately measuring a gap which a card is made to pass, and enable objectively and accurately adjusting the gap without depending on experience and sense of a worker. SOLUTION: In this method detecting dimension of a gap for passing a card, a card is made to pass a gap under the condition where an elastic mat 34 whose thickness is gradually decreased toward the inserting direction of the card is laminated on a pressure measuring board 32 having a large number of pressure sensors, which are aligned almost along the inserting direction of the card and electrically detect pressures applied to the thickness direction, so as to at least cover the pressure sensors 52. Pressures detected by a large number of the pressure sensors 52 are stored, and demension of the gap is found by reading the data, after the card is passed through the gap. Pressure data detected by the respective pressure sensors 52 are temporarily stored in a memory part arranged on the pressure measuring board 32. After the card is passed through the gap, contents of the memory part are transferred to an external host computer via a wiring cord or an antenna in a noncontact manner. Pressure distribution can be analyzed by the external host computer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic ticket gate of a train, a ticket gate of a bus, and a device for inserting a card such as a reader of a credit card or a prepaid card. And a method for detecting Further, the present invention relates to a gap size detecting laminate and a gap size detecting device which are directly used for carrying out the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an automatic ticket gate of a train or a bus, a telephone card type telephone, or a reader of a credit card or a prepaid card, a magnetic card is passed between a transport roller and a magnetic head to read the contents of the card. Or writing new data. In this case, it is necessary to appropriately manage the contact pressure between the magnetic head and the card in order to reliably perform reading / writing by the magnetic head.

[0003] In addition to the magnetic card, it is necessary to properly manage the gap size with the read head.
For this reason, it is necessary to accurately adjust the gap formed between the read head and the transport roller facing the read head based on the thickness of the card. In the past, adjustments were made by disassembling the machine and applying a thickness gauge, or by repeatedly inserting a card.

[0004]

In the conventional method of adjusting the size of the gap by passing the card through the gap many times as described above, there is a problem that it takes much time and the adjustment time becomes long.

[0005] Particularly, in an automatic ticket gate that is used very frequently, the operator must check every morning, and such a troublesome work efficiency is a serious problem. In addition, there is a problem that the adjustment of the gap is subjective and uneven, and is likely to be inaccurate, depending on the experience and intuition of the worker.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to easily and accurately measure a gap for passing a card, and to adjust the gap objectively without relying on the experience and intuition of an operator. It is a first object of the present invention to provide a method for detecting a gap size that can be performed accurately and accurately. It is a second object of the present invention to provide a gap size detecting laminate which is directly used for carrying out this method. It is a third object of the present invention to provide a gap size detecting device which can be used directly for implementing this size.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a first object is a method for detecting the size of a gap through which a card is inserted, wherein the pressure applied in the thickness direction is arranged substantially along the insertion direction of the card. An elastic mat whose thickness is gradually reduced toward the insertion direction of the card is passed through the gap in a state where the elastic mat is stacked so as to cover at least the pressure sensor on a pressure measurement substrate having a number of pressure sensors that electrically detect the pressure. At this time, while storing the pressures detected by the plurality of pressure sensors, the stored pressure is read out after passing through the gap to determine the size of the gap. .

The elastic mat used here may have a thickness that changes stepwise toward the tip, or may have a continuous inclination. The data of the pressure detected by each pressure sensor when the laminate of the elastic mat and the pressure measurement board is passed through the gap is temporarily stored in a memory section provided on the pressure measurement board, and after passing through the gap, the contents of the memory section are stored. Is transferred to an external host computer via a wiring code, and the external host computer can analyze the pressure distribution. The data of the pressure detected when the laminate passes through the gap can be read by a reader provided on the transport path in a non-contact manner via an antenna, and further transferred from the reader to an external host computer.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a pressure measuring board having an elastic mat formed with a step portion which becomes higher stepwise from the front end and a plurality of pressure sensors laminated on the elastic mat and arranged along the step portion. And a gap dimension detecting laminate characterized by having the following. A continuous slope may be used instead of the step portion. Here, the pressure sensor may be a load cell using a strain gauge or a diffusion type semiconductor pressure sensor. Also, prepare two sheets in which a number of parallel fine line-shaped electrodes formed on one side of the insulating sheet are covered with a thin film of pressure-sensitive resistive ink, and lay them so that the electrodes of each sheet face each other almost orthogonally. Thereby, the intersection of each electrode can be used as a pressure sensor. In this case, a large number of pressure sensors are arranged in a matrix, and a two-dimensional pressure distribution can be detected.

