JP6928311B2 - Card transfer device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a card carrier device that can be applied when, for example, a card including an IC chip or a magnetic tape is taken in, the IC chip or the magnetic tape is read / written, and the card is ejected after the reading / writing is completed.

Conventionally, as a plate-shaped card transfer device, a card is sandwiched and conveyed in the thickness direction by a belt or a roller provided on the card transfer path so as to come into contact with the front surface and / or the back surface of the plate surface of the card. The structure was common.

However, the surface of the card is provided with a card number or the like by embossing unevenness or the like, or is provided with a magnetic stripe. Recently, an IC card in which an IC chip is embedded in the surface of the card or a signature line Some cards are provided with a hologram, and some cards are printed with designs such as characters and have added value in terms of design.

Therefore, if the card transfer device has a structure in which the card is sandwiched and conveyed in the thickness direction thereof, the IC chip may be damaged or the embossing of the unevenness may be damaged by the belt or the roller when the card is conveyed. was there. Further, even if the signature line, the hologram, and the design of the card surface are not damaged or damaged, the design of the card surface is soiled by the belt or the roller, and there is a problem that the user dislikes it. Further, if the card is sandwiched in the thickness direction, the presence of the belt and the roller becomes an obstacle, and there is a problem that the space for providing the device for reading the IC chip cannot be secured.

In particular, recent cards have a composite card configuration in which a magnetic stripe, an IC chip, and emboss are formed on one card, and the positions of the magnetic stripe, IC chip, and emboss formed on the surface of the card. Is often different depending on the issuer and type of card, so it was difficult to install a roller or belt in a position avoiding them.

Therefore, as a card transfer device that solves the above problems, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-271922) and Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-187710) have an end face orthogonal to the plate surface of the card. , The one configured so that the peripheral surfaces of the drive roller and the pinch roller come into contact with each other has been proposed.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a main part of the card transfer device disclosed in Patent Document 2, and FIG. 7A is a main part seen from a direction orthogonal to the plate surface of the plate-shaped card 200. 7 (B) is a diagram showing a main part viewed from a direction parallel to the plate surface direction of the card 200. In FIG. 7, 300 and 301 are drive rollers, 303 and 305 are pinch rollers, and 102 to 107 are guide members for guiding the transfer of the card 200 to the arrow A.

The drive rollers 300 and 301 are configured to rotate about the rotation shafts 208 and 209, respectively, by a drive source (motor) (not shown). The drive rollers 300 and 301 are arranged so that their peripheral surfaces face each other and come into contact with one of the long side end faces of the card 200. As shown in FIG. 7B, the axial directions of the rotation axes 208 and 209 of the drive rollers 300 and 301 are set to be orthogonal to the plate surface of the card 200.

The pinch rollers 303 and 305 are arranged so that the peripheral surfaces face each other and come into contact with the other long side end surface (parallel to one long side end surface) of the card 200, and the pinch rollers 303 are provided by the leaf springs 307 and 307. And 305 support shafts 304 and 306 are pressed against the end face side of the card 200.

In the above configuration, the rotation shafts 208 and 209 of the drive rollers 300 and 301 are rotationally driven by a drive source (motor) (not shown), so that the guide members 102 to 107 are rotated in combination with the rotation of the pinch rollers 303 and 305. The card 200 is conveyed in the direction of arrow A along the line. Therefore, since the card 200 is conveyed by the drive rollers 300 and 301 that come into contact with the end faces of the card 200, the rollers do not come into contact with the plate surface of the card 200, and the magnetic stripes and ICs formed on the card 200. The tip and emboss will not be damaged.

The card transfer device disclosed in Patent Document 1 also has a structure substantially similar to the structure of Patent Document 2 described above, and the peripheral surface of the drive roller contacts the end surface of the card to convey the card.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-271922 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-187710

By the way, in the case of Patent Document 2 (the same applies to Patent Document 1), the axial direction of the rotation axes 208 and 209 of the drive rollers 300 and 301 is orthogonal to the plate surface of the card 200 as shown in FIG. 7 (B). It is in the direction of doing. Since the drive rollers 300 and 301 do not generally move in the axial direction, the end face of the card 200 is driven at the same position in the axial direction of the peripheral surfaces of the drive rollers 300 and 301. It comes into contact with the rollers 300 and 301.

