Card reader and writer

A card reader and writer is provided which can perform read and write operation on a card in a stable manner although it is configured such that a card inserting direction is perpendicular to a head moving direction and the card is partially inserted into the device. When a card is inserted into a case and comes into abutment against a depth abutment member of a slider, the slider moves in the depth direction. With this movement, pivotal levers pivot and holders come into abutment against end faces of the card in the width direction to grip the card in the width direction. At the same time, in accordance with the movement of the slider, an engaging shaft of the slider causes a pivotal engaging member to pivot and comes into engagement with an engaging recess after a predetermined amount of the pivotal movement.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

The present application claims priority from Japanese application JP2005-76940 filed on Mar. 17, 2005, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a card reader and writer for reading and writing information from and to a magnetic information recording card. In particular, the present invention relates to a card reader and writer for reading and writing information by moving a head in a card width direction perpendicular to a card insertion direction.

The conventional card reader and writers has two types: an automatic type wherein a card is inserted and ejected automatically; a manual type wherein a card is not automatically inserted and ejected. In many conventional card reader and writers, the card insertion/ejection direction and the head moving direction are the same.

An automatic type card reader and writer performs read processing and write processing after a card is inserted into the interior of the device and therefore it is possible to prevent the malfunction caused by operation performed by a user. However, since the card is inserted completely into the interior of the device, a deformed card is apt to jam within the device (card jam). Further a card unjust acquisition called phishing may occur wherein a card is intentionally jammed in the interior of the device and is pulled out and taken away while a user leaves the site to go for a person in charge.

The manual card reader and writers include a swipe type and an insertion type, whose structures do not permit the execution of write. According to these types, the read performance is directly influenced by the motion of the user's hand and therefore it is difficult to obtain a stable read characteristic.

Since the motion of the card is large in these devices of the manual type, skimming is apt to occur in which card information is read unjustly by a head mechanism additionally mounted within each device or near the card inlet.

As devices for solving such problems involved in the manual type there have been developed various card reader and writers configured such that a head is moved in a card information read/write direction perpendicular to a card insertion/ejection direction (see, for example, References 1 and 2).

However, even in a card reader and writer wherein a head moves in a card information read/write direction perpendicular to a card insertion/ejection direction as mentioned above, there is the possibility of occurrence of card jam and phishing as in the automatic type if the device is of a structure wherein the card is inserted completely into the interior of the device.

This problem can be solved by adopting a structure wherein read and write are performed in a state of the card not completely inserted into the interior of the device. However, if the card is not completely inserted into the interior of the device, the state of loading of the card becomes unstable and it has heretofore been impossible to perform a stable operation at the time of moving the head to read or write information.

Summary of the Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a card reader and writer capable of stably reading and writing information from and to a card even if it is of a construction such that a card insertion direction and a head moving direction are perpendicular to each other and the card is not completely inserted into the interior of the device.

A card reader and writer according to the present invention comprises card holding means for holding an inserted card and head moving means for moving an information read/write head in a direction perpendicular to a card insertion/ejection direction and is characterized in that the card holding means comprises insertion/ejection direction abutment means against which a front end of the card in the insertion direction comes into abutment and which is disposed so as to be movable in the card insertion/ejection direction, insertion/ejection direction position fixing means for fixing the insertion/ejection direction abutment means at a predetermined position in the insertion/ejection direction, and card gripping means for gripping the card from both ends of the card in the head moving direction in interlock with movement of the insertion/ejection abutment means in the card insertion direction.

According to this construction, when the card is inserted into the device, the front end of the card in the insertion direction comes into abutment against the insertion/ejection direction abutment means. Upon further insertion of the card, the insertion/ejection direction abutment means moves in the insertion direction as the card is pushed in. When the insertion/ejection abutment means is inserted a predetermined distance, it is fixed by the insertion/ejection direction position fixing means to fix the position of the card in the insertion/ejection direction. As the insertion/ejection direction abutment means moves in the insertion direction, the card gripping means which is contiguous thereto moves in interlock therewith so as to grip both ends of the inserted card in the head moving direction. At the time the insertion/ejection direction position fixing means fixes the insertion/ejection direction abutment means, the inserted card is gripped from both the ends mentioned above by the card gripping means. In this way the card is held.