[0010] The pressure measurement substrate is a microcomputer,
It has a semiconductor memory and an external connection terminal, stores pressure data in the semiconductor memory when passing through the gap, connects to an external host computer via the external connection terminal after passing through the gap, and transfers the data to the external host computer. be able to. Data transfer may be performed wirelessly. For example, a single-chip computer and an antenna are provided in the stacked body, and data is transferred between the single-chip computer and an antenna of a reader provided in a card transport path. In this case, the single-chip computer includes a processing unit that processes the output of the pressure sensor, a modulation unit, and a transmission / reception unit.

As a power source for a microcomputer, a semiconductor memory, a single-chip computer or the like of a laminated body, a plate-shaped or foil-shaped battery can be used. In this case, a switch is provided on the laminate, and the switch is manually turned on immediately before the laminate is put into the transport path, or the switch is automatically turned on by the pressure of the transport roller while moving the transport path. You may do so. It is also possible to form a magnetic field in the transport path of the card, charge a capacitor or the like using magnetically induced electromotive force generated when passing through the magnetic field, and use the charged charge as a power supply.

A third object of the present invention is to provide a gap size detecting device for detecting a size of a gap for passing a card. A reader for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and information to and from the laminate; and an external host computer connected to the reader; wherein the gap dimension detecting laminate is arranged from a front end to a rear end. An elastic mat having a step portion which is gradually increased in a stepwise manner toward the surface, a pressure measuring board laminated on the elastic mat and having a number of pressure sensors arranged along the step portion, and processing an output of the pressure sensor. A single-chip computer including a processing unit, a modulation unit, and a receiving / transmitting unit; and an antenna;
An external antenna, a transmission / reception unit, a demodulation unit, and a microcomputer for processing the output of the demodulation unit and transmitting / receiving information to / from an external host computer; the external host computer stores data received by the reader. The gap size detecting device is characterized in that a pressure receiving distribution is obtained based on the following formula, and a size of the gap is obtained.

[0013]

When the laminate passes through the gap, an impact is applied to the slope or step having a height corresponding to the size of the gap on the elastic mat, and thereafter, the slope or step having a height higher than this height is applied to the laminate. A pressure that gradually increases in accordance with the amount of movement is applied in the thickness direction of the laminate.

For this reason, the pressure sensor below the position (slope or step) where the impact is applied first, and the pressure sensor below the position where the height gradually increases from among a number of pressure sensors on the pressure measurement substrate And the detected pressure increases. This pressure change is processed by the processing unit, stored in the memory unit, and later transferred to the external host computer. Alternatively, the pressure change detected by the pressure sensor may be wirelessly transmitted via an antenna to a reader installed on the side of the transport path, and transferred from the reader to an external host computer.

The external host computer determines the distribution of the pressure applied to the pressure measuring substrate when passing through the gap based on the read data, and determines the gap size from the pressure distribution. By analyzing the change in the pressure distribution in the card width direction and the time change when the laminate passes through the gap, it is possible to determine whether or not the setting of the transport path such as how much the laminate swings right and left during the transport. You can also.

[0016]

FIG. 1 is a view showing a card transport path of an automatic ticket gate according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of a magnetic head, FIG. 3 is a principle explanatory view, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an elastic mat. FIG. 3A is a side view of the laminate, and FIG.
Shows a plan view, and (C) shows a change in detected pressure.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 10 denotes a rectangular magnetic card, which has a magnetic powder coating layer 12 on one surface of a thin plastic sheet. The magnetic powder coating layer 12 is provided in parallel with the insertion direction of the magnetic card 10, that is, in parallel with the long side of the card 10. The automatic ticket gate takes in the card 10 from the take-in rollers 14, 14, conveys the card 10 between the transfer belts 16, 16 and 18, 18, and discharges the card 10 by the guide roller 20 and the discharge rollers 22, 22.