Therefore, the contact portion of the peripheral surfaces of the drive rollers 300 and 301 with the end surface of the card 200 is a width W portion corresponding to the thickness of the card 200, as shown by diagonal lines in FIG. 7B. That is, the contact portion of the peripheral surface of the drive rollers 300 and 301 with the end surface of the card 200 is a disk portion orthogonal to the rotation axes 208 and 209 of the drive rollers 300 and 301, and the thickness is the thickness of the card 200. It is the outer peripheral surface of the disk portion equal to the width W of the minute. Then, the peripheral surface of the disk portion of the peripheral surface of the drive rollers 300 and 301 is always the contact portion with the end surface of the card 200.

Therefore, the peripheral surface of the disk portion of the drive rollers 300, 301 having a thickness of W is in contact with the end surface of the card 200 each time the card 200 is conveyed, and is worn. If the drive rollers 300 and 301 are significantly worn, the card 200 may not be able to be conveyed satisfactorily. Therefore, the drive rollers 300 and 301 need to be replaced. However, in the case of Patent Document 2, the drive rollers 300 and 301 need to be replaced. However, since the strip-shaped portion having the same thickness W as the card 200 wears every time the card 200 is conveyed, the progress of the wear becomes faster and the drive roller needs to be replaced more frequently. There is.

An object of the present invention is to provide a card transfer device capable of solving the above problems.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention
A drive roller whose peripheral surface abuts on an end surface orthogonal to the plate surface of the plate-shaped card and a rotation drive mechanism for rotationally driving the drive roller are provided. In a card transport device that transports in a direction parallel to the plate surface,
The center line of the rotation axis of the drive roller is included in the plane orthogonal to the plate surface of the card, and the axial direction of the rotation axis of the drive roller is orthogonal to the plate surface of the card. Provided is a card transfer device characterized in that it is arranged so as to form a predetermined non-zero angle with respect to a direction.

According to the invention of the above-described configuration, the axial direction of the rotation axis of the drive roller is arranged at a predetermined angle other than zero with respect to the direction orthogonal to the plate surface of the card. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 4 described later, when the axial direction of the rotation axis of the drive roller is set to a predetermined angle θ (θ> 0) with respect to the direction orthogonal to the card transport direction, the drive is driven. The peripheral surface of the roller is the end surface of the card in a region having a width Wa wider than the end surface of the card by R · tan θ, where R is the diameter of the drive roller, which is wider than the width Wo of the thickness of the card. Contact with.

Since the rotation angle position of the peripheral surface of the drive roller that starts contact with the card is arbitrary in each card transfer, the contact portion between the peripheral surface of the drive roller and the end surface of the card has a width Wa shown in FIG. Within the region of, each time, the width Wo portions (partially overlap) at different positions in the axial direction of the drive roller. That is, since the contact portion of the peripheral surface of the drive roller with the end surface of the card is different each time within the region of the width Wa shown in FIG. 4, the portion worn on the peripheral surface of the drive roller is also different each time.

Therefore, conventionally, the portion of the peripheral surface of the drive roller having the width Wo at the same position in the axial direction of the drive roller comes into contact with the card and wears at the same position, so that the rate of deterioration due to wear increases. On the other hand, according to the present invention, since the worn portion of the peripheral surface of the drive roller is dispersed, the progress of deterioration due to the wear of the peripheral surface of the drive roller is slowed down. Therefore, the wear resistance characteristics of the drive roller are improved, and the replacement time of the drive roller can be delayed as compared with the conventional case.

According to the present invention, since the axial direction of the rotation axis of the drive roller is arranged at a predetermined angle other than zero with respect to the direction orthogonal to the card transport direction, the wear resistance characteristics of the drive roller. The effect is that the replacement time of the drive roller can be delayed compared to the conventional case.

It is a figure for demonstrating the structural example of the main part of the 1st Embodiment of the card transfer apparatus by this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the structural example of the main part of the 1st Embodiment of the card transfer apparatus by this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the structural example of the drive mechanism part of the drive roller of the 1st Embodiment of the card transfer apparatus by this invention. It is a figure used for demonstrating the effect of the 1st Embodiment of the card transfer apparatus by this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the structural example of the drive mechanism part of the drive roller of the 2nd Embodiment of the card transfer apparatus by this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the structural example of the main part of the 1st Embodiment of the card transfer apparatus by this invention. It is a figure which shows the configuration example of an example of the conventional card transfer apparatus.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the card transfer device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, in the example described below, the card conveyed by the card transfer device according to the present invention has a rectangular outer shape and a plate-like body having a constant thickness, and is made of, for example, hard plastic. There is. An IC chip is provided on one side (the surface is the surface) of the card plate surface (the surface orthogonal to the thickness direction), and the card number or the like is formed as embossing of irregularities.

