Card reader and magnetic information recording medium processing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10185845-B2
Application number	US-201615554933-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2016
Priority date	Aug 19, 2015
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

A card reader may include a conveyance passage; an optical sensor; a first circuit board; a second circuit board; a first cover member; a second cover member; a first frame; and a second frame comprising a conveyance face on a second direction side of the card conveyance passage. The first frame may include a first transmission hole, and the first frame may be attached with one of the first circuit board and the second circuit board. The second frame may include a second transmission hole, and the second frame may be attached with the other of the first circuit board and the second circuit board. The first cover member may be fixed to the first circuit board so as to cover the entire light emitting element; and the second cover member may be fixed to the second circuit board so as to cover the entire light receiving element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A card reader for use with a card, the card reader comprising:
a card conveyance passage where the card is conveyed;
an optical sensor structured to detect the card conveyed along the card conveyance passage, the optical sensor comprising a light emitting element and a light receiving element which are oppositely disposed so as to interpose the card conveyance passage in a thickness direction of the card conveyed along the card conveyance passage;
a first circuit board on which the light emitting element is mounted;
a second circuit board on which the light receiving element is mounted;
a first cover member which covers the light emitting element;
a second cover member which covers the light receiving element;
a first frame comprising a conveyance face on a first direction side of the card conveyance passage wherein one side in the thickness direction of the card conveyed along the card conveyance passage is referred to as a first direction and its opposite direction is referred to as a second direction; and
a second frame comprising a conveyance face on a second direction side of the card conveyance passage;
wherein the first frame is comprises a first transmission hole for transmitting a light from the light emitting element to the light receiving element, and the first frame is attached with one of the first circuit board and the second circuit board;
wherein the second frame comprises a second transmission hole for transmitting the light from the light emitting element to the light receiving element, and the second frame is attached with the other of the first circuit board and the second circuit board;
wherein the first cover member is fixed to the first circuit board so as to cover the entire light emitting element; and
wherein the second cover member is fixed to the second circuit board so as to cover the entire light receiving element.

2. The card reader according to claim 1 , wherein
the card reader is disposed so that the thickness direction of the card and an upper and lower direction are coincided with each other,
the first frame is formed with the conveyance face on a lower side of the card conveyance passage,
the second frame is formed with the conveyance face on an upper side of the card conveyance passage,
in a case that the first circuit board is attached to the first frame, a gap space is formed between the first cover member and the first transmission hole when viewed in an upper and lower direction, and
in a case that the second circuit board is attached to the first frame, a gap space is formed between the second cover member and the first transmission hole when viewed in the upper and lower direction.

3. The card reader according to claim 2 , wherein
the first transmission hole is set to be larger than the second transmission hole,
in the case that the first circuit board is attached to the first frame, the second transmission hole is set to be smaller than an outward shape of the light receiving element when viewed in the upper and lower direction, and
in the case that the second circuit board is attached to the first frame, the second transmission hole is set to be smaller than an outward shape of the light emitting element when viewed in the upper and lower direction.

4. The card reader according to claim 3 , wherein
the first circuit board is attached to the first frame, and
the second transmission hole is smaller than the outward shape of the light receiving element when viewed in the upper and lower direction.

5. The card reader according to claim 4 , wherein
each of the first cover member and the second cover member is formed of light transmissive material which transmits light,
each of the first transmission hole and the second transmission hole is a through-hole, and
a projection formed in the second cover member is inserted into the second transmission hole so as to be exposed to a first frame side.

6. The card reader according to claim 1 , wherein
the card reader comprises a plurality of the light emitting elements and a plurality of the light receiving elements,
the plurality of the light emitting elements are mounted on the first circuit board which is common to the light emitting elements, and
the plurality of the light receiving elements are mounted on the second circuit board which is common to the light receiving elements.

7. The card reader according to claim 6 , wherein
the first cover member is provided by the same number as the plurality of the light emitting elements so that each of the first cover members corresponds to each of the light emitting elements, and
the second cover member is provided by the same number as the plurality of the light receiving elements so that each of the second cover members corresponds to each of the light receiving elements.

8. The card reader according to claim 7 , wherein
the card reader is disposed so that the thickness direction of the card and an upper and lower direction are coincided with each other,
the first frame is formed with the conveyance face on a lower side of the card conveyance passage,
the second frame is formed with the conveyance face on an upper side of the card conveyance passage,
the first transmission hole is provided by the same number of the plurality of the light emitting elements,
the second transmission hole is provided by the same number as the plurality of the light receiving elements,
in a case that the first circuit board which is common to the light emitting elements is attached to the first frame, a gap space is formed between each of the first cover members and each of the first transmission holes when viewed in an upper and lower direction, and
in a case that the second circuit board which is common to the light receiving elements is attached to the first frame, a gap space is formed between each of the second cover members and each of the first transmission holes when viewed in the upper and lower direction.

9. The card reader according to claim 8 , wherein
each of the first transmission holes is set to be larger than each of the second transmission holes,
in the case that the first circuit board is attached to the first frame, each of the second transmission holes is set to be smaller than an outward shape of each of the light receiving elements when viewed in the upper and lower direction, and
in the case that the second circuit board is attached to the first frame, each of the second transmission holes is set to be smaller than an outward shape of each of the light emitting elements when viewed in the upper and lower direction.

10. A card reader structured so that IC contact springs are contacted with external connection terminals of an IC contact formed on a card to perform data communication with the card, the card reader comprising:
an IC contact module comprising the IC contact springs and a circuit board in a flat plate shape which is electrically connected with the IC contact springs;
a card conveyance passage where the card is conveyed;
a drive source structured to move the IC contact module between a retreated position where the IC contact springs are retreated from the card conveyance passage and a contact position where the IC contact springs are capable of contacting with the external connection terminals; and
a lever member which connects the drive source with the IC contact module;
wherein when one side in a thickness direction of the card conveyed along the card conveyance passage is referred to as a first direction and the other side is referred to as a second direction, the drive source, the lever member and the IC contact module located at the retreated position are disposed on a second directi

Assignees

• Nidec Sankyo Corp

Inventors

• Kuwaki Hirofumi
• Kubota Kohei

Classifications

• G06K13/067 Primary

  Checking presence, absence, correct position, or moving status of cards · CPC title

• G06K7/08

  by means detecting the change of an electrostatic or magnetic field, e.g. by detecting change of capacitance between electrodes · CPC title

• G06K7/0004 Primary

  Hybrid readers · CPC title

• G06K13/063

  Aligning cards · CPC title

• G06K7/0026

  the galvanic contacts of the connector adapted for landing on the contacts of the card upon card insertion · CPC title