Registers – Coded record sensors – Holding devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-25
2001-07-31
Lee, Michael G. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Coded record sensors
Holding devices
C235S475000, C235S441000, C235S492000, C235S493000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267295
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an IC card processing apparatus and, more particularly, to a technique for performing stable signal processing in an IC card processing apparatus which receives an IC card having a plurality of contacts on its one surface to a predetermined position, brings contact elements into contact with the respective contacts of the received IC card, and exchanges signals with the IC card.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventionally, in an IC card processing apparatus for reading and writing information from and on an IC card, its contact elements are brought into contact with a plurality of contacts (generally 4×2 rows) formed on one surface of the IC card received to a predetermined position, and signal exchange with a circuit in the IC card is performed through electrical connection between the respective contacts and contact elements.
In this IC card processing apparatus, before the leading end of the IC card passes the positions of the contact elements, the IC card is entered with its one surface being separate from the contact elements so as not to make the leading end of the IC card being inserted push the contact elements to deform them. After the leading end of the IC card passes the positions of the contact elements, the contact elements are urged against the card, or inversely the card is urged against the contact elements, so that the contact elements come into contact with the respective contacts of the IC card.
In order to realize this, conventionally, as shown in, e.g.,
FIGS. 11A and 11B
, an L-shaped pivot lever
11
is arranged above the rear portion of a card guide path
10
, and one end side of the pivot lever
11
is allowed to enter the card guide path
10
. A plurality of contact elements
12
are formed on the lower surface of the other end side of the pivot lever
11
.
More specifically, as shown in
FIG. 11A
, the pivot lever
11
is pushed at its one end side by the leading end of an IC card
1
which has entered by being guided along the card guide path
10
, so that it is pivoted about a shaft
11
a
as the center.
As shown in
FIG. 11B
, the contact elements
12
and the contacts (not shown) of the IC card
1
are brought into contact with each other.
In
FIGS. 11A and 11B
, a spring
15
biases the pivot lever
11
in a direction to make the contact elements
12
move away from the card guide path
10
, and stoppers
16
and
17
regulate rotation of the pivot lever
11
.
In the conventional IC card processing apparatus described above, when a warped and deformed IC card
1
′ is inserted, as shown in
FIG. 11C
, the contact pressure between the contact elements
12
and IC card
1
′ largely differs between the rear row and the front row, and causes a contact error or localizes wear of the contact elements. As a result, the service life of the contacts is shortened.
In particular, assume an IC card processing apparatus in which the card guide path is largely opened on the lower surface side to allow a defective card to drop naturally in order to prevent card clogging caused by a defective card shorter than a regular-length card. Since the IC card is guided only with its one end edge in the widthwise direction, the warped of the IC card cannot be sufficiently corrected, and the problem described above becomes more conspicuous.
Even if the IC card itself is not warped, when the IC card inserted to the deep end is further pushed strongly, the card is warped to cause a contact error.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an IC card processing apparatus by which the problems described above are solved, no contact error occurs even when the card is warped, and the service life of the contacts is long, and which can perform stable signal processing.
According to an aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, there is provided an IC card processing apparatus having a frame (
21
) formed with a slot for receiving an IC card, and a contact element block (
50
) formed in the frame and having a plurality of contact elements on one side surface thereof to respectively come into contact with a plurality of external terminals of the IC card received in the frame, characterized in that the contact element block is supported by the frame through a support member so as to be movable perpendicularly to a surface of the IC card received through the slot, translatable perpendicularly to the surface of the IC card along an axis extending through a center of the contact element block, and swingable about an axis located on the axis extending through the center of the contact element block and horizontal when seen from a receiving direction of the IC card, so that when the IC card is received through the slot, a surface of the IC card which is to be brought into contact through contacts and a surface of the contact element block where the contact elements are attached become almost parallel to each other.
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patent: 5508501 (1996-04-01), Fujimoto
patent: 5633490 (1997-05-01), Vandenengel
patent: 5726432 (1998-03-01), Reichardt
patent: 5729000 (1998-03-01), Sugimoto
patent: 5872353 (1999-02-01), Reichardt et al.
patent: 5949048 (1999-09-01), Nakamura et al.
patent: 0307692 A1 (1989-03-01), None
patent: 2658338 (1991-08-01), None
patent: 59-25698 (1984-02-01), None
patent: 2-12578 (1990-01-01), None
patent: 3-66708 (1991-10-01), None
patent: 7-92822 (1995-10-01), None
Amagai Ryuuichi
Nakamura Katsushi
Anritsu Corporation
Frishauf, Holtz Goodman, Langer & Chick, P.C.
Le Uyen-Chan N.
Lee Michael G.
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