A card reader and writer according to the present invention is characterized in that the insertion/ejection direction position fixing means comprises ejection direction urging force generating means for generating an urging force acting in the card ejection direction, a fixed shaft not interlocked with the movement of the insertion/ejection direction abutment means, a pivotal engaging member installed pivotally relative to the fixed shaft and adapted to pivot in contact with the insertion/ejection direction abutment means upon insertion of the card, and pivotal urging force generating means for generating a pivotal urging force acting in a direction opposite to the pivoting direction of the pivotal engaging member, the pivotal engaging member having an engaging portion which comes into engagement with the insertion/ejection direction abutment means upon receipt of the urging force acting in the card ejection direction and the pivotal urging force.

According to this construction, an urging force acting in the card ejection direction is constantly applied to the insertion/ejection direction abutment means. When in this state a card is inserted and abutted against the insertion/ejection direction abutment means, a force acts in a direction counter to the urging force acting in the ejection direction and the card is inserted thereby. When the card is further inserted and the insertion/ejection abutment means moves, a predetermined portion of the insertion/ejection direction abutment means comes into contact with the pivotal engaging member, so that a force acts on the pivotal engaging member in a direction counter to the pivotal urging force and the pivotal engaging member pivots. As the card is further inserted, the pivotal engaging member also pivots and the predetermined portion of the insertion/ejection direction abutment means reaches the engaging portion. The engaging portion is of a structure in which upon receipt of the urging force acting in the ejection direction and the pivotal urging force the engaging portion comes into engagement with the insertion/ejection direction abutment means. The insertion/ejection direction abutment means is fixed by engagement between its predetermined portion and the engaging portion, whereby the card position in its insertion direction is held.

A card reader and writer according to the present invention is characterized in that the card gripping means comprises a pair of head moving direction abutment means each for abutment against an end portion of the card in the head moving direction and an L-shaped interlocking member connected at one end to the insertion/ejection direction abutment means and at the other end to the head moving direction abutment means, the head moving direction abutment means and the interlocking members being each disposed symmetrically with respect to the card inserted.

According to this construction, when the insertion/ejection abutment means moves, the L-shaped interlocking members pivot symmetrically, whereby the movement in the card insertion/ejection direction is converted to a movement in the head moving direction. That is, at the time of insertion of the card, the movement in the insertion direction is converted to a movement approaching the end portion of the card in the head moving direction, while at the time of ejection of the card, the movement in the ejection direction is converted to a movement away from the end portion of the card in the head moving direction. In accordance with the movement of the L-shaped interlocking members the head movement direction abutment means installed respectively at front ends of the interlocking members move into abutment against or away from opposed ends of the card, whereby the card ends in the head moving direction are held and released.

A card reader and writer according to the present invention is characterized in that the head moving direction abutment means each comprise an abutment member for abutment against an end of the card and a connecting member which generates an urging force acting in a direction to expand a distance between the abutment member and the associated interlocking member and connects the abutment member with the interlocking member.

According to this construction, when the head moving direction abutment means contact the ends of the card, the abutment members first come into contact with the ends of the card. At this time a gripping force is scarcely exerted. As the pivotal member further pivots, an urging force is exerted on the abutment members by the connecting members disposed between the abutment members and the interlocking members. As a result, the urging force acts toward the card from the abutment members disposed at opposed positions and the card is gripped from the ends in the head moving direction.

A card reader and writer according to the present invention is characterized by including release means for forcibly releasing the fixing state of the insertion/ejection direction position fixing means.

According to this construction, when the card fixed by the above method is ejected, the engaged state is released by the release means. Once the engaged state is released, the insertion/ejection direction abutment means moves in the card ejecting direction with the urging force acting in the ejection direction, whereby the card is ejected.

A card reader and writer according to the present invention is characterized in that a case which houses therein card holding means and head moving means is formed in a shape such that at least part of the inserted card is exposed to the exterior.

According to this construction, since the card is partially exposed without being completely inserted, it is possible to touch the card at all times. That is, the card can be drawn out of the device any time. Besides, since it is not necessary to cover the whole of the card, the case is so much reduced in point of space.

According to the construction of the present invention, since the card inserting direction and the head moving direction are set perpendicular to each other and the read and write of information for the card are performed by moving the head, the card holding state can be made stabler than in the conventional manual type card reader and writer. Consequently, the read and write of information from and to the card can be done more accurately and positively in comparison with the conventional device.

In particular, according to the present invention, since a card can be held positively even by the structure wherein the card is not completely inserted into the case, it is possible to constitute an extremely space-saved card reader and writer wherein part of the card inserted is exposed to the exterior. Consequently, it is possible to prevent phishing, card jam and skimming and perform read and write of card information positively.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A card reader and writer embodying the present invention will be described hereinunder with reference toFIGS. 1 to 4.

FIG. 1Ais an appearance perspective view of the card reader and writer of this embodiment andFIG. 1Bis a front view thereof.

