JPH04111089A - Cards processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily execute plural processings in a short period of time by adding a temporary standby function for cards. CONSTITUTION:A conveyer line is set in the shape of one straight line in an enclosure 103, and cards are reciprocatively moved along the conveyer line by a conveying means. On the other hand, in order from one end side of the conveyer line, an entrance / exit 101 for cards, hopper stacker 102, switch flapper 142 to switch the conveying direction of cards to the entrance/exit 101 or to the hopper stacker 102, recording and reproducing devices 115 and 116 for cards, and standby part 117 for cards are provided. Then, in the state of holding cards in the standby part 117, the other operation is executed. Thus, the plural processings can be executed regardless of contexts, the operation can be simplified and the processing can be accelerated.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a card processing device for writing and reading various information on cards, and in particular to a terminal for a toll collection system on a toll road. It is suitable as a machine.

<Prior Art> On long-distance toll motorways with multiple entrance gates and exit gates, a toll system is adopted in which tolls are collected according to the section of use and the type of vehicle used.

Therefore, at the entrance gate of such toll expressways, a pass is issued and handed to the user, which records information such as the type of vehicle, date and time of use, and the entrance gate. A toll collection system is adopted that collects tickets from users, reads the information recorded on the tickets, and settles the usage fee.

For this reason, the entrance gates and exit gates of the above-mentioned toll roads, etc. are equipped with card processing devices for processing cards such as passing tickets, highway carts that are prepaid carts, and credit cards called separate payment plates. They are installed as terminals, and most pass tickets use magnetic cards, but punch cards are also known.

As shown in FIG. 7 showing its appearance, the conventional terminal device described above has a pass ticket processing section 12 and a display section 1 in one main body 11.
3, an operating section 14, and a plate processing section 15 are assembled. When paying a toll, a toll ticket is fed into the toll ticket processing section 12 through the insertion slot 16 formed in the main body 11. Conversely, when a new toll ticket is issued, the toll ticket is fed into the toll ticket processing section 12 from the toll ticket processing section 12. It is designed to be sent out through a discharge port 17 formed in the main body 11. The operation section 14 is provided with an operation button 18 for inputting the vehicle type, a numeric keypad 19, and an operation button 20 for special processing such as free certification. In addition, a key plate insertion opening 21 is formed in the main body 11 for inserting and removing plates such as key plates and separate plates into and out of the plate processing section 15.

At the entrance gate of a toll expressway, the above-mentioned terminal is used alone as a ticket issuing machine, but when it is used as a ticket confirmation machine at an exit gate, it can be used as a ticket issuing machine 22 or a highway card machine. It is used together with the card processing machine 23 and the like. The receipt issuing machine 22 is provided with an operation button 24 for issuing a receipt and a receipt issuing port 25, and the card processing machine 23 is provided with a card slot 26 for inserting and removing a card.

The specific structure of the conventional pass ticket processing unit 12 is
As disclosed in Publication No. 9436, etc., various information is written on the pass ticket 27, as shown in FIG. 8 showing its schematic configuration and FIG. 9 showing its IX-IX cross-sectional structure. The drum 28 and the endless belt 29 are configured to hold the ticket 27 and convey it in order to read the ticket.

An endless belt 29 stretched around four pulleys 31 to 34 is attached to a part of the outer peripheral surface of the drum 28, which rotates continuously in a fixed direction (clockwise in FIG. 8) around a vertical axis 30. As the drum 28 rotates, the endless belt 29 also rotates. A pinch roller 35 is energized on the pulley 31 facing the insertion slot 16 for the pass 27.
Therefore, the pass ticket 27 is connected to these pulleys 31 and pinch rollers 3.
5, the pass ticket 27 is inserted into the drum 2.
8 and the endless belt 29, and is fed clockwise in the figure.

A hopper stacker 36 for the pass 27 is arranged in front of the drum 28, and when used as a pass ticket confirmation machine, this hopper stacker 36 mainly functions as a stacker, and conversely, it is used as a pass ticket issuing machine. In some cases, it primarily functions as a hopper. A feed-out roller 37 is provided on the side of the hopper stacker 36 on the side of the insertion opening 16 for feeding out new passes 27 stored in the hopper stacker 36 one by one. A guide collage 38 is installed to feed the pass ticket 27 fed out from the hopper stacker 36 between the drum 28 and the endless belt 29.