[First Embodiment]
A first embodiment of the card transfer device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. 1 is a view of a main part of the card transfer device 10 of the first embodiment as viewed from a direction orthogonal to the plate surface of the card 20. Further, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. It is a figure seen from. Further, FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a transport mechanism portion of the card transport device 10 of the first embodiment, which is viewed from a direction along the plate surface of the card 20 and orthogonal to the transport direction of the card 20. It is a figure. Further, FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the improvement of wear resistance characteristics in the card transfer device 10 of the first embodiment.

In this example, the card 20 is a card having a rectangular shape and a direction along the plate surface of the card 20 as shown by an arrow AR in FIG. 1 by the card transfer device 10 of the first embodiment. It is configured to be conveyed along the long side of 20. An IC chip 21 (see FIG. 1) is provided on the surface 20a of the card 20, and although not shown, the card number or the like is formed as uneven embossing. Further, although not shown, a magnetic tape or the like is formed on the back surface 20b (see FIG. 2) of the card 20.

Then, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, among the end faces 20c and 20d of the long side portions of the cards 20 facing each other, one end face 20c has a plurality of cylindrical shapes, in this example, three. The drive rollers 31, 32, and 33 of the above are arranged so that their peripheral surfaces are in contact with each other, and the pressing guide member 40 attaches the card 20 to the other end surface 20d from the other end surface 20d. It is arranged so as to press against one end face 20c side.

The cylindrical drive rollers 31, 32 and 33 have elasticity and are made of an elastic material such as rubber that comes into contact with the end face 20c of the card 20 with a predetermined frictional force. The drive rollers 31, 32, and 33 are attached to the rotating shafts 34, 35, and 36 penetrating the cylindrical center line positions, respectively, and the rotating shafts 34, 35, and 36 are rotated as described later. Each of them is rotationally driven so that the card 20 can be conveyed.

Then, in this embodiment, the peripheral surfaces of the drive rollers 31, 32 and 33 are in line (or plane) contact with the end surface 20c of the card 20, and the rotating shafts 34, 35 and 36 are shown in FIG. As shown in the above, the cards 20 are arranged so as to form a predetermined angle θ (θ> 0) with respect to the direction orthogonal to the plate surfaces (surfaces 20a and 20b) of the card 20.

That is, in the case of this first embodiment, the center lines of the rotation axes 34, 35 and 36 of the drive rollers 31, 32 and 33 are included in the plane orthogonal to the plate surface of the card 20. At the same time, the direction of the center line (axis center direction) of the rotation axes 34, 35, and 36 is configured to be tilted at an inclination angle θ with respect to the direction orthogonal to the plate surface of the card 20. Then, in this first embodiment, the center lines of the rotating shafts 34, 35, and 36 are made parallel to each other. That is, in this first embodiment, the rotation shafts 34, 35 and 36 of the drive rollers 31, 32 and 33 are tilted at the same tilt angle θ and in the same direction in the transport direction of the card 20.

Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the drive rollers 31, 32 and 33 are arranged between the distance La shorter than the length Lo in the long side direction of the card 20, and the drive roller 32 is the drive roller 31. It is arranged at an intermediate position between the drive roller 33 and the drive roller 33.

Then, in this embodiment, guide members 11, 12, 13, and 14 are arranged at positions along the end face 20c of the card 20 to be conveyed, except for the arrangement positions of the drive rollers 31 and 32. It is installed. Guide grooves 11a, 12a, 13a, 14a having a width slightly larger than the thickness Wo (see FIG. 2) of the card 20 are formed in these guide members 11, 12, 13, 14 and are end faces of the card 20. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the 20c side is configured to be fitted into the guide grooves 11a, 12a, 13a, 14a.

