JPS5823665B2 - Magnetic card inspection device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a magnetic card inspection device, and more particularly to a device for inspecting deformation of magnetic cards used in transaction operations of financial institutions and the like.

BACKGROUND ART In recent years, the mechanization of transaction operations in financial institutions and the like has become widespread, and unmanned transaction devices such as cash withdrawal devices and cash deposit devices that enable unmanned banks are being actively developed and put into practical use.

In this type of unmanned transaction device, a magnetic card is used as a means for personal authentication and automatic input of transaction data.

The customer then inserts the magnetic transaction medium on which the data is recorded into the receptacle of the processing device.

A transaction is performed by reading the data recorded on the inserted magnetic card, and after the transaction is completed, the magnetic card is returned to the customer.

In the above-mentioned unmanned transaction operations, the magnetic cards are in the possession of the customers, so their maintenance and handling are not adequately managed, and even if they are deformed, they are left as they are.

When a card is deformed in this way, when the deformed card is put into a processing device, its information may not be completely read, or it may get stuck in the mechanism of the device, causing a malfunction of the device.

Therefore, it is essential to detect this deformation of the magnetic card.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic card inspection device that can easily inspect deformation of a magnetic card.

To achieve this objective, the magnetic card inspection device according to the present invention includes a passage through which a magnetic card having the maximum allowable curvature can pass, and a magnetic card inspection device provided on one side of the passage and movable in the width direction of the passage. a suppression lever that presses the inserted magnetic card against the other side of the passage; a release mechanism that releases the pressure on the side of the magnetic card by the pressing lever when inserting and ejecting the magnetic card; a detection lever connected to the pressing lever and displaced in response to movement of the pressing lever in the passage width direction when pressing the magnetic card;
The present invention is characterized by comprising a width detecting means for detecting the width of the magnetic card by detecting the displaced position of the detection lever.

Embodiments of the magnetic card inspection device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1A is a mechanical diagram of a device according to the present invention, which includes a device 2 for inspecting a magnetic card 1, a magnetic card insertion slot 3, a roller 4 for feeding the magnetic card 1, and a motor 5 for driving this roller. It includes a drive circuit 6 for the motor 5, a phototransistor 7.8 for detecting the position of the card 1, a stopper 9 for stopping the card 1, and a position detection lever 10 for detecting the position of the side surface of the card 1.

The position detection lever 10 further includes a card width check lever 10a and a card position detection arm 10b, and is normally prevented from contacting the card 1 against a spring 12 by a drive magnet 11.

Further, the card position detection arm 10b moves between a light source 13 and a position detector (image sensor) 14 formed by arranging a large number of phototransistors, and detects position information corresponding to the position of the card width check lever 10a, that is, the card width. It is configured to apply to the image sensor 14.

Further, FIG. 1B shows a cross section of the magnetic card 10 passage, and shows the magnetic card 1, the device 2, and the rollers 4a, 4b.
The interrelationship of the light sources 7a, 8a, the phototransistors 7b, 8b and the stopper 9 is shown, and the insertion path 3a is such that it can pass up to a magnetic card with the maximum allowable curvature and the roller 4a.

4b is a part 4 to facilitate the passage of the card.
It should be noted that a' and 4b' are flat.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1A, the device 1 is preferably tilted at an angle relative to a horizontal plane to facilitate the passage of the card.

This is because the card 1 is lowered from the insertion slot by its own weight.

Although the embossed portion of the card has no relation to the allowable deformation amount, the card passageway is provided with a groove 3b for passing the embossed portion, as seen in the insertion slot 3.

The support shaft 102 of the position detection lever 10 has a cylindrical shape, and this support shaft is rotatably supported by an L-shaped angle attached to a flat base portion 100 to which the entire parts shown in FIG. 1 are attached. It is composed of

That is, when the drive magnet 11 is not attracted, the tension force of the spring 12 allows the card running surface side of the position detection lever 100 and card width check lever 10a to rotate to a position narrower than the normal card width to be inspected. .

The card width to be inspected at this time is card width check lever 1.
The flat portions of rollers 4a and 4b such as No. 111ffiB face each other due to the tensile force of the spring 12 from the card running surface side of 0a, and the card is held in a state where the rollers do not contact the card so that no direct load is applied to the deformed card. The embossed end face of the card is pressed against the sliding end face of the card on the side forming the groove 3b so that inspection can be performed.

The reason for this configuration is that when the card is held by the cylindrical surface part other than the flat part of the rollers 4a and 4b, the card holding force of the rollers 4a and 4b overcomes the force of the spring 120 to press the card. This makes it difficult to accurately set the card width.