A data reading / writing unit 24 of the card 10 is interposed between the conveyor belts 16, 16 and 18, 18. That is, it has a transport roller 26 that rolls on the surface of the card 10 where the magnetic powder coating layer 12 is not provided, and a magnetic head 28 that faces the magnetic powder coating layer 12 of the card 10 in opposition to the roller 26. The magnetic head 28 reads the data of the magnetic powder coating layer 12 as the card 10 moves, and writes new data on the contrary.

In this case, if the gap between the magnetic head 28 and the card 10 fluctuates, accurate reading / writing of data is impossible. Conversely, if the gap is too small, the card 10 will be damaged or the card will be jammed. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately manage the gap G (see FIG. 3) between the transport roller 26 and the magnetic head 28 so that the contact pressure of the magnetic head 28 against the card 10 becomes appropriate.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 30 denotes a laminate for detecting a gap size. The laminated body 30 is formed by laminating a pressure measuring substrate 32 described later, an elastic mat 34 held tightly on the substrate 32, and a sufficiently thin film 36 covering the elastic mat 34.

The elastic mat 34 used here is entirely made of, for example, silicon rubber or the like, and has a large number of stripe-shaped ridges 38 parallel to the insertion direction A of the card 10 as shown in FIGS. The upper surface of each ridge 38 has an insertion direction A
A step-like step portion 40 that becomes gradually lower toward is formed. The height and number of the steps 40 are determined according to the size of the gap G to be measured and the detection accuracy. For example, the difference between the heights of the steps of the step 40 is 10 μm, and the height of the uppermost step of the step 40 is about 150 μm.

Next, the pressure measurement board 32 will be described. The substrate 32 includes a pair of upper and lower sheets 50 and 50 formed of a resin film such as a polyester film, and both sheets 5.
It has a number of pressure sensors 52 sandwiched between 0,50. The pressure sensors 52 are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction (feeding direction) of the laminated body 30 corresponding to the ridges 38 of the elastic mat 34. That is, one pressure sensor 52 corresponds to each step portion 40 of the ridge 38.

A group of the pressure sensors 52 arranged along one ridge 38 has a total of 4 corresponding to all the ridges 38.
Groups may be provided, but if the position of the magnetic head 28 is predetermined, it is sufficient to provide only one group of pressure sensors 54 corresponding to the ridges 38 with which the magnetic head 28 contacts. In this case, the other ridges 38 do not contribute to the pressure detection, but the transport roller uniformly contacts and presses all the ridges 38 during transport of the laminated body 30, thereby stabilizing the transport of the laminated body 30. Has an action.

As the pressure sensor 52 used here, a load cell can be used. As the load cell, for example, a structure in which a displacement amount of a movable plate such as a diaphragm displaced by pressure is detected by a strain gauge attached to the movable plate can be used. The pressure sensor 52 may be a diffusion-type semiconductor pressure sensor. This diffusion-type semiconductor pressure sensor uses a semiconductor manufacturing technology to thermally diffuse a strain-resistant material into a predetermined pattern on the surface of a diaphragm made of silicon single crystal. This utilizes the fact that the electric resistance of the strain resistance material changes due to the applied strain.

A microcomputer 56, a semiconductor memory 58, a battery 6
0, an external connection terminal 62, a switch 64, and the like (see FIG. 3B). Microcomputer 56
Amplifies the output signal of each pressure sensor 52, converts it to, for example, an 8-bit (256-stage) digital signal, and
8 is stored. The switch 64 is turned on manually or by being pressed by a transport roller, and after resetting the computer 56, the memory 58, and the like, operates for a certain period of time to enable pressure detection and enable memory.

Therefore, when the stack 30 is put into the card conveyance path and passed through the gap between the magnetic head 28 and the roller 26, the step 40A corresponding to the gap size of the elastic mat 34 (FIG. 3). Pressure sensor 52 located at (A))
The pressure applied to A increases. As the stacked body 30 moves, the pressure of the pressure sensor 52 corresponding to the step portion 40 which is higher sequentially increases. The pressure signals of these pressure sensors 52A and 52 are read into the microcomputer 56, converted into digital signals, and stored in the memory 58.