Further, the pressing guide member 40 provided so as to face the other end surface 20d side of the card 20 is also formed with a guide groove 40a having a width slightly larger than the thickness Wo of the card 20. The end face 20d side of the above is configured to be fitted into the guide groove 40a as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The guide grooves 11a, 12a, 13a, 14a and 40a of the guide members 11, 12, 13, 14 and the pressing guide member 40 are slippery so that the end faces 20c and 20d of the card 20 can be smoothly guided. It is coated with material. The guide members 11, 12, 13, 14 and the pressing guide member 40 itself may each be made of a material having good slipperiness so that the card 20 can be smoothly guided.

Then, as shown in FIG. 2, spring members 42 and 43 are provided between the fixing member 41 fixed to the housing of the card transport device 10 of this embodiment and the pressing guide member 40. The spring members 42 and 43 are configured so that the pressing guide member 40 elastically deflects the card 20 toward the three drive rollers 31, 32 and 33. In this case, the fixing member 41 has stoppers 44 that engage with both ends of the pressing member 40 in the transport direction in order to regulate the displacement positions of the pressing guide member 40 toward the three drive rollers 31, 32 and 33. , 45 are provided. The stoppers 44 and 45 regulate the distance between the pressing guide member 40 and the three drive rollers 31, 32 and 33 so that the card 20 can be inserted between them.

Due to the position regulation by the stopper 44, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the card 20 is placed between the guide grooves 11a to 14a of the guide members 11 to 14 and the drive rollers 31, 32, 33 and the pressing guide member 40. It is possible to insert it in. When the card 20 is pushed in, the pressing guide member 40 is displaced toward the fixing member 41 against the elastic force of the spring members 42, 43, so that the card 20 is displaced by the pressing guide member 40 and the drive rollers 31, 32, It is inserted into the transport path between 33 and 33.

The rotation shafts 34 to 36 of the drive rollers 31 to 33 are rotationally driven by a drive mechanism as shown in FIG. 3, and the card 20 is conveyed.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the drive mechanism of the card transfer device 10 of the first embodiment, one motor 51 is configured to rotationally drive three drive rollers 31 to 33.

That is, in this embodiment, the rotating shaft 51a of the motor 51 is attached with the umbrella gear 52 in this example, and the rotating shaft 34 of the drive roller 31 is attached with the umbrella gear 53 that meshes with the umbrella gear 52. ing. A pulley 54 is also attached to the rotating shaft 34 of the drive roller 31.

Further, two pulleys 56 and 57 are attached to the rotating shaft 35 of the drive roller 32. Then, the belt 55 is suspended between the pulley 54 attached to the rotating shaft 34 of the drive roller 31 and the pulley 56 attached to the rotating shaft 35 of the drive roller 32. The pulley 54 and the pulley 56 are attached to the rotating shaft 34 and the rotating shaft 35, respectively, so as to exist on the same plane in the direction orthogonal to the rotating shaft 34 and the rotating shaft 35.

A pulley 59 is attached to the rotating shaft 36 of the drive roller 33. Then, the belt 58 is suspended between the pulley 57 attached to the rotating shaft 35 of the drive roller 32 and the pulley 59 attached to the rotating shaft 36 of the drive roller 33. The pulley 57 and the pulley 59 are attached to the rotating shaft 35 and the rotating shaft 36, respectively, so as to exist on the same plane in the direction orthogonal to the rotating shaft 35 and the rotating shaft 36.

Both ends of the rotating shafts 34, 35, 36 penetrating the drive rollers 31, 32, 33 are rotatably supported by bearing portions (not shown).

Further, as shown by the dotted lines in FIGS. 1 and 2, the position above the surface 20a of the card 20 in the card transfer path of the card transfer device 10 is not set with respect to the IC chip 21 of the card 20 in this example. A reader / writer unit 15 for reading and writing by contact is provided. In this case, the reader / writer unit 15 may be at a position facing the front surface 20a of the card 20 or at a position facing the back surface 20b of the card 20, as in the example of FIG.

In the card transfer device 10 of the first embodiment, in FIG. 1, the card 20 inserted from the right side is placed on the left side to a predetermined position where the IC chip 21 of the card 20 can be read and written by the reader / writer unit 15. When the reader / writer unit 15 finishes reading and writing the IC chip 21 of the card 20, the card 20 is transported from the left side to the right side and ejected.

That is, as shown in FIG. 1, a sensor 16 for detecting the insertion of the card 20 is provided on the side where the card 20 is inserted, and when the sensor 16 detects the insertion of the card 20, it is shown in the figure. The controller of the card transfer device 10 controls the motor 51 to be rotationally driven.

