Registers – Coded record sensors – Feed mechanisms
Reexamination Certificate
1997-11-13
2001-06-26
Frech, Karl D. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Coded record sensors
Feed mechanisms
C235S449000, C235S477000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250552
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card reader which handles a magnetic card or an IC card and the like.
b) Description of the Related Art
In a conventional card reader, an IC or magnetic card on which data are stored is held in the thickness direction by a pair of rollers, at least one of which is driven by a motor and the like, thereby transferring the card to the driving path. In the magnetic card reader which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid Open No. H5-12498, for example, a magnetic card is held by three pairs of rollers arranged in the driving direction thereby transferring the magnetic card. When data recording/reproduction is performed, a magnetic strip formed on the magnetic card is moved with respect to the magnetic head. In a card reader, the size of a card insertion slot is somewhat larger than the card, therefore, the card is not always inserted straight. To resolve the problem in a card reader of the conventional technology, the distance by which the card is transferred is set long such that the magnetic card which is inserted at a slanted angle or in an askew manner is straightened before it reaches the magnetic head. However, providing a long path is undesirable as it prevents the production of reduced-size card readers.
When using a magnetic card in the card reader, one or both sides of the card normally is formed with a magnetic strip. The magnetic information on the magnetic strip is recorded/reproduced by the magnetic heads formed opposite each other across the card driving path. With the magnetic heads on the sides of the driving path, each of the magnetic heads are designed to be pressed by a compression coil spring such that the magnetic heads are projected to transfer the force to a magnetic card. However, if a warped card is driven, the magnetic head deviates from the base position due to the warping of the card. Upon removal of the card, the head deviation is maintained. If a magnetic card is inserted into a slot while the magnetic head is deviated from its original position, the end of the card contacts a side of the magnetic head, thereby affecting the smooth driving of the card.
In addition, current card readers may be used to read both magnetic cards and IC cards. When recording to or reading from an IC card, the IC terminal formed on one side of the card is contacted by the card reader, and the IC contact block of the card reader is moved by means of a specific actuator (solenoid). However, a mechanism, independent from the driving mechanism for transferring the IC card, to drive the IC contact block is required, thus increasing the number of components, cost and size of the card reader. Also, when the IC contact block is designed to be lowered along with the card movement, the load during the IC card transfer increases, thus causing the card to jam. Further, a card reader may be designed such that the magnetic head is given the capability to record/reproduce magnetic data, and if the IC contact block is lowered during such recording/reproducing, data recording/reproduction may be degraded.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a card reader which can be reduced in size by reducing the distance over which the card is transferred.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a card reader which can read a warped card.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a card reader, when an IC card is handled by the above card reader, the overall card reader can be made compact by driving a card transfer means and an IC contact transfer means by a single motor.**
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a card reader is comprised of a card insertion slot through which a card is inserted, a card transferring device which transfers the inserted card from the insertion slot along a card driving path to a reading device (e.g., a magnetic head), and pressing means disposed between the card insertion slot and the reading device for pressing against one edge of the card so that the opposite edge of the card is pressed against a card driving reference plane.
As an aspect of the invention, when an IC card having an IC terminal is inserted in the card reader, an IC contact block is provided to make contact with the IC terminal so that the data stored in the IC card can be read therefrom. The card reader further includes a contact block moving device which moves the IC contact block towards and away from the IC card, and wherein a load torque required to move the IC contact block to contacting position (with the IC card) is set larger than a load torque required for transferring the IC card by the card transfer means; and is set smaller than a load torque required for transferring the IC card when the position of the IC card is limited. The card reader further comprises a driving force switching mechanism for switching a rotational force of the motor to either the card transfer means or the contact block moving device depending on which device has the smaller load torque.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the card reader is comprised of a card insertion slot through which a card is inserted, a card transferring device which transfers the inserted card from the insertion slot along a card driving path, a magnetic head located above a read position for reading data stored on a magnetic strip of the card, bias means for biasing the magnetic head in a direction towards the surface of the card, and head movement limiting means for establishing a predetermined minimum distance of the magnetic head above the card driving path when the card is not located at the read position, and the head movement limiting means does not establish the predetermined minimum distance when the card is located at the read position.
As an aspect of this embodiment, two opposing magnetic heads are provided for reading magnetic strips located on opposite sides of the card, and a second bias means is provided for biasing the second magnetic head towards the card such that the first and second bias means provide biases in opposite directions towards one another, and the head movement limiting means forces the first and second magnetic heads into respective neutral positions above and below the card driving path only when the card is not located at the read position.
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patent: 5051566 (1991-09-01), Pernet
patent: 5065004 (1991-11-01), Mizuno et al.
patent: 5331138 (1994-07-01), Saroya
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patent: 5698832 (1997-12-01), Someya
patent: 5821515 (1998-10-01), Kitahara
patent: 5920055 (1999-07-01), Roth et al.
Cyr Daniel St.
Frech Karl D.
Reed Smith LLP
Sankyo Seiki Mfg. Co. Ltd.
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