Further, between the drum 28 on the discharge port 17 side and the endless belt 29, there is a switching flapper 39 for switching whether the ticket 27 is sent out to the hopper stacker 36 side or the discharge port 17 side.
is swingably provided. That is, when used as a pass ticket confirmation machine, the switching flapper 39 is rotated to the right in FIG. On the other hand, when used as a ticket issuing machine, rotate the switching flapper 39 to the left in FIG.
8 and the endless belt 29.
is fed between a pulley 34 facing the discharge port 17 side and a pinch roller 40 biased by this pulley 34, and a pass ticket 27 is issued from the discharge port 17.

A first reproducing head 41, a recording head 42, a second reproducing head 43, and a print head 44 are arranged around the drum 28 in this order from the insertion port 16 side. Various information recorded on the pass 27 is read by the reproducing heads 41 and 43, necessary information is recorded on the pass 27 by the recording head 42, and the print head 4
4, necessary information is printed on the pass ticket 27.

Note that the print head 44 prints the pass ticket 27 at the time of ticket issuance and at the time of collection.
Since the printing position relative to the shaft 30 is shifted vertically in FIG. 9, the print head 44 is movable in a direction parallel to the shaft 30. Also, the code 45 in Figure 9 is the pass ticket 2.
This is an optical sensor that detects the passage of 7.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> In the conventional card processing apparatus shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, when attempting to process a credit card, etc. together with the pass 27 at an exit gate, etc., the credit card, etc. It is also necessary to write the data on the pass 27.

However, in the conventional ticket processing machines shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, if the credit card is not processed before processing the ticket 27, the ticket 27 will be stored in the hopper stacker 36 of the ticket processing section 12. It was collected inside the building and the pass ticket was 27.
You will no longer be able to write credit card information, etc.

In other words, the conventional ticket processing machine inserts the ticket 27 into the insertion slot 16.
If the drum 28 continues to rotate, the processing of the ticket 27 will be immediately completed and the ticket 27 will be collected in the hopper stacker 36. Therefore, as an operation procedure, it is necessary to first process carts other than pass tickets, such as credit cards, at the card processing machine 23, and then process the pass ticket 27 at the pass ticket processing machine, which is a cumbersome task. There were some problems such as it took a long time.

<Objective of the Invention> An object of the present invention is to provide a card processing device that can easily perform multiple processes in a short time by adding a card temporary standby function.

Means for Solving the Problems> A card processing device according to the present invention includes an entrance formed at one end of a casing through which cards are taken in and taken out, and an entrance formed at the other end of the casing for handling cards. a hopper stacker formed at one end of the casing to store the cards, and a hopper stacker for storing the cards, and a hopper stacker for storing the cards, and a hopper stacker for storing the cards, and a hopper stacker for storing the cards, and a hopper stacker for storing the cards. a conveying means for reciprocating the cards; a reproducing/recording means disposed in the middle of the conveying line for reading and writing information on the cards; and a midway of the conveying line between the reproducing/recording means and the entrance/exit. a switching flapper that is provided in the standby section and guides the cards conveyed from the standby section to the entrance/exit side or the hopper stacker; and a feeding means for feeding the material into the middle of the conveyance line between the feeding device and the feeding device.

Function> When used as a ticket issuing machine, when the cards stored in the hopper stacker are sent out to the conveying line side by the feeding means, the cards pass through the reproducing/recording means and reach the standby position. , the cards are temporarily stopped at this standby position.

Thereafter, the conveying means is activated again to send out the cards in the opposite direction, this time to the entrance/exit side. During this conveyance, necessary information is read or recorded on the cards by the reproducing/recording means, and then the carts are ejected from the entrance/exit to the outside of the casing by a switching flapper that guides the cards toward the entrance/exit.

On the other hand, when used as a confirmation machine, when cards are fed into the housing from the entrance/exit, the cards are transported by the transport means to a standby position, where they are kept on standby.

Thereafter, the conveying means is activated again to send out the cards in the opposite direction, this time to the entrance/exit side. During this conveyance, necessary information is read or recorded on the cards by the reproducing/recording means, and then the cards are collected into the hopper stacker by a switching flapper that guides the cards to the hopper stacker side.

〈Example〉 As shown in Fig. 5, which shows the appearance of an example in which the card processing device of the present invention is applied as a pass ticket confirmation machine which is a terminal of a toll collection system on a toll road, The pass ticket verification machine has a main body 2 in which a foldable operation display part 1 is rotatably mounted, a pass ticket processing part 100 in which an entrance 101 for passes opens, and an entrance 201 for cards other than passes. A card processing section 200 that opens and these processing control sections 3 are assembled.