Then, the gear 53 meshing with the umbrella gear 52 attached to the rotating shaft 51a of the motor 51 rotates, and the rotating shaft 34 of the drive roller 31 rotates in the clockwise direction in this example. The rotation of the rotation shaft 34 of the drive roller 31 is transmitted to the rotation shaft 35 of the drive roller 32 via the pulley 54, the pulley 56 and the belt 55. Further, the rotation of the rotation shaft 35 of the drive roller 32 is transmitted to the rotation shaft 36 of the drive roller 33 via the pulley 57, the pulley 59 and the belt 58.

As described above, the rotation drive of the motor 51 causes the three drive rollers 31, 32, 33 to rotate in the clockwise direction. In this case, the peripheral surfaces of the three drive rollers 31, 32, 33 are made to come into contact with the end surface 20c of the card 20, and the pressing guide member 40 allows the card 20 to drive the end surface 20c of the end surface 20c. , 32, 33 are pressed toward the peripheral surface side. Therefore, the card 20 is guided by the guide grooves 11a, 12a, 13a, 14a of the guide portions 11, 12, 13, 14 and the guide grooves 40a of the pressing guide member 40 by the rotation of the three drive rollers 31, 32, 33. However, in FIG. 1, in this example, it is transported from the right side to the left side. As a result, the card 20 is taken into the card transport device 10, and when the card 20 is transported to the predetermined position, it is detected by a sensor (not shown), and the motor 51 is rotationally driven by the controller. Is controlled to stop.

Then, when the reader / writer unit 15 finishes reading and writing the IC chip 21 of the card 20, the controller rotates and drives the motor 51 in the direction opposite to that when the card 20 is taken in. Then, the rotation shafts 34, 35, 36 of the drive rollers 31, 32, 33 rotate counterclockwise in this example, so that the card 20 is conveyed from the left side to the right side in FIG. 1, and the card 20 is moved. , Discharge from the card transfer device 10.

In this case, the rotation axes 34, 35, 36 of the drive rollers 31, 32, 33 have a predetermined non-zero angle with respect to the direction orthogonal to the plate surface (front surface 20a or back surface 20b) of the card 20 being conveyed. It is designed to form θ. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the peripheral surfaces of the drive rollers 31, 32, 33 are such that the end surface 20c of the card 20 is larger than the width of the thickness Wo of the card 20. When the diameter is R, it comes into contact with the end face 20c of the card 20 in a region having a width Wa (Wa = Wo + R.tanθ) wider by R · tanθ.

Since the rotation angle positions of the peripheral surfaces of the drive rollers 31, 32, 33 that start contact with the card 20 are arbitrary in each card transfer, the peripheral surfaces of the drive rollers 31, 32, 33 and the end surfaces of the cards The contact portion is a portion (partially overlapped) of the width Wo at different positions in the axial direction of the drive rollers 31, 32, 33 each time within the region of the width Wa shown in FIG. That is, the contact portion of the peripheral surfaces of the drive rollers 31, 32, 33 with the end surface 20c of the card 20 is different each time within the region of the width Wa shown in FIG. 4, and the peripheral surfaces of the drive rollers 31, 32, 33 are different each time. The part to be worn will also be different each time.

Therefore, in the card transfer device 10 of the first embodiment described above, the worn portions of the peripheral surfaces of the drive rollers 31, 32, 33 are dispersed as different portions each time, so that the drive rollers 31, 32, 33, The progress of deterioration due to wear of the peripheral surface of 33 is slowed down. As a result, the wear resistance characteristics of the drive rollers 31, 32, 33 are improved, and the replacement time of the drive rollers 31, 32, 33 can be delayed as compared with the conventional case.

Further, in the card transfer device 10 of the first embodiment described above, since the drive mechanism is configured to rotationally drive a plurality of drive rollers 31, 32, 33 by one motor, each drive is performed. Compared with the case where each of the rollers 31, 32, and 33 is driven by separate motors, it is possible to prevent the card transfer device from becoming large in size and to reduce the cost. Needless to say, the rotary shafts 34, 35, 36 of the drive rollers 31, 32, 33 may be rotationally driven by separate motors.

