JP6283867B2 - IC card reader / writer and IC card handling device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an IC card reader / writer installed in a vending machine or the like that can provide goods and services using an IC card as an electronic money card, and an IC card handling device.

  The vending machine that provides various articles has a front panel provided on the front surface of the housing as an operation panel, and includes a display unit, an operation switch, a money input unit, and an article providing unit on the operation panel surface. . The display unit is a means for displaying information such as menus, prices, etc. of articles (products, tickets, services, etc.) to be provided, and the operation switch is a means for the user to select an article that the user desires to purchase. Consists of a coin insertion unit and a bill insertion unit, and the article providing unit is a means for discharging articles commensurate with the contents of transactions established with the user.

Incidentally, in recent years, IC cards as non-contact type recording media, that is, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) have been used for various applications such as boarding cards, electronic money cards, and authentication cards.
In addition to ID information, the IC card stores various types of information according to the purpose of use, and information can be read by exchanging information with the reader / writer through wireless communication using electromagnetic fields or radio waves. , Writing and rewriting can be performed without contact. The reader / writer brings one surface of the IC card close to the card reading surface, so that the read / write circuit reads / writes recorded information from / to the IC card in a non-contact manner.
Some vending machines are equipped with an IC card reader / writer for using an IC card as an electronic money card. Usually, a reader / writer equipped with a holder for correctly setting the IC card is provided on the front panel. The IC card can be correctly positioned with respect to the reading surface when the user places the IC card in the holder and the reader / writer performs normal reading and writing in this state (Patent Document 1).

  6A and 6B are a front view and a right side view of a conventional automatic ticket vending machine, and FIG. 7 is a front side perspective view and a rear view of the IC card holder. FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a conventional IC card reader / writer mounting structure.

The automatic ticket vending machine 100 includes an apparatus main body 101 located at the lowermost part, an option unit 110 arranged as an option on the apparatus main body 101, and a display unit (touch panel type operation unit) 120 arranged on the option unit 110. , From the above.
The front surface of the apparatus main body 101 is an operation panel 102, on which a money input unit, a money dispensing unit, and an article providing unit (means for discharging an item corresponding to the contents of a transaction established with a user) ) Etc.
The display unit 120 is a means for displaying information such as menus, prices, etc. of articles (products, tickets, services) to be provided, and touch-type operation switches displayed on the display 120 indicate articles that the user desires to purchase. It is a means to select.
Various units according to the user's wish are arranged in the option unit 110. In this example, an IC card reader / writer 112 is arranged on the front panel 111. The IC card reader / writer 112 includes a casing 113 containing a read / write circuit and an antenna 114 for transmitting and receiving radio waves between the read / write circuit and the IC card, and a casing 113 disposed at the front of the casing. IC card holder 117 and a mounting portion 118 disposed on the back surface of the casing.
As shown in FIG. 7A, the IC card holder 117 forms a pocket-shaped space S between the casing 113 and an IC card can be set in the space from above.

Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 6B, the display surface of the display unit 120 is inclined obliquely upward in consideration of the ease of operation, and the lower end 121 projects forward.
On the other hand, if the IC card reader / writer 112 is disposed on the front panel 111 of the option unit 110, the protrusion 121 at the lower end of the display unit is overhanging directly above the IC card holder 117, and the IC card is inserted into the IC card holder. It is an obstacle to the operation of attaching and detaching from the upper opening.
In order to eliminate such a problem, the thickness T of the casing 113 is increased so that the protrusion at the lower part of the display unit does not interfere with the path for attaching and detaching the IC card in the space S of the IC card holder 117. Good.
On the other hand, the front panel 111 of the conventional option unit 110 is made of a resin plate, and screw holes 118a provided on the back surface of the IC card reader / writer 112 are directly screwed and fixed to the resin front panel.

