Registers – Coded record sensors – Hand feed
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-16
2001-07-03
Frech, Karl D. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Coded record sensors
Hand feed
C235S380000, C235S379000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06254004
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal unit for having a card reading unit reading cards, such as magnetic cards and IC cards. The present invention also relates to a POS terminal, and more particularly to a POS terminal in which a card is processed. A feature of the present invention is in a structure of a housing of the terminal unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the number of kinds of cards, such as credit cards and cash cards is increasing. It is thus desired that various types of terminals can process cards. Magnetic cards and IC cards are popularized.
A card reading unit generally means the so-called card reader. However, in the specification, the card reading unit means not only the so-called card reader but also a unit such as a card read/write unit.
A description will be given of a POS terminal unit as a conventional case. Other types of terminal units have substantially the same construction as the POS terminal unit.
Conventionally, a type of POS terminal unit in which use of cards is taken into account has been proposed. There are two cases in which a card reading unit is used for such a POS terminal unit. In the first case, an external card reading unit is connected to the POS terminal unit. In the second case, a card reading unit is provided in the POS terminal unit.
In the case where the card reading unit is provided in the POS terminal unit, a slit used to insert a card into the card reading unit has to be formed on the POS terminal unit.
In a case where the POS terminal unit is used in a store, such as a so-called fast-food store dealing with food and drink, there may be the following problem.
In such a store, liquid, such as drink, is frequently dealt with. Particularly, in a fast-food store there may be many cases in which the POS terminal is set on a counter table over which commodities are handed to persons. In such cases, the liquid, such as drink, may enter the POS terminal unit through the slit used for insertion of the cards. The POS terminal unit is provided with electronic devices. Thus, if the liquid enters the POS terminal unit, the liquid may affect the electronic devices.
The liquid may enter the POS terminal unit through not only the slit used for the insertion of the cards but also other seams on the housing of the POS terminal unit. Thus, it is necessary for the POS terminal unit used particularly in such a food dispensing store to prevent the liquid from entering the unit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, a general object of the present invention is to provide a novel and useful terminal unit in which the disadvantages of the aforementioned prior art are eliminated.
A specific object of the present invention is to provide a terminal unit, such as a POS terminal unit, in which liquid can be prevented from entering the unit, particularly through a slit used for the insertion of cards.
In a case in which the terminal unit has a slit used for an object other than the insertion of the cards, the terminal unit has the same disadvantages. Thus, the present invention may be applied to such a case.
The above objects of the present invention are achieved by a terminal unit having a mechanism processing an information recording card and a slit into which the card is inserted, wherein the slit is provided on a side surface of said terminal unit, and wherein a slit upper portion in an upside of the slit overhangs outward with respect to a slit lower portion at a underside of the slit.
According to the above terminal unit, the structure of the slit upper portion and the slit lower portion prevents liquid from entering the terminal unit through the slit.
The above objects of the present invention are also achieved by a terminal unit having a mechanism processing an information recording card and a slit into which the card is inserted, wherein the slit is provided on a side surface of said terminal unit, wherein a card guide is provided in an innermost portion of the slit, said card guide limiting positions of upper and lower surfaces of the card inserted into the slit and a position of a leading edge of the inserted card, and wherein a pair of projections are formed at an end of said card guide, the projections being projected toward the upper surface and lower surface of the card inserted into the slit.
According to the above terminal unit, even if the liquid enters the end portion of the card guide, the projection portions prevent the liquid from entering the middle portion of the slit.
Further, the above objects of the present invention are achieved by a terminal unit having a mechanism for processing an information recording card and a slit into which the card is inserted, wherein the slit is provided on a side surface of said terminal unit, wherein an upper surface connected to said side surface is inclined so as to be gradually lowered toward a boundary between said side surface and said upper surface, and wherein a projection is formed near the boundary on said upper portion, said projection being extended in a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the slit.
According to the above terminal unit, the projection stops the liquid flowing along the upper surface toward the side surface. Thus, the liquid is prevented from entering the terminal unit through the slit formed on the side surface.
The above objects of the present invention are also achieved by a terminal unit comprising; a cover body; a supporting member formed on said cover body, said supporting member having ring-shaped end surfaces; and a mounting member fit on said supporting member the ring-shaped end surfaces being held between parts of said supporting member, wherein a fitting gap between said supporting member and said mounting member is set at a value so that a liquid droplet is supported by a surface tension between said supporting member and said mounting member.
According to the above terminal unit, even if a liquid droplet is on the fitting gap between the supporting member and the mounting member, the liquid droplet is supported by the surface tension between the supporting member and the mounting member so as to be prevented from entering the cover body through the fitting gap.
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Ariga Isao
Nagao Hiroshi
Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland & Naughton LLP
Frech Karl D.
Fujitsu Limited
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