| WO/2010/110659 | CARD FEED UNIT, READ OUT UNIT, ATM AND METHOD |
| JP3556090 | CONNECTOR DEVICE FOR IC CARD |
| JP2003115354 | CONNECTOR FOR CARD |
Edward
Richard
Edward
Richard
| 1. | A shutter arrangement for card transport means of a device for processing data bearing cards, the transport means having a front opening (12) and a transport path (13) for such a card (14) extending behind said front opening, 5 characterised in that the arrangement includes a shutter member pivotable about an axis (A,A) which is parallel to the plane of the transport path (13), having a closure portion (41) which is normally spring biased (50) to extend ■# into the transport path (13) and which has a ramped rear 0 surface (42), and having an actuating portion (43) which is in the path of a solenoid plunger (3D, the arrangement being such that in the case where the solenoid (30) is energised responsive to manual insertion of the front of a said card (14) through said front opening (12) the 5 plunger (3D moves against the actuating portion (43) to move the closure portion (41) out of the transport path (13 such that in the case where the solenoid (30) is not energised responsive to manual insertion of the front of a said card (14) through said front opening (12) the card 0 jams against the closure portion (41) and tends to pivot it further into the transport path (13), and such that upon a said card (14) being driven against the closure portion (41) from within the device the rear of the card (14) rides on said ramped rear surface (42) so as to move the closure 5 portion (41) out of the transport path (13) without the need for energisation of the solenoid (30). |
| 2. | A shutter arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which a onepiece plastics moulding is provided which has a Tshaped central portion with the cross piece portion (21) 0 of the T extending parallel to the plane of the transport path and the upright portion (22) of the T extending perpendicular to and away from the plane of the transport path (13), a frontwards extending part (23) of the T crosspiece (21) being adapted (24) to be held to the 5 transport means, and the upright portion (22) of the T being adapted to hold the solenoid (30) with the path of the plunger (3D extending parallel to and along the length of the transport path (13), the shutter member including a frame portion (40) of the one piece plastics moulding surrounding the T shaped portion substantially in the plane of the T crosspiece (21), a hinge connection (28) formed integrally between the rear of the frame portion (40) and a backward extending part (27) of the T crosspiece (21) providing the axis (A,A) about which the shutter member is pivotable, the closure portion (41) of the shutter member extending from a front portion of the frame (40) towards the transport path (13) and the actuating portion (43) of the shutter member extending from a rear portion of the frame (40) away from the transport path (13). |
According to the invention there is provided a shutter arrangement for card transport means of a device for processing data bearing cards, the transport means having a front opening and a transport path for such a card extending behind said front opening, the arrangement including a shutter member pivotable about an axis which is parallel to the plane of the transport path, having a closure portion which is normally spring biased to extend into the transport path and which has a ramped rear surface, and having an actuating portion which is in the path of a solenoid plunger, the arrangement being such that in the case where the solenoid is energised responsive to manual insertion of the front of a said card through said front opening the plunger moves against the actuating portion to move the closure portion out of the transport path, such that in the case where the solenoid is not energised responsive to manual insertion of the front of a said card through said front opening the card jams against the closure portion and tends to pivot it further into the transport path, and such that upon a said
card being driven against the closure portion from within the device the rear of the card rides on said ramped rear surface so as to move the closure portion out of the transport path withoutthe need for energisation of the solenoid * .
' In the device for processing data bearing cards incorporating the above-described arrangement a sensor will be located in front of the shutter to respond to the passage of an authorised card towards the shutter and cause energisation of the solenoid. If an unauthorised card is inserted through the front opening towards the front of the shutter, the sensor will not respond to the passage of the card and the solenoid will not be energised. The arrangement by which the front of a card bearing against the front of the shutter tends to pivot the shutter in the direction of closure advantageously enhances the security of the device against insertion of unauthorised cards. Ejection of a card from the device is achieved solely by the mechanical action of the rear of a card moving over the ramped rear surface of the shutter and pivoting the shutter against the spring bias. It is an advantage that a further sensor is not required for energisation of the solenoid to enable ejection of a card. The absence of such a further sensor also has a space saving effect in that if it is required to move a card backwards towards the shutter and then forwards within the device as part of the processing of the card prior to ejection, such backwards movement of the card may be taken all the way to the rear of the shutter. This space saving is advantageous where a transport path of compact length is required, for example in a vehicle parking meter having small overall dimensions.
In a preferred configuration of the invention, a one-piece plastics moulding may be provided which has a T-shaped central portion ' with the cross piece portion of the T extending parallel to the plane of the transport path and the upright portion of the T extending perpen¬ dicular to and away from the plane of the transport path,
a frontwards extending part of the T crosspiece being adapted to be held to the transport means, and the up¬ right portion of the T being adapted to hold the solenoid with the path of the plunger extending parallel to and along the length of the transport path, the shutter member including a frame portion of the one piece plastics moulding surrounding the T shaped portion substantially in the plane of the T crosspiece, a hinge connection formed integrally between the rear of the frame portion and a backward extending part of the T crosspiece providing the axis about which the shutter member is pivotable, the closure portion of the shutter member extending from a front portion of the frame towards the transport path and the actuating portion of the shutter member extending from a rear portion of the frame away from the transport path.