However, if the thickness of the casing is increased, the load on the joint with the front panel increases due to the downward load applied to the holder during the operation of attaching and detaching the IC card to and from the space, and cracks and the like are generated on the front panel. Then, the IC card reader / writer 112 is easily rattled.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, an improvement measure is adopted in which a reinforcing metal plate 119 is disposed on the back surface of the resin front panel 111 and the metal plate and the screw hole 118a of the IC card reader / writer 112 are screwed together. ing.
However, if the metal plate 119 is arranged so as to cover the rear side of the antenna and the read / write circuit constituting the substrate 114 arranged in the casing, a part of the radio wave transmitted and received between the antenna and the IC card is made of metal. Reading performance by the read / write circuit becomes unstable due to irregular reflection by the plate.

Design registration No. 1456164

When an IC card reader / writer having a holder on the front surface is arranged on the resin front panel of a vending machine, if the thickness of the IC card reader / writer is increased, the metal for reinforcing the front panel The board needs to be placed on the back of the front panel. However, since the metal plate causes irregular reflection of radio waves between the read / write circuit and the antenna and causes reading and writing accuracy to be lowered, improvement has been demanded.
The present invention has been made in view of the above, and is configured to arrange an IC card reader / writer with a holder on the front surface of the front panel by fixing it to a metal plate disposed behind the resin front panel. In this case, an IC card reader / writer capable of preventing a metal plate from causing irregular reflection of radio waves between the read / write circuit and the antenna and causing problems such as reading failure, and IC card handling provided with the same A device is provided.

  In order to achieve the above object, an IC card reader / writer according to the present invention includes a read / write circuit, a casing having a built-in antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves between the read / write circuit and the IC card, An IC card holder disposed in the front portion, and an attachment portion disposed on the back surface of the casing, the attachment portion having a plurality of protrusions protruding rearward from the back surface of the casing, Each protrusion has a screw fixing hole.

  According to the IC card reader / writer of the present invention, when the IC card reader / writer with the holder is assembled to the resin front panel having the metal plate disposed on the back surface, the metal plate is placed between the read / write circuit and the antenna. It is possible to prevent problems such as reading failure and writing failure by causing irregular reflection and interference of radio waves.

(A) And (b) is the perspective view from the front which shows the structure of the reader / writer for IC cards which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and the perspective view from the back. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the attachment state of the reader / writer for IC cards. (A) (b) And (c) is principal part sectional drawing which shows the structural example in the case of screwing a metal member etc. to a protrusion. (A) And (b) is a back side perspective view which shows the structure of the reader / writer for IC cards which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the option part to which this embodiment is applied. (A) And (b) is the front view and right view of the conventional automatic ticket vending machine. (A) And (b) is the front side perspective view of the conventional IC card holder, and a rear view. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the attachment structure of the conventional reader / writer for IC cards.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.
1A and 1B are a perspective view from the front and a perspective view from the back, respectively, showing the configuration of an IC card reader / writer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows this IC card reader. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the attachment state of a writer. The description will be made with reference to the vending machine (IC card handling device) 100 shown in FIG.

An IC card reader / writer (hereinafter referred to as a “reader / writer”) 1 includes a substantially box-shaped main body 2 formed of resin, and an IC card holder (hereinafter referred to as an arch shape) projecting forward from the front lower portion of the main body. , A holder) 20.
The back surface of the main body 2 is fixed to the front surface of a money handling device (IC card handling device) 100 such as a vending machine shown in FIG.
The main body 2 is provided on the front surface of the main body 2, a casing 3, a read / write circuit that is arranged in the casing 3 and reads / writes recorded information on the IC card C in a non-contact manner, and an antenna. And a read / write surface 10. By inserting the IC card C into the space S formed between the read / write surface 10 and the holder 20 and bringing it close to the read / write surface 10, the read / write circuit can read / write the recorded information to / from the IC card. .