When the laminate 30 is discharged from the transport path, a terminal (not shown) corresponding to the external connection terminal 62 is connected, and the contents of the memory 58 are read out to an external host computer (not shown). . The external host computer analyzes the pressure distribution using the read data, and obtains the dimension G of the gap from the pressure distribution. For example, as shown in FIG. 3C, a pressure P applied to the position of each pressure sensor 52 is obtained, a step 40A at which the pressure P rapidly increases is obtained, and a dimension G of the gap is obtained from the height of the step 40A. be able to.

[0028]

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of a laminate used in another embodiment, FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the internal structure of a pressure measuring board used in the laminate, and FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the structure of this pressure sensor. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view, FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of the same, FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an entire configuration of a gap size detecting device using the laminate, and FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an output example of a detection result.

In FIG. 5, reference numeral 30A denotes a laminate, and the laminate 30A is formed by laminating a pressure measurement substrate 32A and a film 36A on the lower surface and the upper surface of an elastic mat 34A, respectively. The elastic mat 34A used here may be the same as the elastic mat 34 shown in FIG. 4, but it is preferable that each step portion 40 be continuous in the width direction (the short side direction of the substrate 30A). . That is, as described later, since the pressure measurement board 32A can two-dimensionally detect the pressure distribution, it is possible to obtain the two-dimensional pressure distribution by also making the step portion 40 continuous in the width direction. is there.

The pressure measuring board 32A has a large number of parallel fine line-shaped electrodes 72 (72A, 72B) formed on one surface of an insulating sheet 70 (70A, 70B) such as a polyester film. Thin film 74 (74
A, 74B). That is, these two sheets 70A and 70B are connected to the respective electrodes 72A and 72A.
B are superimposed so as to be orthogonal to each other. Here, the thin film 74 of the pressure-sensitive resistance ink has a property that the electric resistance value changes according to the magnitude of the pressure applied thereto. Thus, the intersection of the two electrodes 72A and 72B forms a pressure sensor. That is, since the intersections are two-dimensionally distributed in a matrix, a two-dimensional pressure distribution can be detected by using the substrate 32A.

Examples of the pressure-sensitive resistance ink used here include JP-A-5-248971 and JP-A-3-501221.
It is possible to use those shown in JP-T-62-502665 and the like. For example, those containing graphite in an acetone solvent can be used. In a preferred embodiment, an insulating ink containing a titanium dioxide filler, a vinyl resin binder and a butyl cellosolve acetate solvent is mixed with a conductive ink containing graphite, a vinyl resin and butyl cellosolve acetate. Electrode 72
The interval between A and 72B can be set to 1.27 mm (0.05 inch), but can be changed according to the required resolution of the pressure distribution.

A single chip computer 76 and an antenna 78 are provided between the insulating sheets 70A and 70B. This single-chip computer 76 has the configuration shown in FIG.
As shown in (1), it has a receiving unit 80, a control unit 82 with a built-in memory, a modulation unit 84, and a transmission unit 86. The electrodes 72A and 72B are connected to a computer 76 by a circuit pattern 88 (see FIG. 6) formed on the sheets 70A and 70B.
Is connected to the data input terminal. The circuit pattern 88 is formed by a printed circuit forming method together with the electrode 72 and the antenna 78.

For example, a photoresist solution is applied to the copper foil adhered to the sheet 70, and the patterns of the circuit pattern 88, the electrode 72, the antenna 78, etc. are exposed and cured, and the unnecessary photoresist is removed after removing the unnecessary photoresist. By removing the portion by etching, a necessary pattern can be formed. As will be described later, the computer 76 operates when the antenna 78 passes through a magnetic field.
It operates using the electromagnetic induction electromotive force induced in the power supply as a power supply.