FIG. 2Ais a sectional plan view of a card100held in the card reader and writer shown inFIG. 1, andFIG. 2Bis a sectional front view thereof.

The card reader and writer has a card inlet2and lamps3A and3B in the front of a case1, the case1having a predetermined shape such as, for example, a generally rectangular parallelepiped shown inFIG. 1. The case1is formed to be long in its width direction and short in its depth direction as viewed from the front, according to the shape of the card100to be inserted. The card100is inserted in such a manner that an extending direction of a magnetic information recording portion101is parallel to the width direction (the direction connecting both the lateral sides) of the case1and that the depth direction of the case1perpendicular to the width direction is a card inserting direction. In this case, the card100is inserted from the card inlet2in such a manner that an end portion of the cad100located near the magnetic information recording portion101is inserted first.

When the card100is inserted from the card inlet2into the card reader and writer, it is held by a mechanism to be described later in a state in which part of the card is exposed the outside. At this time, the card100is held in a state in which the magnetic information recording portion101and an IC chip102are housed within the case1and an area of the card100is exposed so as to permit the user to grip the card easily. The card reader and writer reads information recorded in the magnetic information recording portion101and the IC chip102and writes new information (update information) to the magnetic information recording portion101and the IC chip102. The card reader and writer checks these operations and control turning ON and OFF the lamps3A and3B, thereby displaying the end of operation and the occurrence of error to the exterior.

The interior structure of the card reader and writer includes a slider4having a depth abutment member40, pivotal levers5A and5B, holders6A and6B, plate springs7A and7B, a pivotal engaging member8, a return spring9, an ejection spring10, a solenoid11, a link12, and a magnetic head17.

In the present invention, the slider4corresponds to the “insertion/ejection direction abutment means”, the pivotal levers5A and5B correspond to the “interlocking members of the card gripping means”, the holders6A and6B correspond to the “abutment members in the head moving direction abutment means”, and the plate springs7A and7B correspond to the “connecting members in the head moving direction abutment means”. Further, the return spring9corresponds to the “pivotal urging force generating means”, the ejection spring10corresponds to the “ejection direction urging force generating means”, and the solenoid11and the link12correspond to the “release means”.

The flat plate-like slider4is disposed at a substantial center in the width direction of the case1corresponding to the center in the width direction of the card100. The slider4includes the depth abutment member40, guide shafts41, connecting shafts42A and42B, and an engaging shaft43, and is disposed so as to be movable in an insertion/ejection direction (front-depth direction) of the card100relative to the case1. The depth abutment member40is disposed at a position at which the depth-side end face of the card100comes into abutment against the depth abutment member when the card is inserted a predetermined distance. The slider4is formed with a plurality of the guide shafts41, which are positioned symmetrically with respect to a symmetric plane900that includes the center in the width direction of the case1and that is parallel to the lateral side faces of the case. The guide shafts41are inserted into sliding guide slots14or through grooves formed fixedly in the case1and having respective major axes in the insertion/ejection direction. The connecting shafts42A and42B are members formed at symmetric positions with respect to the aforesaid symmetric plane and are positioned on the depth side of the case1in the slider4. The connecting shafts42A and42B are inserted into a connecting slot51A formed in the pivotal lever5A and a connecting slot51B formed in the pivotal lever5B, respectively. The engaging shaft43is formed on the side of the card inlet2in the slider4at a position on the symmetric plane900, i.e., on the central axis in the width direction of the slider4and case1. The engaging shaft43is formed in a shaft shape as with the connecting shafts42A and42B.

The pivotal levers5A and5B are each formed to bend halfway at an approximately right angle, that is, to be in an L-shape, and are disposed symmetrically with respect to the symmetric plane900. Shaft support holes50A and50B are formed in the bent positions of the pivotal levers5A and5B, respectively, and lever pivoting shafts15fixed to the case1are inserted into the shaft support holes50A and50B, respectively. The pivotal levers5A and5B are respectively formed with connecting slots51A and51B, which are formed as through holes, at its one end portions (end portions extending in the width direction of the card100in a fixed state). The connecting slots51A and51B each have a major axis extending in the width direction of the card100. The connecting shafts42A and42B of the slider4are fitted in the connecting slots51A and51B, respectively. The pivotal levers5A and5B are respectively connected to plate springs7A and7B at the other end portions thereof (end portions extending in the insertion/ejection direction of the card100in a fixed state). The plate springs7A,7B extend obliquely toward the central side of the width direction and the depth side. Holders6A and6B are attached to the plate springs7A and7B, respectively.