The IC card C is a non-contact type recording medium (RFID) and is used for various applications such as a boarding card, an electronic money card, an authentication card, and the like.
In addition to ID information, the IC card C stores various types of information according to applications, and exchanges information with the IC card reader / writer 1 through wireless communication using electromagnetic fields, radio waves, or the like. Thus, information can be read, written and rewritten.
The printed circuit board 4 is equipped with an IC that performs transmission / reception and polling control of electromagnetic waves including a read / write circuit, and a loop antenna that mediates transmission / reception of electromagnetic waves. The loop antenna mounted on the board constantly transmits electromagnetic waves, and the IC card antenna placed close to the outside of the read / write surface 10 receives the electromagnetic waves to drive the energy of the electromagnetic waves as a power source. Information is exchanged between the reader / writer and the IC card.
The holder 20 according to this example is substantially Y-shaped, and is spaced apart from the read / write surface to form a space S for inserting an IC card between the read / write surface.

A reader / writer 1 according to the present embodiment includes a read / write circuit, a casing 3 having a built-in antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves between the read / write circuit and the IC card, and an IC card holder disposed at the front of the casing. 20 and a mounting portion 25 disposed on the back surface of the casing. Further, the mounting portion 25 has a plurality of protrusions 26 protruding rearward from the back surface of the casing 3, and screw fixing holes 26 a are formed in each protrusion.
As shown in FIG. 6, the front panel (resin panel) 111 of the option unit 110 of the vending machine 100 is made of a resin plate. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a reinforcing metal plate (metal member) 60 is disposed behind the front panel 111 by a predetermined distance L.

The resin panel 111 has openings 111a through which the protrusions 26 penetrate to the metal plate 60 side. The metal plate 60 has mounting holes 61 at positions corresponding to the screw holes 26a of the protrusions 26, respectively. Has been. The opening 111a may have a wide opening area through which all the protrusions penetrate as shown in the figure, or may be a small hole through which each protrusion penetrates.
The reader / writer 1 can be fixed to the metal plate 60 by screwing (fixing) the screw 63 inserted from the attachment hole 61 into the screw hole 26a. For this reason, the attachment strength of the reader / writer is not reduced by the load applied when the IC card C is attached to or detached from the reader / writer 1. Further, since the distance between the printed board 4 and the metal plate 60 in the casing can be separated by the protrusion length of the protrusion 26, the read / write accuracy generated by the electromagnetic wave emitted from the printed board 4 being reflected by the metal plate. Can be prevented.

Next, FIGS. 3A, 3 </ b> B, and 3 </ b> C are main part cross-sectional views illustrating a configuration example when a metal member or the like is screwed to the protrusion.
FIG. 3A shows a screw fixing hole 26a provided in the protrusion 26 as a cylindrical hole with a smooth inner surface. By screwing a tapping screw 63a into this cylindrical hole (by cutting a screw), The case where the metal plate (metal member) 60 is fixed is shown. In this case, the protrusion 26 is made of resin.
FIG. 3B shows a screw fixing hole 26a provided in the protrusion 26 as a screw hole having a female screw on the inner wall, and the metal plate 60 is fixed by screwing a screw 63b into the screw hole. Shows the case. The protrusions in this case may be made of resin or metal.
FIG. 3C shows a female screw state in which a nut 26b, which is a separate member, is fixed to the inside (large diameter portion) of a screw fixing hole (stepped hole) 26a provided in the protrusion 26. The case where the metal plate 60 is fixed by screwing a screw 63b to the female screw portion of the nut 26b is shown. The nut is preferably made of metal in view of strength, but may be a resin having high strength.
As described above, the screw fixing hole 26a may have any configuration as long as the screw can be fixed.

Next, FIGS. 4A and 4B are rear perspective views showing the configuration of an IC card reader / writer according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 shows an optional part to which this embodiment is applied. It is a disassembled perspective view. In addition, it demonstrates, referring also the structure of FIG.
Another configuration example when the IC card reader / writer 1 according to the present invention is assembled to the front surface of the option unit 110 in the vending machine (IC card handling device) 100 shown in FIG. 6 will be described below.

  This IC card handling apparatus 100 includes a resin front panel (resin panel) 111 that supports the IC card reader / writer 1 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and a metal member disposed on the back side of the front panel. 70. The front panel 111 is formed with an opening 111a through which each protrusion 26 of the reader / writer 1 passes through to the metal member 70 side. The metal member 70 is provided with an opening portion (opening portion for avoiding radio wave interference) 75 over an area range facing at least the printed circuit board 4 (communication circuit and antenna) in the casing 3. Further, a metal relay frame body 80 having an opening 85 that connects each projection 26 of the casing and the metal member 70 and communicates with the opening 75 of the metal member is provided.