The laminate 30 is used in combination with a reader 90 (FIG. 9) provided on a card transport path. Reader 9
0 indicates an external antenna 92, a transmitting unit 94, and a receiving unit 96
, A demodulation unit 98 and a microcomputer 100. In FIG. 9, reference numeral 102 denotes an external host computer;
Is the power supply. When the control signal output from the external host computer 102 enters the microprocessor 100 of the reader 90, the transmitting unit 94 causes the external antenna 92 to emit an interrogation radio wave. This interrogation radio wave also serves as a power transmission radio wave (feeding wave).

The laminate 30A is sent to the card transport path,
When the antenna 78 receives the interrogation radio wave, the receiving unit 80 of the single-chip computer 76 sends an electromagnetic induction electromotive force as a power source to the control unit 82, and charges a capacitor (not shown) built in the control unit 82. The charge of this capacitor serves as a power supply. The receiving unit 80 also sends the control signal received by the antenna 78 to the control unit 82. In response to the control signal, the control unit 82 reads the pressure distribution data detected by the pressure measurement board 32A and temporarily stores the data in the memory.

For example, this control signal is read into the receiving section 80 immediately before the laminate 30A enters the gap, and the control section 82 makes the electrodes 72A and 72B based on the reading of the control signal.
Start scanning. Then, the electrical resistance at the intersections of the electrodes 72A and 72B is repeatedly obtained in order for all the intersections. This operation is repeatedly performed at an extremely high speed as compared with the feed speed of the laminate 30A while the laminate 30A passes through the gap. This electric resistance indicates the pressure applied to the intersection. The modulator 84 modulates the data indicating the pressure and sends the data to the transmitter 86. The transmitting unit 86 transmits this data to the antenna 7
8 and transmitted on radio waves.

The external antenna 92 on the reader 90 side receives this radio wave and sends it to the receiving section 96. This received wave is transmitted to the demodulation unit 9
After being demodulated in step 8, the signal is sent to the microprocessor 100 and further sent to the external host computer 102.
The external host computer 102 uses the data indicating the pressure to store the substrate 32A when the laminate 30A passes through the gap.
The pressure distribution applied to is calculated.

FIG. 10 shows an output example of the pressure distribution detected by the laminated plate 30A. In these figures, reference numeral 28 denotes a magnetic head, and the laminate 30 moves the magnetic head 28 from right to left. Q indicated by oblique lines indicates a range in which the pressure detected by the stacked body 30A is equal to or higher than a certain threshold value and the magnetic head 28 hits the step 40A of the elastic mat 34A (FIG. 5).

[0039] (A) of FIG. 10 shows a case where the range _{Q A} of the head 28 hits have been formed in a linear shape. From this result, it can be seen that the stacked body 30A is sent in a correct state, that is, linearly fed in a direction parallel to its long side. Figure. 10 (B), the range _{Q B} is laminated body 30 of the head 28 strikes
A case where it is formed obliquely with respect to A is shown. From this result, it can be seen that the stacked body 30A is moving with the transport path inclined.

[0040] (C) in FIG. 10, the range _{Q C} is stacked body 30
A case in which it is meandering with respect to A is shown. From this result, it is understood that the stacked body 30A is sent while meandering in the width direction in the transport path. In this way, it is also possible to determine the quality of the card transport path from the shape of the range Q.

[0041]

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of another embodiment of the gap size detecting device. This embodiment is different from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 to 9 in that the data of the stacked body 30B is wirelessly transferred to the reader 90 via radio waves, whereas the data is stored in the semiconductor memory 12 in the stacked body 30B.
0, temporarily store the data in the memory 120 after passing through the gap and connect the wiring code to the external host computer 1.
22 to obtain the pressure distribution.

That is, the pressure measurement substrate of the laminate 30B has substantially the same electrode structure as that shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, and includes a computer (CPU) 124, a semiconductor memory 120,
It has a battery 126 and an external connection terminal 128. This terminal 128 can be connected to the host computer 122 through another pair of connection terminals 130.

[0043]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, an elastic mat having a thickness gradually reduced in a card insertion direction is provided on a pressure measurement board provided with a number of pressure sensors in the card insertion direction. At least the pressure sensor is passed over the gap so as to cover the pressure sensor.At this time, the pressure detected by the pressure sensor is stored.After the laminated body passes through the gap, the stored data is read to obtain the pressure distribution. Therefore, the size of the gap can be obtained from the pressure distribution.