In other words, in order to prevent the possibility that the embossed side card end surface does not come into accurate sliding contact with the inspection device side end surface and to accurately measure and inspect the card width, it is important to remove the card clamping force of the rollers. .

Of course, as is clear from FIG. 1A, the position detection levers 10 are attached to both sides of the card end face symmetrically with the card running portion in between, and the position detection levers 10 are also attached to the sides that constitute the fixed card sliding surface in the figure. Two position detection levers (e.g. 10
-1, 10-2 (not shown) can be detected by attaching a sensor of the same type as the deformation amount detection sensor 14 to each detection lever, and detecting the card width based on the differential amount of the output. can.

In such a configuration, the rollers 4a and 4b do not require flat portions.

In addition, the detection lever can be made of a light-opaque material such as metal, and when a semi-light-transmitting card is used, the deformation amount detection sensor 14 is directly mounted on the card sliding surface and the light source 13 is opposed to the light source 13. In this case, a light-opaque material is used for the purpose of preventing semi-transparent light from transmitting light that should be blocked by the card and destabilizing the detection position of each detection sensor 14. is more effective.

When the drive magnet 11 attracts, the attraction force of the drive magnet is used to attract the card width check lever 10a to the magnet side against the spring 12, and the end surface of the card sliding contact side of the check lever 10a that is attracted at this time is normally When the card is being transported, it is kept away from the end face of the card so that no load is applied when the card is touched or pushed or pulled.

This occurs when the card is inserted and after the card is inspected.

Its main purpose is to reduce the driving force needed to transport cards.

Next, the operation of the apparatus configured as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B will be explained with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG. 2.

If the magnetic card 1 is inserted through the insertion hole 3 with the flat surfaces of rollers 4a:4b and 4b'r facing each other, and the deformation exceeds the allowable amount, the card gets stuck in the middle of the passage and its tip is inserted. does not reach the stopper 9 and is determined to be a defective product and is excluded from the next inspection.

Insert the magnetic card 1 through the insertion hole 3. This is done by detecting that no signal is sent out from the phototransistors 7b and 8b even after a certain period of time has elapsed.

At this point, the card 1 is determined to be defective and the rollers 4a and 4b are rotated to return the card 1, and the card deformation indicator lamp 23 is lit to notify that the deformation is outside the permissible range.

A card whose deformation does not exceed the allowable amount slides down the passage and its tip reaches the stopper 9, and the outputs of the card detection phototransistors 7b and 8b are sent to the detection circuits 15 and 1.
A command is given to the control circuit 17 via 6 to drive it.

The plunger magnet 11 is deenergized via the dynamic circuit 18, and the width check lever 10a is brought into contact with the side surface of the card by the tensile force of the spring 12.

Then, the position detection arm 10b moves and stops at a position corresponding to the width of the card.

This stop position is detected by the deformation amount detection sensor 14, and its value is input to the control circuit 17 via the deformation amount detection circuit 19.

The control circuit 17 knows the position of the phototransistor that outputs the signal from the detection sensor 14, and based on this, it knows whether there is an abnormality in the card width, and if there is an abnormality, the display drive circuit 20
The card width abnormality indicator lamp is turned on via the card to notify that the width is abnormal.

Note that the display drive circuit 20 includes a power on/off display lamp 21.
, the card display lamp 22 is also driven.

When the inspection is completed, the drive circuit 6 drives the monitor 5 to take out the card.

As explained in detail above, according to the present invention, since it is possible to easily inspect whether a magnetic card is a good product or a defective product, it can be installed in an unmanned transaction processing device to ensure smooth processing of the processing device. It's a dog.

Furthermore, if a card reader is attached to the device according to the present invention so that the data stored on the magnetic card can be confirmed, the effect will be even greater.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1A and 1B are mechanical parts of a magnetic card inspection device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of its driving section. In the figure, 1 is a magnetic card, 3a is a passage path for the magnetic card, 10 is a position detection lever, and 10a is a width check lever.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A passage through which a magnetic card having the maximum permissible curvature can pass; and a magnetic card installed on one side of the passage and configured to be movable in the width direction of the passage. a pressing lever that presses the card against the other side of the passage; a release mechanism that releases the pressing of the side surface of the magnetic card by the pressing lever when the magnetic card is inserted or ejected; A detection lever that is displaced in accordance with the movement of the pressure lever in the passage width direction; and width detection means that detects the width of the magnetic card by detecting the displaced position of the detection lever. Magnetic card inspection device.