In this embodiment, the deterioration of read / write accuracy is prevented by not arranging a metal member that causes radio wave interference behind the printed circuit board. Note that the back of the printed circuit board includes not only a range in which the outer peripheral outline of the printed circuit board is extended rearward but also a wide range in which radio wave interference is likely to occur due to the position of the read / write circuit and the antenna.
First, the metal member 70 constitutes an optional part 110, and a square mounting frame 72 projects vertically upward from the front end edge of the horizontal frame 71. The attachment frame 72 has a horizontally long opening 72a, and an individual metal frame 73 for attaching individual option units is detachably disposed in the opening 72a. In this example, since the reader / writer 1 is attached as an optional unit, the individual metal frame 73 corresponding to the size is screwed and fixed at a corresponding position in the opening 72a. The individual metal frame 73 has an opening 75 for avoiding radio wave interference with the printed circuit board 4 in the reader / writer.
The relay frame 80 is made of metal, and is a part of the opening 85 corresponding to the rear of the printed circuit board 4 on the reader / writer side. The relay frame 80 includes a lower member 82 screwed to the screw holes 26a of the lower two protrusions 26 on the back surface of the casing, and an upper member 84 screwed to the screw holes 26a of the upper two protrusions 26. And is composed of.
By fastening the attachment holes provided in the lower member 82 and the upper member 84 with the screws 90 in a state where they are communicated with the screw holes 26a, the relay frame body 80 can be fixed to the casing (projection 26).

Further, the lower member 82 is provided with mounting holes 72a corresponding to the mounting holes 72a of the mounting frame 72, that is, the individual metal frame 73, and the mounting holes 73a and 82a communicate with each other. By screwing in the state, the reader / writer 1 can be fixed to the metal member 70 via the relay frame 80.
By making the attachment hole 82a (or / and the attachment hole 73a) a long hole extending in the front-rear direction, the distance between the individual metal frame 73 and the reader / writer can be adjusted.
As apparent from FIGS. 4 and 5, when the reader / writer 1 is assembled to the metal member 70 via the relay frame 80, the casing 3 is not fixed to the front panel 111, and the relay frame It is fixed to the metal member 70 via 80. For this reason, sufficient attachment strength and durability can be secured.
Moreover, since the opening part 85 and the opening part 75 are located in the back of the printed circuit board 4 and there is no metal material, it becomes possible to prevent the reading-and-reading precision fall by radio wave interference.

[Summary of Configuration, Action, and Effect of the Present Invention]
An IC card reader / writer according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a casing 3 including a read / write circuit and an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves between the read / write circuit and the IC card, and a front portion of the casing. The IC card holder 20 and a mounting portion 25 disposed on the back surface of the casing. The mounting portion 25 has a plurality of protrusions 26 projecting rearward from the back surface of the casing. Is formed with a screw fixing hole 26a.
When an IC card reader / writer in which a read / write circuit and an antenna are arranged in a casing and an IC card holder is arranged on the front side of the casing is attached to the front panel of an IC card handling device such as a vending machine, the IC card handling device Radio wave interference caused by the close distance between the metal member on the side, the read / write circuit, and the antenna becomes a problem. In the present invention, since the protrusion 26 (screw fixing hole 26a) is provided, the protrusion can be directly screw-fixed to the metal member, and the metal member, the read / write circuit, and the antenna are provided by the length of the protrusion. It is possible to ensure a large distance.
Therefore, it is possible to prevent the reader / writer from needing to be operated due to radio wave interference such as reading failure and writing failure.