Further, in the card transfer device 10 of the first embodiment described above, in addition to the two drive rollers 31 and 33 at both ends in the transfer direction, an intermediate drive roller 32 is provided, and the rotation of the intermediate drive roller 32 is provided. Two pulleys 56 and 57 are provided on the shaft 35, and the pulleys 54 and 59 attached to the rotation shafts of the drive rollers 31 and 33 on both sides are connected to the pulleys 54 and 59 by belts 55 and 58 for transmitting rotation. It was configured. As a result, the length of the rotation shaft of the drive roller 33 is shortened as compared with the case where the belt is suspended between the pulleys attached to the rotation shafts 34 and 36 of the two drive rollers 31 and 33 at both ends in the transport direction. This makes it possible to prevent the card transfer device 10 from becoming large in size.

[Modified example of the first embodiment]
In the first embodiment described above, the number of intermediate drive rollers between the two drive rollers 31 and 33 at both ends in the transport direction is one, but the number may be two or more. Even in that case, the configuration in which two pulleys are attached to the rotating shaft of the intermediate drive roller and the belt is suspended between the pulleys attached to the rotating shafts of the drive rollers on both sides thereof is described above. This is the same as the one intermediate drive roller 32 in the example.

In the first embodiment described above, an intermediate drive roller is provided between the two drive rollers 31 and 33 at both ends in the transport direction, but the two drive rollers are not configured as the drive rollers. Only the rotating shaft to which the pulley is attached may be provided instead of the intermediate drive roller.

Further, in the above-described first embodiment, the pressing guide member 40 is provided on the end surface 20d side opposite to the end surface 20c of the card 20 with which the drive rollers 31, 32, 33 abut. Instead of the member 40, a pinch roller may be arranged as in the conventional card transfer device described with reference to FIG. 7.

Further, in the above-described first embodiment, the umbrella gear is used to transmit the rotation of the motor 51 to the drive roller 31, but the mechanism for transmitting the rotation of the motor 51 to the drive roller 31 is as a mechanism. The present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the rotary shaft 34 of the drive roller 31 may be used as the rotary shaft of the motor 51, and the drive roller 31 may be configured to be directly rotationally driven by the motor 51.

[Second Embodiment]
In the card transfer device 10 of the first embodiment described above, the axial direction of the rotation shafts 34, 35, 36 of the drive rollers 31, 32, 33 is predetermined with respect to the direction orthogonal to the plate surface of the card 20. The tilt angle θ (θ> 0) is formed, and the rotation axes 34, 35, and 36 are in a state of being parallel to each other. That is, the rotation shafts 34, 35, 36 of the drive rollers 31, 32, 33 are tilted and attached in the same direction in the transport direction of the card 20. Therefore, in the card transfer device 10, if the guide grooves 11a, 12a, 13a, 14a and 40a do not exist, the card 20 may be displaced in the direction orthogonal to the plate surface during transfer. In the case of the above-mentioned example of FIG. 3, the card 20 is always conveyed in a state of being pressed against the back surface 20b side when it is taken into the card transfer device 10, and when it is ejected from the card transfer device 10. Is always transported in a state of being pushed up toward the surface 20a.

The second embodiment provides a card transfer device 60 that improves on this point. 5 and 6 are views for explaining a configuration of a main part of the card transfer device 60 of the second embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a diagram for driving the card transfer device 60 of the second embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the mechanism part (corresponding to FIG. 3 of the card transfer apparatus 10 of 1st Embodiment), and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of BB in FIG. In the configuration of the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those of the first embodiment described above, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in the card transfer device 60 of the second embodiment, as the drive rollers, two drive rollers 61 and 62 whose peripheral surfaces are in contact with the end surface 20c of the card 20 are provided. Be prepared. Then, in the second embodiment, the axial direction of the rotation shafts 63, 64 of the two drive rollers 61, 62 is the direction orthogonal to the plate surface of the card 20, as in the first embodiment described above. On the other hand, the card 20 is arranged so as to be tilted at an angle θa larger than zero, and the tilt angles θa are opposite to each other in the transport direction of the card 20.

That is, also in the case of this second embodiment, the center lines of the rotation axes 63 and 64 of the drive rollers 61 and 62 are included in the plane orthogonal to the plate surface of the card 20 and are said to be the same. The direction of the center lines of the rotation axes 63 and 64 (axis center direction) is tilted at an inclination angle θa with respect to the direction orthogonal to the plate surface of the card 20, and is tilted in opposite directions in the card transport direction. ing. For example, in the example of FIG. 5, when the inclination of the card 20 in the direction of being taken into the card transport device 60 is positive, the inclination angle of the rotation shaft 63 of the drive roller 61 is −θa, and the inclination angle of the drive roller 62 is set to −θa. The tilt angle of the rotating shaft 64 is + θa.