A shutter arrangement according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a side, view of the arrangement, con- sisting essentially of a shutter member and a solenoid mounted to each other and to a card transport path, in the direction of the arrow I on Figure 3,
Figure 2 is a front view of the arrangement in the direction of the arrow II on Figure 1, Figure 3 is an underneath view of the arrangement in the direction of the arrow III on Figure 1,
Figure 1 is a section view of the arrangement along the line IV-IV of Figure 3, on an enlarged scale with respect to Figures 1 to 3, and Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of the shutter member of the arrangement and its position with respect to the transport path and a card, with the sole¬ noid of the arrangement omitted for the sake of clarity. Referring now to the drawings, upper and lower plates 10, 11 provide a front opening 12 and a transport path 13 extending behind the front opening for a card 14 (Figures 4 and 5) of transport means of a device for
processing data bearing cards, for example a vehicle parking meter for reading and decrementing the value of magnetic cards.
A one piece plastics moulding has a T-shaped central portion with the crosspiece portion 21 of the T extending" parallel to the plane of the transport path 13 and the upright portion 22 of the T extending perpendicular to and away from the plane of the transport path 13. frontwards extending part 23 of the T crosspiece 21 has two screw holes 24 via which it is held to a rib 15 (Figure 1) on the underneath of the plate 11. The upright portion 22 of the T crosspiece 21 holds a solenoid 30 with the path of the solenoid plunger 31 (Figure 4) extending parallel to and along the length of the trans- port path 13- One end of the body of the solenoid
30 near the plunger 31 extends through a hole 25 in the upright portion 22 and is held to it by a nut 32 and a mounting plate 33 (Figure 4). Two triangular webs 26 (not shown in Figure 5) extend between the frontwards extending part 23 and the upright portion 22 of the T crosspiece 21, one on either side of the solenoid 30. A shutter member includes a frame portion 40 of the one piece plastics moulding surrounding the T shaped portion substantially in the plane of the crosspiece 21. A hinge connection is formed integrally between the rear of the frame portion 40 and a backward extending part 27 of the T crosspiece 21 by two thinned and grooved hinge pieces 28, one at each side of the T crosspiece 21. The two hinge pieces 28 provide an axis A-A parallel to the plane of the transport path 13 about which axis the shutter member is pivotable. A closure portion 41 of the shutter member extends from the whole width of a front portion of the frame 40 towards the transport path 13 and the shutter member is normally spring biased so that an upper portion of the closure portion 41 extends into the transport path 13 through a slot 16 in the plate 11, this upper portion having a ramped rear surface 42.
An actuating portion 43 of the shutter member extends from the middle of a rear portion of the frame 40 away from the transport path 13 and is in the path of the sole¬ noid plunger 31 In the normal position of the shutter member, the spring bias is provided by a spring 50 held between the lower ends of the actuating portion 43 and the mounting plate 33, and the head of the solenoid plunger 31 just rests against the middle of the actuating portion 43- Two triangular webs 44 (not shown in Figure 5) extend between the rear of frame portion 40 and the actuating portion 43- In the device for processing data bearing cards incorporating the above-described arrangement a sensor 60 will be located in front of the shutter slot 16 to respond to the passage of an authorised card 14 towards the shutter portion 41 and cause a pulsed energisation of the solenoid 30. Thus in the case where the front of an authorised card 14 is manually inserted through the front opening 12 the solenoid 30 is energised to move the plunger 31 against the actuating portion 43 and so pivot the shutter member about the axis A-A against the bias of the spring 50 to move the closure portion 41 out of the transport path 13 and enable movement of the card 14 over the closure portion 31 towards card processing means. If the front of an unauthorised card is inserted through the front opening 12 towards the shutter, the sensor 60 will not respond to the passage of the card and the solenoid 30 will not be energised. The card will then bear and jam against the front of the shutter closure portion 41 and tends to pivot it further into the transport path 13 and against the plate 10. When a card 14 is driven against the closure portion 41 from within the device the rear of the card 14 rides on the ramped rear surface 42 so as to pivot the shutter member against the bias of the spring 50, move the closure portion 41 out of the trans¬ port path 13 and enable movement of the rear of the card 14 over the closure portion 41 for ejection from the
device without the need for energisation of the solenoid 30. Thus ejection of a card from the device past the shutter is achieved solely by the mechanical action of the card moving against the shutter.
Next Patent: METERING DEVICES AND MAGNETIC CARD FOR USE WITH SUCH DEVICES