Registers – Coded record sensors – Feed mechanisms
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-05
2002-10-15
Lee, Michael G. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Coded record sensors
Feed mechanisms
C235S449000, C235S482000, C235S380000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06464143
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a card reader and an electronic device for handling a card having magnetic stripes or an IC chip for reading and writing information.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional card reader, as shown in
FIG. 9
, comprises:
a. a card inserting part
101
in which a card
10
is inserted,
b. a slider
105
moving together with the card when the card is inserted,
c. an eject spring
109
energized in an eject direction,
d. a flat spring
107
for pushing in the card thickness direction when the card is inserted,
e. a slider locking part
106
A of a slider connection part
106
for stopping and locking the slider
105
at a prescribed position where the slider
105
is inserted,
f. a solenoid
125
for unlocking the latch,
g. a plunger
126
assembled in the solenoid
125
,
h. a pin
126
A in the plunger
126
for latching with the slider locking part
106
A,
i. a spring
127
for energizing the plunger
126
in the latching direction, and
j. a card-detecting switch
108
for detecting when the card is inserted into a prescribed position.
The eject spring
109
is hooked on a first protrusion
120
of the card reader main body
102
and a second protrusion
121
of the slider
105
.
As the card is inserted, and when the slider
105
is moved up to a Prescribed position, the slider locking part
106
A of the slider connection part
106
is hooked on the pin
126
A of the plunger
126
. As, a result, the slider
105
is stopped at the prescribed position. The plunger
126
is assembled in the solenoid
125
.
The inserted card is ejected when a direct current is passed through the solenoid
125
for a specific time. That is, by passing a direct current into the solenoid
125
for a specific time, the plunger
126
in the solenoid
125
is attracted into the solenoid
125
. It causes to unlock the latch of the pin
126
A fitted to the slider locking part
106
A of the slider
105
and the plunger
126
of the solenoid
125
. As a result, by the energizing force of the eject spring
109
, the card is ejected into the card inserting part
101
together with the slider
105
. At this time, the energizing force of the eject spring
109
is set so as to eject by overcoming the pressure of the flat spring
107
pressing the card
10
.
However, for example, when the card reader is used as being incorporated in a small handy type device, the card reader and the device incorporating it can be moved to change in place easily. For instance, the card reader and the device incorporating it can be lifted, rotated, or put on a desk or table carelessly, and impact or vibration is applied to the card reader and the device at that time. In particular, when impact is applied in the moving direction of the plunger
126
of the solenoid
125
, a moment in the unlatching direction is generated, and the latch of the slider locking part
106
A may be unlocked. If the slider locking part
106
A of the slider
105
is unlatched while communicating with a host device such as a host computer by inserting a card, the card is ejected by the eject spring
109
for energizing the slider
105
in the eject direction. In this case, the information cannot be read or written securely. This was a problem of a conventional card reader.
When the card is inserted into the depth side of the card reader, the slider
105
is latched, and the card-detecting switch
108
detects insertion of the card, and the card is in a held state. While a card eject command signal is not issued, the card-detecting switch
108
is in an active state, and the IC contact
104
contacts with the IC terminal on the card, and information is read and written with the host device. At this time, if the card
10
is drawn out, the slider
105
remains latched, and the IC terminal of the card
10
is separated from the IC contact
104
by force. As a result, the information in the IC chip of the card is broken, and may not be usable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is to solve the above problems, and it is hence an object thereof to present a card reader and an electronic device in a structure that does not allow the connection part of the slider, which holds the card at a position for reading and writing card data in the card reader, to be unlocked easily by external impact or vibration. The structure also enables a stable ejection of the card.
To achieve the object, the card reader of the invention comprises:
a. a card guide path for guiding a card into the device,
b. a card holder for holding the card at a prescribed position in the device,
c. a card position retainer for retaining the position of the card held by the card holder even if an external force is applied,
d. a motor for generating a power to eject the card, and
e. a gear mechanism for transmitting the driving force of the motor to the card directly or indirectly, in which:
f. the gear mechanism retains the position of the card before driving force from the motor is applied, or
g. the motor generates driving force for ejecting the card by a card eject command signal.
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Kanayama Yasuhiro
Oki Hajime
Lee Michael G.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Walsh Daniel
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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