Then, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a disk-shaped gear 65 is attached to the rotating shaft 63 of the drive roller 61, and a disk is attached to the rotating shaft 64 of the drive roller 62. A shaped gear 66 is attached. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the umbrella gear 67 attached to the rotating shaft 51a of the motor 51 is arranged so as to mesh with the gear 65 and the gear 66. As a result, the drive roller 61 and the rotation shaft 63 and the rotation shaft 64 of the drive roller 62 are rotationally driven by one motor 51, so that the card 20 is conveyed.

Then, in this second embodiment, the guide member having the guide groove in the first embodiment is not provided. Further, the pressing guide member 40'that presses the card 20 toward the drive rollers 61 and 62 does not have a guide groove in the case of the pressing guide member 40 of the first embodiment. Instead, in this second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the front surface side displacement suppressing member 68 facing the front surface 20a of the card 20 via a predetermined gap, and the back surface 20b of the card 20 are predetermined. A back surface side displacement suppressing member 68 facing the gap is provided.

In the card transfer device 60 of the second embodiment, the reader / writer portion 15 is housed in, for example, the surface side displacement suppressing member 68, or is housed in the recess provided in the surface side displacement suppressing member 68. , Will be provided. The reader / writer portion 15 may be provided on the back surface side displacement suppressing member 69.

When the card 20 is inserted into the card transfer device 60 of the second embodiment, the insertion of the card 20 is detected by a sensor (not shown) in this example, and the controller of the card transfer device 60 rotates and drives the motor 51. do. Then, the gear 65 and the gear 66 meshing with the umbrella gear 67 attached to the rotating shaft 51a of the motor 51 rotate, and the rotating shaft 63 of the drive roller 61 and the rotating shaft 64 of the drive roller 62 are in this example. Rotate clockwise.

As a result, the card 20 is moved to the right side of FIG. 5 by the rotation of the two drive rollers 61 and 62 in which the end surface 20c of the card 20 is pressed against the peripheral surface by the pressing force from the pressing guide member 40'. Is transported to the left side. As a result, the card 20 is taken into the card transport device 60, and when the card 20 is transported to the predetermined position, it is detected by a sensor (not shown), and the motor 51 is rotationally driven by the controller. Is controlled to stop.

Then, when the reader / writer unit 15 finishes reading and writing the IC chip 21 of the card 20, the controller rotates and drives the motor 51 in the direction opposite to that when the card 20 is taken in. Then, the rotation shafts 63 and 64 of the drive rollers 61 and 62 rotate counterclockwise in this example to convey the card 20 from the left side to the right side in FIG. 1 and transfer the card 20 to the card transfer device. Discharge from 60.

In this case, the rotation shafts 63 and 64 of the drive rollers 61 and 62 are tilted in opposite directions in the card transport direction. Therefore, the card 20 which is displaced to the back surface 20b side by the drive roller 62 is displaced to the front surface 20a side by the drive roller 61 during the transfer for taking into the inside of the card transfer device 60. Therefore, the displacements to the back surface side and the front surface side are offset, and the displacement is carried out in the direction of the arrow AR. On the contrary, when the card 20 is ejected from the card transfer device 60, the card 20 displaced to the front surface 20a side by the drive roller 61 is displaced to the back surface 20b side by the drive roller 62, so that the back surface is displaced. The displacements to the side and the surface side are offset, and the displacement is carried in the direction of the arrow AR and discharged.

Then, in this second embodiment, since there is no guide groove that holds and guides the edge of the card as in the case of the first embodiment, when the card 20 is taken in, it is conveyed only by the drive roller 62. In this section, the card 20 is displaced toward the back surface 20b side, and the displacement is regulated by the back surface side displacement suppressing member 69. Further, when the card 20 is ejected, the card 20 is displaced toward the surface 20a in the section conveyed only by the drive roller 61, but the displacement is regulated by the surface side displacement suppressing member 68.