Therefore, the size of the gap can be accurately detected in a short time with a very simple operation, and the efficiency of the gap adjustment can be significantly improved. Further, the gap can be adjusted objectively and accurately without relying on the intuition of the operator. In particular, if the pressure sensor is set to be able to detect the pressure in multiple stages or continuously, and if the pressure can be stored in the memory in multiple stages, the pressure distribution in the width direction of the laminated body or the card or during the transportation of the laminated body or the card Can be detected more finely, and the accuracy of gap adjustment can be further improved.

A memory section for storing pressure is provided on the side of the laminated body, and after the laminated body passes through the gap, the data in this memory section is transferred to an external host computer, where the pressure distribution is obtained and the transport state is analyzed. (Claim 2).
The transfer of data between the memory unit and the external host computer may be performed by connecting with a wiring cord via a connection terminal (connector), but via an antenna provided on each of the stacked body and the transport path. It may be carried out wirelessly without contact (claim 3).

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the first to fourth aspects are described.
A laminate can be obtained which is used directly for carrying out any one of the methods (3). As the pressure sensor used here, a load cell using a strain gauge can be used (claim 5).
It may be a diffusion type semiconductor pressure sensor (claim 6).
The pressure sensors may be one-dimensionally arranged in the card conveyance direction (longitudinal direction), or may be two-dimensionally arranged.

In the case of two-dimensional arrangement, the following configuration can be used. That is, by using two sheets in which a large number of parallel linear electrodes formed on one side are coated with a thin film of pressure-sensitive resistance ink, and by superposing both sheets so that the electrodes of both sheets are substantially orthogonal to each other, (Claim 7). In this case, since the pressure sensors are distributed in a matrix (two-dimensionally), it is possible to detect the two-dimensional distribution of the pressure, and it is possible to detect the pressure distribution in the width direction of the laminate or the card. It is possible to detect the dynamic transport status with higher accuracy. In this case, it is preferable to provide the elastic mat with a large number of ridges along the card conveying direction or to provide a wide step in the width direction of the card.

A microcomputer, a semiconductor memory, and an external connection terminal are provided on the pressure measurement substrate of the laminate, and data stored in the semiconductor memory when passing through the gap is transferred to the external connection terminal after passing through the gap. The data can be transferred to the external host computer by wire through another connected terminal. Data transmission between the pressure measurement board and the external host computer may be performed wirelessly and without contact.

In this wireless data transfer, a single-chip computer and an antenna may be provided on the pressure measurement board, and signals and data may be transmitted and received to and from a reader provided on the transport path side. In this case, the single-chip computer needs to have a processing unit that processes the output of the pressure sensor, a modulation unit, and a transmission / reception unit. The reader provided on the transport path is
An external antenna, a transmission / reception unit, a demodulation unit, and a microcomputer are provided. Data is sent to an external host computer via the computer, and the external host computer obtains a pressure distribution and obtains a gap method.
2).

As a power source for the pressure measurement substrate of the laminate, a battery provided on the laminate can be used. This battery is suitably in the form of a plate or a film. The battery may be a capacitor that temporarily accumulates electric charge, and in this case, the battery may be charged before use and used. As this power source, an electromagnetic induction electromotive force generated in the antenna when the antenna provided in the laminate passes through a magnetic field formed in the transport path can be used (claims 11 and 13). In this case, a capacitor for storing the electromotive force is provided in the laminate.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a card transport path of an automatic ticket gate.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of the magnetic head.

FIG. 3 is a side view (A), a plan view (B), and a diagram (C) showing a change in detected pressure for explaining the principle.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an elastic mat.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing one embodiment of a laminate.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the internal wiring of the pressure measurement board.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of a pressure measurement substrate.

