Cardan-type support for magnetic heads

Abstract: The invention relates to a support means (8) for a magnetic head adapted to be mounted in a magnetic card reader. The support means comprises a support arm (16) forming an adjustment frame (17) at one end which is adapted to allow the adjustment of the magnetic head at different locations. Said support arm further comprising at the end opposite to the adjustment frame end a guide end (20) adapted for cooperation with guide means provided at the card reader on which the support means are mounted.

Description: Technical Field This invention relates generally to a support for magnetic heads, and, more particularly, to a cardan-type support for magnetic heads adapted to be mounted on a stationary component of a reading apparatus for cards (magnetic card reader) carrying an information storing magnetic stripe (magnetic card). Generally, the invention relates to a reading apparatus for such a magnetic card using a cardan-type support. Background Art Reading apparatus for magnetic cards have been known for a long time and generally use a support arm which carries at its one end, refered to as the magnetic head end, a magnetic head. Said support arm is mounted on a stationary component of the magnetic card reader using a cardan-type or a universal joint type arrangement, such that the support arm together with the magnetic head, which is biased towards the magnetic card, can adapt to and follow the surface of the magnetic tracks provided on the magnetic card. In said known cardan-type support a stamped sheet metal member is used having an opening at its magnetic head end which corresponds to the width of the magnetic head. In said opening the magnetic head is located. As is well known, a magnetic card can haven more than just one magnetic track, with which a magnetic head has to be aligned. In case it is required to use the support arm formed by the stamped sheet metal member for reading a different track, the entire support arm is correspondingly displaced at the stationary component of the card reader, at the time the card reader is assembled. For this purpose guide pins are located at the stationary component. Said guide pins are provided in the area of a guide end of the support arm which is located oppositely to the magnetic head end. Said guide pins may, for example, be mounted at the bottom of a magnetic card reader. Additional pins are provided in the vicinity of the magnetic head end. Further, a relatively complicated cone shaped spring is arranged about a screw, which serves as a support for the support arm. Apart from the complicated and thus costly design of said known support means, there is the additional disadvantage that with a single support arm not all desirable locations of the magnetic head for reading different tracks on a magnetic card can be realized in an efficient manner. It should be noted that magnetic heads are available for reading one track, for reading two tracks and for reading three tracks. Accordingly, said magnetic heads are called a one track head, a two track head or a three track head. Moreover, the support means of the prior art can not be readily arranged together with the magnetic head on the opposite side of the magnetic card reader. This is due to the sheet metal frame of the support arm, and is also due to the guide pins on the stationary component of the card reader. To arrange the support arm together with the magnetic head on the opposite side is required for so called hybrid-readers, which can read so called hybrid-cards, i.e. cards which carry at their upper surface chip contacts and at the bottom surface magnetic tracks. DE-A- 34 41 848 discloses an apparatus for pressing transducer heads against the tracks of a magnetic card. A plurality of support arms is provided and each of said support arms carries a transducer head. Each of said support arms does not allow for an adjustment of the respective transducer or magnetic head with regard to the different tracks on a magnetic card. It is an object of the present invention to overcome one or more of the problems as set forth above. It is still another object of the invention to provide a cardan-type or universal joint type support means for a magnetic head, such that an adjustment of different magnetic heads for different tracks is readily possible. It is another object of the present invention to provide for such an adjustment of the magnetic head without requiring a change of the position of a support arm itself at the stationary component of a magnetic card reader. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a support for magnetic heads such that a precise positioning of the magnetic head with respect to the magnetic tracks to be read is possible. According to another object of the invention the cardan-type support makes it possible to arrange said support means without any difficulties on the opposite side of the card, for instance if the card reader is adapted to read hybrid-cards. Disclosure of the Invention In one aspect of the present invention a cardan-type support means as claimed in claim 1 is provided. The support means is provided such that the magnetic head can be adjusted for different tracks of a magnetic card to be read in a magnetic card reader. This adjustment is possible without having to change the position of the support arm at the stationary component. The magnetic head adjustment means allow the adjustment of a magnetic head in a desired position selected from different positions in which the magnetic head can be located. After a desired position has been reached, the magnetic head is fixedly mounted at the support arm. In a second aspect of the present invention a reader as claimed in claim 9 is provided. Said reading means have to be mounted at a stationary component. Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims. Due to the cardan- or universal-joint type mounting of the support arm single track or multiple track magnetic heads can be fixedly mounted at the support arm in such a manner that the magnetic heads are properly aligned with respect to a single magnetic track and a plurality of magnetic tracks, respectively. In accordance with a preferred design the cardan-type support arm cooperates with a standard cylinder screw which in turn cooperates with a semi-circular bearing surface on the support arm. Alternatively, the support arm is mounted to a stationary component of a card reader by a special screw having a spherical bearing surface which cooperates with a recess in the support arm. Code means can be provided to simplify the adjustment of the magnetic head. Said code means can be code numbers located at the support arm, preferably in an area of the support arm were an adjustment frame is formed which is adapted to receive said magnetic heads. Preferably, the support arm is made of plastic material so as to save costs and space. As was already mentioned, the cardan-type support is particularly useful in a hybrid-card reader, i.e. a card reader which reads magnetic cards as well as chip cards (i.e. hybrid-cards). Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a schematic top plan view of a magnetic card; Fig. 2 is a detail of the magnetic card of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale; Fig. 3 is a schematic top plan view of a single track magnetic head; Fig. 4 is a schematic top plan view of a two track magnetic head; Fig. 5 is a schematic top plan view of a three track magnetic head; Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a magnetic card reader of the invention along line 6-6 in Fig. 7; Fig. 7 is a schematic sectional view in substance along line 7-7 in Fig. 6, with only the relevant parts of the magnetic card reader being shown; Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the bearing or mounting means of Fig. 6 with the sectional plane extending substantially perpendicular to the paper plane of the Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is a schematic view of a support arm which is shown in detail in Fig. 6 and 7; Fig. 10 is a partial sectional view of alternative bearing means. Prior to a discussion of the magnetic card reader of the invention shown in Fig. 6 through 9 we will explain by refering to Fig. 1 to 5 the design of a magnetic card as well as the magnetic heads cooperating with such a card. A magnetic card 4 is shown in Fig. 1. The card 4 comprises a magnetic area which is generally continuous. This area can be devided into three magnetic tracks 1, 2 and 3. The standardized distances of said tracks 1, 2 and 3 are indicated in millimeters in Fig. 2. Fig. 1 gives the size of the card also in millimeters. Depending upon which tracks are to be read, or, into which tracks information has to be written, different magnetic heads are used in different types of card readers. Fig. 3 shows a so called single track magnetic head 11, Fig. 4 shows a two track magnetic head 10, and Fig. 5 shows a three track magnetic head 33. The deviations with respect to the theoretical center of the magnetic head are indicated in millimeters. The maximum and minimum deviations are shown. The single track magnetic head 11 can be required to be used either for reading magnetic track 1, or magnetic track 2 or magnetic track 3 on the magnetic card 4. Thus, the single track magnetic head 11 has to be appropriately adjusted or positioned. The two track magnetic head can either be used for reading track 1 and track 2, or for reading track 2 and track 3. The three track magnetic head 33 is used for reading magnetic tracks 1, 2 and 3. When manufacturing a magnetic card reader, of the type shown in Fig. 6 through 9, a problem occurs inasmuch as different types of magnetic card readers have to be supplied by the manufacturer of the card readers. For some applications it is necessary to supply magnetic card readers which are equipped with 1 track magnetic heads, or it is necessary to supply magnetic card readers having 2 track magnetic heads, or, it is necessary to supply magnetic card readers using a three track magnetic head. Moreover, depending on the order received by the manufacturer of the card readers, it can happen that for magnetic card readers with 1 track magnetic heads or 2 track magnetic heads, for instance, the 1 track magnetic head 11 is used for reading track 1 of the magnetic card, or it is used for reading track 2 of the magnetic card. Or, possibly, the 1 track magnetic head 11 is used to read the third track on the magnetic card. Similarly, the requirements might differ for the two track magnetic head 10. As already pointed out initially, the prior art deals with this problem by providing a certain degree of flexibility due to the possibility that the magnetic head can be arranged in two different positions at the stationary component of the magnetic card reader. Refering to Fig. 6 through 9 a magnetic card reader 5 of the invention is explained which uses a cardan-type or universal joint type support means 8 for a magnetic head (for instance magnetic head 10). The mounting or support means (support) 8 comprises a support arm 16 and bearing-, guiding-, and biasing means for said support arm 16. The present invention does not only provide for a novel and advantageous cardan-type support means 8, but further allows that the different magnetic heads 10, 11 and 33 can be easily adjusted and mounted in the desired position depending on the type of magnetic card reader to be produced. Fig. 6 and 7 disclose a magnetic card reader 5 which is mounted at a bottom 6 which in turn is fixedly connected with a frame 7 of a chip card reader. In the case of a chip card reader, the reading apparatus of the invention can be used to read not only the magnetically stored information by means of the magnetic card reader 5, but it is also possible that an adjacently located chip card reader processes the information contained in a