The holders6A and6B are each formed in a rectangle with one side open, in a cross-section taken along a plane parallel to the front face of the case1in a held state of the card100. End portions of the card100in the width direction are each inserted into the open side of each of the holders and end faces of the card100in the width direction come into abutment against an elastic member, e.g., rubber, provided within the holders. Since the holders6A and6B are disposed symmetrically with respect to the symmetric plane900, both ends of the card100in the width direction also come into abutment against the holders6A and6B, whereby the card100is held.

The plate springs7A is disposed between the holder6A and the pivotal lever5A and provides connection therebetween. Likewise, the plate spring7B is disposed between the holder6B and the pivotal lever5B and provides a connection between the two. The plate springs7A and7B are installed so that an urging force is generated from the pivotal levers5A and5B to the holders6A and6B, respectively, in the width direction and the insertion direction of the card100.

The pivotal engaging member8is installed pivotally relative to a fixed shaft13which is fixed to the case1through a shaft fixing chassis16.FIG. 3is an enlarged plan view of a portion including the pivotal engaging member8.

The pivotal engaging member8, which is like a flat plate, is installed pivotally around the fixed shaft13at a position near its one end in the longitudinal direction thereof. The pivotal engaging member8is formed at the other end in the longitudinal direction thereof with a slant face81having an end face formed in a partially cut-out shape and having a predetermined angle relative to the insertion/ejection direction. According to the structure of the pivotal engaging member8, when the card100is inserted and the engaging shaft43of the slider4comes into abutment against the slant face81, the pivotal engaging member8pivots about the fixed shaft13so that the engaging shaft43moves along the slant face81in accordance with a further movement in the card inserting direction of the engaging shaft43. At this time, the return spring9gives the pivotal engaging member8an urging force in a direction opposite to the pivotal motion responsive to the movement of the engaging shaft43. When the card100is further inserted and the pivotal engaging member8pivots, the engaging shaft43and the slant face81are brought out of contact with each other and the engaging shaft43comes into engagement with an engaging recess82formed in the pivotal engaging member8. The engaging recess82corresponds to the “engaging portion” defined in the present invention. The engaging recess82, with the engaging shaft43engaged therein, has a wall on the ejection side of the card100from the engaging shaft43and also has a wall on the side where the urging force provided from the return spring9is imparted to the engaging shaft43.

The ejection spring10is disposed at a depth-side end portion of the case1in the slider4and generates an urging force for constantly moving the slider4toward the card inlet2.

The solenoid11is connected to the pivotal engaging member8through the link12and is energized at the time of ejection of the card100to disengage the engaging recess82of the pivotal engaging member8from the engaging shaft43of the slider4.

The magnetic head17is disposed at a position opposed to the magnetic information recording portion101of the card100in the held state of the card. With a conveyance mechanism (not shown), the magnetic head17reciprocates in the extending direction of the magnetic information recording portion101to read and write magnetic information.

Though not shown, a connecting terminal is connected to the IC chip102of the card100in the held state of the card to read and write data from and to the IC chip102.

The following description is now provided of the operation of the card reader and writer constructed as above.

FIG. 4illustrates motions of various portions of the card reader and writer upon insertion of the card100, in whichFIG. 4Ashows a state at the beginning of insertion of the card,FIG. 4Bshows a state during the insertion, andFIG. 4Cshows a held state of the card.

(1) When the card100is inserted a predetermined distance from the card inlet2, the insertion-side end face of the card100, i.e., the card end face located on the depth side of the case1, comes into abutment against the depth abutment member40of the slider4. At this time, the pivotal levers5A,5B are disposed such that its end portions on the sides of the holders6A,6B are open so that the holders6A and6B are spaced away from both ends of the card100in the width direction.

(2) Next, as the card100is further inserted, the slider4moves in the same direction as the card inserting direction together with the card100. At this time, the ejection spring10imparts an urging force for moving the slider4toward the card inlet2to the end portion of the slider4located on the depth side of the case1. However, the card100is inserted with a larger force than this urging force.

The guide shafts41, which are installed in the slider4as noted above, move along the inner walls of the sliding guide slots14fixedly formed in the case1, whereby the slider4moves exactly in the insertion direction of the card100.