The operation display section 1 is provided with a numeric keypad 4 and a power-on key 5, and is further provided with a display panel 6 for special processing that allows touch input. Operations using the processing buttons displayed on the display panel 6 are in an interactive format that allows necessary processing to be performed naturally. or,
A keyboard (not shown) having five operation buttons for inputting the vehicle type is placed on the top surface of the hopper stacker 102 of the pass ticket processing section 100, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 1 showing a schematic planar structure of the pass ticket processing section 100, which constitutes the main part of the present invention, and FIG. 2 showing its cross-sectional shape as viewed from the The system performs processing all at once, and can be used as is in pass ticket issuing machines, just like conventional systems.

On the side of the entrance/exit 101 formed at the front end of the housing 103, a new pass 104 is stored to be reissued in case the road user loses it.
Bad ticket 104 and used ticket 1 among 04
A hopper stacker 102 for collecting 04, etc. is detachably attached to the main body 2 and the housing 103, and handles 105 are formed on both left and right sides of the hopper stacker 102 to collect new passes 104 into the hopper. Stacker 10
A feed-out roller 106 that feeds out the hopper stacker 106 from the hopper stacker 102 and a pull-in roller 107 that pulls the defective ticket 104 among the new tickets 104 and the used ticket 104 into the hopper stacker 102 are rotatable with respect to the housing 103. is attached to. In addition, the hopper stacker 102 has a feed roller 106 and a pull roller 107.
A pair of guide plates 108 and 109 are fixed, each straddling the two.

A pair of holding plates 110 and 111 are arranged between these guide plates 108 and 109 and are slidably attached to the hopper stacker 105 in opposite directions. are biased in the direction opposite to the guide plates 108 and 109, respectively.

Therefore, the new pass 104 inserted between the guide plate 108 and the presser plate 110 is urged toward the feeding roller 106 via the presser plate 110 by the tension spring 112, and the guide plate 109 and the presser plate 110 The used pass ticket 104, etc., sent between the
It is biased toward the 07 side.

Behind the entrance/exit 101 (on the right side in FIG. 1) is a print head 1 for printing characters, symbols, etc. on the pass 104.
13, a reproducing head 115 for reading magnetic information from a magnetic recording section (not shown) formed on the ticket 104, and a recording head 116 for writing new magnetic information on the ticket 104 are arranged in this order. ing. Then, on the rearmost side of the pass ticket processing section 100, there is a pass ticket 1
A standby section 117 is formed in which the 04 is placed on standby temporarily.

Although this embodiment is described as a pass ticket confirmation machine, when used as a pass ticket issuing machine, the print head 1
13, the print head 113 is configured to be movable in the width direction of the ticket 104 or capable of printing multiple lines.

The conveyance line of the pass 104 passes through a print head 113, a reproducing head 115, and a recording head 116 to the standby section 11.
A plurality of drive rollers 118 to 125 are formed in the pass ticket processing unit 100 to connect the pass ticket 1 and the entrance/exit 101, and reciprocate the pass ticket 04 along this conveyance line.
It is rotatably attached to the housing 103 at an interval shorter than the length of 04. These drive rollers 1 are rotated in forward and reverse directions by the operation of a pulse motor (not shown) capable of forward and reverse rotation.
A timing belt 127 is wound around the belts 18 to 126, and a tension roller 128 interposed between the driving rollers J19 and 120 takes up the slack of the timing belt 127. Also, the print head 113
The drive rollers 118 to 118 other than the drive roller 122 facing the
121, 123 to 126 are in contact with pinch rollers 129, which are rotatably attached to the housing 103, respectively, with the conveyance line in between.

Behind the hopper stacker 102, there is a ticket supply device that supplies a new ticket 104 drawn out from the hopper stacker 102 by the feed roller 106 to the conveyance line side between the entrance/exit 101 and the print head 1/3. 130 are provided.

This ticket supply device 130 includes a pair of biting rollers 131 and 132 located on the feed-out roller 106 side, and a pair of feed-out rollers 133 and 132 located on the conveyance line side.
34, and these biting rollers 131, 132 and delivery roller 133. A pair of supply belts wrapped around I 34 35. a pair of tension rollers 137 disposed between the biting rollers 131, 132 and the delivery rollers 133, 134 to take up slack in the supply belts 135, 136; The main part is constituted by a pair of new bill guide plates 138 provided between the drive roller 121 and the pinch roller 129 in contact with the drive roller 121. Then, one of the biting rollers 131 and the feeding roller 1
33 and the tension roller 137 are driven and rotated counterclockwise by the operation of a drive source (not shown) in FIG.
34 and the tension roller 138 are driven to rotate clockwise in FIG.