chip which is also provided in the magnetic card. A card which contains both magnetically stored information and also a chip is called a hybrid-card. The present invention, however, relates primarily to the design of a magnetic card reader 5, even though the magnetic card reader of the invention can be advantageously used together with a chip card reader. Fig. 6 discloses that at the bottom surface 14 of the bottom 6 the cardan type support means 8 for the magnetic head is shown. In the shown embodiment the magnetic head (see Fig. 7) is a 2 track magnetic head 10. As will be explained below the cardan-type support means 8 comprises the support arm 16 as well as means 26 for bearing (supporting) said support arm 16, means 20 for guiding the support arm 16 and, eventually, means 24 for biasing said support means 8. Said guiding means 20 are adapted to cooperate with additional guiding means 70, 71 located on a stationary component. The support arm 16 as shown in Fig. 6, 7 and 9 comprises a first or magnetic head end 17 carrying the magnetic head 10. Opposite to the first end is a second or support end (also called bearing end) 18, and, inbetween is a central portion 19. The support arm 16 is made of plastic material and can thus be produced precisely, efficiently and at low cost. The bearing or mounting end 18 ends in guiding means in the form of a guide portion 20 (see Fig. 9) having a circular cross section. The guide portion 20 is guided by means of the above mentioned additional guide means, which are preferably in the form of two guide members 70, 71, so as to provide guidance for the guide portion 20 during a movement in vertical direction. A sideways movement of the guide portion 20 is not possible, however a certain amount of rotary motion of the guide portion 20 and of the support arm 18 is possible, thanks to the round design of the guide portion 20. The guide means 70, 71 are fixedly mounted to the bottom 6 and are preferably integrally formed of plastic material together with the bottom 6. The support arm 16 is provided with an upper surface 21 and a bottom surface 22. The central portion 19 of the guide portion 20 is generally step shaped as is shown in Fig. 6. For reasons of simplification the step shaped design is not shown in the fig. 9 representation of the support arm. At the upper side 21 a vertically upwardly extending guide pin 23 is provided, preferably integrally together with the support arm 16. The guide pin 23 is provided with biasing means 24 preferably in the form of a cylindrical spring 24 which is in abutment with the upper surface 21 and with the bottom surface 14 of the bottom 6. A recess 85 formed by an annular projection makes a sideways movement of the spring 24 impossible. The spring 24 supplies the force which presses the magnetic head 10 onto the card 4. Support or bearing means 26 are provided for the support arm 16. In the shown embodiment said support or bearing means 26 are formed by a standard screw 27 having a cylindrical screw head 28. The cylindrical screw head 28 is in abutment with a ball shaped or spherical bearing surface 29 which is formed in the support arm 16. The bearing surface 29 ends in a bore 64 through which the screw 27 passes. The screw 27 can be adjustably screwed into the bottom surface 14 of the bottom 6. In the adjusted position the screw 27 is secured by a lock-nut 66. The support or bearing means 26 provide for a universal pivotal movement of the support arm 16. However, this pivotal movement is limited by the mentioned guide means 70, 71. Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the just described support or bearing means 26. It should be noted that instead of the bearing means 26 as shown, a special screw can replace the standard screw 27. Said special screw would have a ball shaped bottom surface, which would then be adapted to cooperate with a surface of the support arm 16 which would not need to be of special design. The support arm 16 forms at its magnetic head end 17 magnetic head adjustment means 30 which allow the adjustment of a magnetic head for different tracks of a magnetic card, without having to change the position of the support arm 16 at the bottom 6 of the magnetic card reader 5. Due to the design of the magnetic head end 17 of the support arm 16 in accordance with the invention, the respective magnetic head (for instance magnetic head 10) can be located in its different positions transversly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the support arm so as to enable the reading of different tracks on a magnetic card 4. The adjustment means 30 for the magnetic head are preferably provided in the form of an adjustment frame 31. The adjustment frame 31 is integrally formed together with the support arm 16 of a plastic material. The adjustment frame 31 comprises frame legs 34, 35, 36 and 37 defining a large (or upper) opening 38 and a smaller (or lower) opening 39 such that guide surfaces 40 and 41 as well as abutment surfaces 42 and 43 are defined. Opening 39 is a through opening. Further, narrow side walls 47 and 48 as well as wide sidewalls 49 and 50 are formed. In said wide sidewalls a plurality of mounting grooves 51 are formed which are respectively aligned with each other. In said mounting grooves 51 little plates 55 and 56 can be inserted for mounting or holding purposes. Moreover, the narrow sidewalls 47 and 48 form projections 52. The mounting plates 55 and 56 preferably consist of a resilient plastic material. The plates 55, 56 are provided with noses for abutment against the sidewalls of the magnetic head 10. Preferably, the holding plates 55 and 56 are biased against the sidewalls of the magnetic head 10. If the magnetic head 10 is in one of its outer positions abuting against the wall 47 or wall 48 then only one holding plate 55 or 56 is required. If large numbers of the adjustment frame 31 are manufactured, the holding or positioning plates 55 and 56 can be formed