An IC card handling device according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises a resin panel 111 on which the IC card reader / writer according to claim 1 is disposed, and a metal member 60 disposed on the back side of the resin panel. The provided resin panel has openings 111a through which the protrusions 26 penetrate to the metal member side. The metal member 60 has mounting holes 61 at positions corresponding to the screw fixing holes 26a. The IC card holder 20 is fixed to the metal member by fixing the screw 63 inserted from each mounting hole to the screw fixing hole.
An IC card handling device is a device such as a vending machine that can use an IC card as an electronic money card.
When the reader / writer 1 is directly fixed to the resin panel 111, there is a possibility that the mounting portion may be damaged by a load applied when the IC card is attached to or detached from the holder, and the holder may be loose or come off. Therefore, a metal member is disposed at a position spaced apart from the back surface of the resin panel, and the protrusion 26 protruding from the back surface of the reader / writer 1 is fixed to the metal member. For this reason, it is possible to secure a large distance between the metal member, the read / write circuit, and the antenna by the length of the protrusion, and prevent malfunctions of the reader / writer such as reading failure and writing failure due to radio wave interference. be able to.

The IC card handling apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention includes a resin panel 111 on which the IC card reader / writer 1 is disposed, and a metal member 70 disposed on the back side of the resin panel, and the resin panel. Are formed with openings 111a through which the protrusions 26 penetrate to the metal member side, and the metal member is provided with an opening 75 at least over an area range facing the communication circuit and the antenna. Each of the projections and the metal member are connected to each other, and a metal relay frame body 80 having an opening 85 communicating with the opening of the metal member is provided.
When the reader / writer 1 is assembled to the metal member 70 via the relay frame body 80, the casing 3 is fixed to the metal member 70 via the metal relay frame body 80. For this reason, sufficient attachment strength and durability can be secured.
Moreover, since the open part 85 and the opening part 75 are located behind the printed circuit board 4 and there is no metal that causes radio wave interference or the like, it is possible to prevent a decrease in read / write accuracy due to radio wave interference. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... IC card reader / writer, 2 ... Main body, 3 ... Casing, 4 ... Printed circuit board, 10 ... Read / write surface, 20 ... IC card holder, 25 ... Mounting part, 26 ... Projection, 26a ... Screw fixing hole, 26 ... Nut, 60 ... Metal plate (metal member), 61 ... Mounting hole, 63 ... Screw, 70 ... Metal member, 71 ... Horizontal frame, 72 ... Frame, 72a ... Opening, 73 ... Individual metal frame, 73a ... mounting hole, 75 ... opening, 80 ... relay frame, 82 ... lower member, 82a ... mounting hole, 84 ... upper member, 85 ... opening, 90 ... screw, 100 ... vending machine (IC card handling device) , 101 ... Device main body, 102 ... Operation panel, 110 ... Optional part, 111 ... Resin panel (front panel), 111a ... Opening, 112 ... IC card reader / writer, 113 ... Casing, 114 ... Substrate 117 ... IC card holder, 118a ... screw hole, 119 ... metal plate, 120 ... display unit, 121 ... bottom portion

Claims (3)

A read / write circuit, a casing containing an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves between the read / write circuit and the IC card, an IC card holder disposed at the front of the casing, and a back surface of the casing. A mounting portion,
The IC card reader / writer, wherein the mounting portion has a plurality of protrusions projecting rearward from the back surface of the casing, and each of the protrusions is formed with a screw fixing hole. . An IC card handling device comprising: a resin panel on which the IC card reader / writer according to claim 1 is disposed; and a metal member disposed on the back side of the resin panel,
The resin panel is formed with an opening that penetrates the protrusions toward the metal member.
The metal member has mounting holes formed at positions corresponding to the screw fixing holes of the protrusions, respectively.
An IC card handling apparatus, wherein the IC card holder is fixed to the metal member by fixing screws inserted from the mounting holes to the screw fixing holes. An IC card handling device comprising: a resin panel on which the IC card reader / writer according to claim 1 is disposed; and a metal member disposed on the back side of the resin panel,
The resin panel is formed with an opening that penetrates the protrusions toward the metal member.
The metal member is provided with an opening over at least an area range facing the communication circuit and the antenna,
An IC card handling device comprising a metal relay frame that connects each protrusion of the casing and the metal member and has an open portion that communicates with the opening of the metal member.

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