FIG. 8 is an exploded side sectional view showing the structure of the pressure measurement substrate.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a gap size detecting device.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a detection result of a pressure distribution.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the gap size detecting device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Card 12 Magnetic powder coating layer 24 Data reading / writing part 26 Conveyance roller 28 Magnetic head 30, 30A, 30B Laminated body 32, 32A Pressure measurement board 34, 34A Elastic mat 38 Projection 40, 40A Step 50, 70 Insulation Sheet 52 pressure sensor 56 microcomputer 58,120 semiconductor memory 60,128 external connection terminal 72 electrode 74 pressure sensitive ink thin film 76 single chip computer 78 antenna 90 reader 92 external antenna 102,122 external host computer 124 CPU (microcomputer )

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A method for detecting the size of a gap for passing a card, comprising a plurality of pressure sensors arranged substantially along the insertion direction of the card and electrically detecting a pressure applied in a thickness direction. An elastic mat having a gradually reduced thickness in the direction of insertion of the card is passed through the gap in a state of being overlapped so as to cover at least the pressure sensor, and the plurality of pressure sensors detect at this time. A method of detecting a gap size, comprising storing a pressure and reading out the stored pressure after passing through the gap to determine a size of the gap. 2. The pressure measuring board is provided with a memory unit for storing a pressure detected by each of the pressure sensors, and the memory unit is provided when a laminate of the pressure measuring board and the elastic mat is passed through the gap. 3. The pressure data stored in the external host computer is read into the external host computer via a wiring cord connected to the laminate after passing through the gap, and the pressure distribution is obtained by the external host computer.
Gap size detection method. 3. The pressure measurement board modulates pressure data detected by each of the pressure sensors and transmits the modulated data from an antenna, while reading the pressure data in a non-contact manner by a reader provided on a card transport path to an external host. 2. The gap size detecting method according to claim 1, wherein the pressure distribution is obtained by a computer. 4. An elastic mat having a step portion gradually increasing in a stepwise manner from a front end, and a pressure measuring board having a plurality of pressure sensors laminated on the elastic mat and arranged along the step portion. A laminate for detecting a gap size, characterized in that: 5. The laminate for detecting gap size according to claim 4, wherein each pressure sensor is formed by a load cell using a strain gauge. 6. The gap size detecting laminate according to claim 4, wherein each pressure sensor is formed by a diffusion type semiconductor pressure sensor. 7. A pressure measurement substrate comprising: two sheets each of which is formed by covering a large number of parallel fine line-shaped electrodes formed on one surface with a thin film of a pressure-sensitive resistive ink, such that the electrodes face each other substantially at right angles to each other. 5. The gap size detecting laminate according to claim 4, wherein a large number of intersections of the two electrodes arranged in a matrix form each form a pressure sensor. 8. A pressure measurement board comprising: a microcomputer for processing the output of each pressure sensor; a semiconductor memory for storing the processing results; and an external connection terminal for outputting the contents of the semiconductor memory to an external computer. The laminate for detecting a gap size according to claim 4, comprising: 9. A pressure measuring board, comprising: a processing unit for processing an output of each pressure sensor; a modulation unit for modulating a result of the processing;
5. The gap size detecting laminate according to claim 4, further comprising a single-chip computer having a transmitting / receiving unit and an antenna connected to the transmitting / receiving unit. 10. The pressure measuring board includes a battery.
Or the laminated body for gap size detection of 9. 11. The laminate for detecting gap size according to claim 8, wherein the pressure measurement board is powered by an electromotive force generated by electromagnetic induction generated when passing through a magnetic field formed in a card transport path. 12. A gap size detecting device for detecting a size of a gap for passing a card, comprising: a gap size detecting laminate passed through a path of the card;
A reader provided on a transport path of the card for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and information to and from the laminate; and an external host computer connected to the reader; Is an elastic mat that forms a step that gradually rises stepwise from the front end to the rear end,
A pressure measuring board laminated on the elastic mat and arranged with a number of pressure sensors along the step, a single-chip computer including a processing unit for processing the output of the pressure sensor, a modulation unit, and a receiving / transmitting unit; The reader includes an external antenna, a transmission / reception unit, a demodulation unit, and a microcomputer for processing an output of the demodulation unit and transmitting / receiving information to / from an external host computer; An external host computer obtains a pressure receiving distribution based on data received by the reader and obtains the size of the gap. 13. The gap size detecting apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the single-chip computer uses a magnetic induction electromotive force generated by passing a magnetic field formed in a transport path of the card as a power supply.