integrally with the frame 31. In such a situation no adjustment of the magnetic head is provided. It is noted that in the embodiment shown the magnetic head 2 is of the 2 track design, and therefore two magnets 57 and 58 are schematically shown. In accordance with Fig. 7 the magnetic head 10 is located in a position adapted to read tracks 2 and 3 as shown in Fig. 2. The holding plates 55, 56 hold the magnetic head 10 in the shown position due to spring pressure. Preferably, the magnet head 10 can also be bonded by an adhesive to the adjustment frame 31. When manufacturing a magnetic card reader 5 or the support arm 16 for said reader 5, it is easily possible to locate the magnetic head (for instance the head 10) at a different selected position. For this purpose, the magnetic head 10 is moved within the adjustment frame 31 into the desired position, prior to inserting the holding plates 55 and 56. For the embodiment shown, the magnetic head 10 would have to be moved into a position were the tracks 1 and 2 can be read, and, in that position the magnetic head 10 is fixedly mounted by means of the holding plates 55 and 56. Likewise, the positioning of a single track magnetic head 11 is possible at one of three different positions, without requiring to displace the support arm 16 sideways at the bottom surface 14, as is required for the prior art. In accordance with another embodiment no holding plates 55 and 56 are provided, and, instead, the magnetic head 10 is sideways guided by the wide sidewalls 49 and 50 and the guide surfaces 40 and 41. As soon as the required position is reached by the magnetic head, it is bonded to the adjustment frame 31 by means of an adhesive. It should be noted that a magnetic head 10 which is fixedly mounted within the adjustment frame does not have to be moved after having been delivered to a customer in a magnetic card reader. As shown in Fig. 6 a slot 61 is provided through which a magnetic card 4 can be inserted. During insertion, the magnetic card 4 moves the magnetic head 10 located in the dashed position into a position shown with solid lines. During the movement of the card 4 the information stored within the magnetic tracks can be processed. Fig. 6 also discloses a front cover 60 which surrounds the magnetic head and its support means. Fig. 10 is an alternative embodiment to the support or bearing means 27 of Fig. 6. The bearing means in Fig. 10 are referred to by reference numeral 90 and comprise a pin 88 made of plastic material and integrally formed preferably during an injection molding process together with the bottom 6. A securing disc 89 is - as shown - in engagement with said pin 88 and is further in abutment with the bearing surface 29. Instead of the integrally formed plastic pin 88 it is possible to use a metal pin which is embeded into the plastic material of the bottom 6. As mentioned above it is preferred to provide the magnetic head adjustment means 30 with a number code or a character code. This code is preferably molded into said guide means at the time the adjustment means 30 is formed, for instance by injection molding. Alternatively, said codes can be printed or glued onto said guide means. The code can also be a color code. Abutment means can be provided for the magnetic head 10 having the rounded surface 82. In accordance with Fig. 6 said abutment means are formed by a surface 81 which cooperates with the magnetic head guide means 30. The surface 81 is formed on a projection of the bottom surface. As is shown in dotted lines, the cardan-type support means may be provided at the bottom side as well as the upper side of the bottom 6.

Claims: A cardan type support means (8) adapted to be mounted on a stationary component (6) of a magnetic card reader, said support means (8) carrying at least one magnetic head (10,11,33) and further comprising: a support arm (16), said support arm (16) comprising a first end and opposite thereto, a second end, characterised in that said first or magnetic head end (17) being provided with magnetic head adjustment means (30) which provide for an adjustment of the magnetic head in a desired position selected from a plurality of adjustable positions, and in that the magnetic head is fixedly mounted to said magnetic head adjustment means (30), after the desired adjusted postion is reached by said magnetic head. The support of claim 1, wherein the magnetic head is adapted to be adjustably moved within said adjustment means (30) in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said support arm. The support of claim 1, wherein the support arm (16) is of single piece design. The support of claim 3, wherein the support arm (16) is made of plastic material. The support of claim 1, wherein the support arm comprises support or bearing means (26) which provide for a universal pivotal movement of the support arm (16). The support means of claim 1, wherein a code in the form of numbers, letters or characters is preferably injection molded into said magnetic head adjustment means (30), or is printed or glued thereon, wherein the code can also have the form of a color code. The support of claim 1, wherein the movement of the curved surface (82) of the magnetic head (10) towards the support surface of the magnetic card (4) is limited by an abutment. The support means of claim 7, wherein said abutment (81) is formed at the bottom of the stationary component (6). A reader for cards carrying magnetic stripes containing information, said reader comprising a frame adapted to receive said card and provided with the support means as defined in anyone of claims 1-8. The reader of claim 9, wherein said cardan-type support means can be provided at the upper surface as well as at the lower surface of the stationary component (6).

Inventors: SCHUDER BERND, SCHUDER, BERND
Applicants: AMPHENOL TUCHEL ELECT, AMPHENOL-TUCHEL ELECTRONICS GMBH
Application year: 1990
Main classification: G06K7
IPC codes: G06K7, G11B5