Therefore, in the second embodiment, the transport of the card 20 is guided by the front surface side displacement suppressing member 68 and the back surface side displacement suppressing member 69, so that the guide groove as in the first embodiment is unnecessary. It becomes. Instead of providing the front surface side displacement suppressing member 68 and the back surface side displacement suppressing member 69, a guide member provided with a guide groove is provided on the end surface 20c side of the card 20 and the pressing guide member 40 is provided as in the first embodiment. Instead of ′, a pressing guide member 40 provided with a guide groove 40a may be provided.

In the card transfer device 60 of the second embodiment as well, deterioration progresses due to wear of the peripheral surfaces of the drive rollers 61 and 62, similarly to the drive rollers 31, 32, 33 of the card transfer device 10 of the first embodiment. The condition is delayed, the wear resistance characteristics of the drive rollers 61 and 62 are improved, and the replacement time of the drive rollers 61 and 62 can be delayed as compared with the conventional case. In the second embodiment, the rotation shafts 63 and 64 of the drive rollers 61 and 62 are tilted in opposite directions in the card transport direction, so that the card 20 being transported is on the back surface side and the front surface side thereof. It has the effect of suppressing displacement to.

[Modified example of the second embodiment]
In the second embodiment described above, the drive rollers 61 and 62 are driven by one motor, but as in the first embodiment, the drive rollers 61 and 62 are each driven by separate motors. It may be driven.

Further, in the example of the second embodiment described above, two drive rollers are provided, and the inclination angle formed by the axial direction of the rotation axes of the two drive rollers is orthogonal to the plate surface direction of the card 20. , The card transport directions were opposite to each other. However, three or more drive rollers are provided, and the inclination angles formed by the axial direction of the rotation axes of at least two drive rollers are orthogonal to the plate surface direction of the card 20 are opposite to each other in the card transport direction. The rotation axes of the other drive rollers may be configured to be oriented in parallel with one rotation axis of the drive rollers whose inclination angles of the rotation axes are opposite to each other.

Further, also in this second embodiment, on the end surface 20d side opposite to the end surface 20c of the card 20 to which the drive rollers 61 and 62 abut, instead of the pressing guide member 40', a conventional card transfer device is used. Similarly, a pinch roller may be arranged.

Further, in the second embodiment described above, the umbrella gear is used to transmit the rotation of the motor 51 to the drive roller 61, but the mechanism for transmitting the rotation of the motor 51 to the drive roller 61 is as a mechanism. Needless to say, it is not limited to this.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the angle at which the rotating shaft 63 of the drive roller 61 is orthogonal to the plate surface of the card 20 and the angle at which the rotating shaft 64 of the drive roller 62 is orthogonal to the plate surface of the card 20. Although the directions of the angles are different, they are equal to each other. However, even if the angle at which the rotation axis 63 of the drive roller 61 is orthogonal to the plate surface of the card 20 and the angle at which the rotation axis 64 of the drive roller 62 is orthogonal to the plate surface of the card 20 are different. good.

10,60 ... card transfer device, 11,12,13,14 ... guide member, 20 ... card, 20a ... front side of card 20, 20b ... back side of card 20, 20c, 20d ... end face of card 20, 31,32, 33, 61, 62 ... Drive rollers, 34, 35, 36, 63, 64 ... Drive rollers 31, 32, 33, 61, 62 rotating shafts, 40, 40'... Pressing guide members, 51 ... Motors

Claims (4)

A drive roller whose peripheral surface abuts on an end surface orthogonal to the plate surface of the plate-shaped card and a rotation drive mechanism for rotationally driving the drive roller are provided. In a card transport device that transports in a direction parallel to the plate surface,
The center line of the rotation axis of the drive roller is included in the plane orthogonal to the plate surface of the card, and the axial direction of the rotation axis of the drive roller is orthogonal to the plate surface of the card. A card transfer device characterized in that it is arranged so as to form a predetermined non-zero angle with respect to a direction. A plurality of the driving rollers are provided so that their peripheral surfaces are in contact with the same end surface of the card.
The card transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the rotary drive mechanism is a mechanism for rotationally driving the plurality of drive rollers by a single drive motor. A plurality of the driving rollers are provided so that their peripheral surfaces are in contact with the same end surface of the card.
The plurality of drive rollers are characterized in that the angle formed by the axial direction of the rotation axis and the direction orthogonal to the transport direction is opposite to each other in the transport direction. The card transfer device according to claim 2. The card transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a guide portion facing the front surface and the back surface of the drive roller.

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