When the connecting shafts42A and42B move together with the slider4, a force is applied from the connecting shafts42A and42B to the inner walls of the connecting slots51A and51B of the pivotal levers5A and5B in which slots the connecting shafts42A and42B are inserted, thus causing the pivotal levers5A and5B to pivot about the lever pivoting shafts15, respectively. In this connection, the pivotal levers5A and5B are in an L-shape, which is bent at approximately right angles at the portions of the lever pivoting shafts15. When the end portions of the pivotal levers5A and5B located on the sides of the connecting slots51A,51B pivot substantially in the card inserting direction, the end portions of the pivotal levers5A and5B located on the sides of the holders6A,6B pivot toward the center of the card100in the width direction of the card. As a result of this pivotal motion, both ends in the width direction of the card100are received within the one side open spaces of the holders6A and6B, respectively.

When the engaging shaft43of the slider4moves together with the slider, the engaging shaft43comes into abutment against the slant face81of the pivotal engaging member8at a certain time point. Further, when the card100is inserted and the slider4moves, the engaging shaft43pushes the pivotal engaging member8to cause it to pivot about the fixed shaft13. At this time, an urging force from the return spring9is imparted to the pivotal engaging member8in a direction to push back the engaging shaft43.

(3) Next, as the card100is further inserted, the slider4moves to the inner side of the case1in accordance with the amount of insertion of the card. This movement of the slider4is transmitted through the connecting shafts42A,42B and connecting slots51A,51B to the pivotal levers5A and5B, causing the pivotal levers5A and5B to further pivot. With this movement, the holders6A and6B approach both ends of the card100in the width direction and the elastic members61of the holders6A and6B come into abutment against both ends of the card100in the width direction. At this time, the holders6A and6B are given urging forces, from the plate springs7A and7B, acting centrally in the width direction of the card100and in the card inserting direction. This urging force, in other words, is an urging force advancing toward the depth-side center in the card inserting direction from near both ends of the card inlet2, and it serves as both a force for gripping the card100in the width direction and a force for pushing the card in the insertion direction.

With a further movement in the insertion direction of the slider4, the engaging shaft43of the slider causes the pivotal engaging member8to pivot, but when the pivotal engaging member8pivots a predetermined distance, the slider becomes disengaged from the slant face81and further moves in the insertion direction. With this movement, only the biasing force of the return spring9is exerted temporarily on the pivotal engaging member8, which in turn pivots in the direction opposite to the direction of the pivotal movement caused by the engaging shaft43. With this return pivot motion of the pivotal engaging member8, the engaging shaft43is fitted in the engaging recess82of the pivotal engaging member8. If the insertion of the card100is stopped at this time point, the engaging shaft43and the engaging recess82are engaged with each other with the urging force provided from the ejection spring10through the slider4and acting in the card ejecting direction (in the card inlet direction) and the urging force provided from the card inlet-side wall surface of the engaging recess82of the pivotal engaging member8. Thus, the position of the engaging shaft43is held relative to the insertion direction, whereby the position of the slider4is held and the position in the insertion direction of the card100abutted against the depth abutment member40of the slider4is held.

Thus, according to the construction of this embodiment, the card100is held firmly in both the insertion direction and width direction. Moreover, the position of the card100can be held without complete insertion of the card into the case1.

(4) Next, when the card100is ejected, the solenoid11is energized, whereby the link12connected to the solenoid is pulled toward the solenoid, causing the pivotal engaging member8to pivot. This pivoting direction is a direction reverse to the urging force generating direction by the return spring13, i.e., a direction to release the engaging shaft43from the engaging recess82. When the amount of this pivotal movement exceeds a predetermined amount, the engaging shaft43is disengaged from the engaging recess82. Upon release of the engaging shaft43, only the urging force provided from the ejection spring10is applied to the slider4, so that the slider4moves from the depth side of the case1toward the card inlet2(front side). With such a movement of the slider4toward the card inlet2, the card100which is in abutment against the slider4through the depth abutment member40is ejected toward the card inlet2. By using such a structure the card100can be ejected easily.

According to the construction described above it is possible to effect read and write of information from and to the card while holding the card positively without complete insertion into the case. Consequently, a card reader and writer adapted to operate for read and write positively can be implemented by a relatively simple structure while preventing card jam, phishing and skimming. Further, since a card ejection mechanism is formed by a simple structure using a solenoid, it is possible to implement, with a relatively simple structure, a card reader and writer which permits positive insertion, holding and ejection of a card.

Although the card used in the above embodiment is a card having the magnetic information recording portion and the IC chip, the construction described above is applicable to any other paper or sheet insofar as the paper or sheet has the same structure as that described above. Also in this case it is possible to obtain the above effects.

Although in the above embodiment a symmetric plane is positioned centrally in the width direction of the case, the relation between the symmetric plane and the case is not specially limited insofar as the symmetric plane is positioned centrally in the width direction of an inserted card.