Further, between the feed roller 106 and the pass 132, a new pass ticket 1 is driven and rotated in the same direction as the biting roller 131 and drawn out from the hopper stacker 102.
04 to the side of the biting rollers 131 and 132, and a feed roller 139 that faces the feed roller 139 and drives and rotates in the opposite direction to feed a plurality of passes 10.
4 is sent, two or more passes 104
A separation roller 140 is provided to prevent the passage of the material.

Therefore, the tension spring 112 causes the feeding roller 10 to
The new ticket 104 pressed against the feed roller 13 is driven by the rotation of the feed roller 104.
9 and the separation roller 140, and due to the action of the separation roller 140 which rotates in the opposite direction, only one pass ticket 104 is caught between the feeding belt 135 between the rollers 131 and 132.
．． It is sent out to the gap of 136. Then, the feed roller 1 is sandwiched between these supply belts 135 and 136.
33 and 134, the new ticket guide plate 138 is sent out along a conveyance line between the drive roller 121 and the pinch roller 129 that comes into contact with the drive roller 121.

Note that these new ticket guide plates 138 and the drive rollers 12]
A one-sided flapper 141 for regulating the moving direction of the pass 104 is provided between the pinch roller 129 and the pinch roller 129 that comes into contact with the pinch roller 129.
is pivotably attached to the housing 103, and the standby section 11
This one-way flapper 141 is used to prevent the pass ticket 104 from being sent from the new ticket guide plate 138 to the pass ticket supply device 130 side when the pass ticket 104 is conveyed from the 7 side to the entrance/exit 101 side or the hopper stacker 105 side. The distal end side is urged upward in FIG. 1 via a spring member (not shown).

On the other hand, in the middle of the conveyance line between the driving rollers 119 and 120, there is a case where the pass ticket 104 is conveyed from the print head 113 side to the entrance/exit 101 side, and a hopper stacker 102.
A switching flapper 142 that switches the conveyance direction of the ticket 104 when collecting the ticket 104 within the housing 10
The switching flapper 1 is pivotally connected to the switching flapper 1.
42 is configured to swing by a flapper driving means such as a rotary solenoid (not shown).

The feeding roller 106, the drawing roller 107, the printing device 114, the driving rollers 118 to 126, the ticket supplying device 130, the flapper driving means, etc. are connected to the main body 2.
The timing of these operations is controlled by the processing control section 3 built into the rear part of the apparatus. Therefore, in the middle of the conveyance line, between the feed-out rollers 133 and 134 of the pass ticket supply device 130 and the one-sided flapper 132, and between the hopper stacker 105 and the switching flapper 142.
Optical sensors 143 to 149 for detecting passage of the pass 104 are arranged between the two, respectively, and output detection signals to the processing control section 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, which shows the flow of processing by the ticket processing unit 100, a collector collects a ticket 104 from a road user (customer) at a check barrier, exit gate, etc.
When this pass ticket 104 is inserted into the entrance/exit 101 in step A1, the optical sensor 143 detects this, and as a result of the pulse motor rotating forward in step A2, the pass ticket 1
04 starts moving toward the standby section 117 along the conveyance line. When the optical sensor 144 detects the passage of the ticket 104, the reproducing head 111 reads the information recorded on the ticket 104 in step A3, and checks whether the recorded information on the ticket 104 is normal in step A4. Determine whether or not.

If it is determined in the step of this person 4 that the recorded information of the ticket 104 is normal, the conveyance continues as it is, and after the optical sensor 145 detects the passing of the ticket 104, the pulse motor is activated after a certain period of time. is stopped, and the pass ticket 104 is temporarily held in the waiting section 117 in step A5.

During this - time standby, in step 86, charge settlement processing is performed using various processing buttons (not shown) displayed on the display panel 6 of the operation display section 1, the numeric keypad 4, etc. For example, when tolls are paid by highway card, credit card, IC card, etc. instead of by cash, the toll collector inserts these cards entrusted by the road user into the entrance/exit 201 of the card processing unit 200. , the card data is read, and if there is no abnormality, this is confirmed on the display panel 6, and the above-mentioned processing button is operated.

As a result, as shown in step A7, the pulse motor of the pass ticket processing section 100 is reversed, and the pass ticket 104 is conveyed from the standby section 117 toward the recording head 116, and the optical sensor 1
When the ticket 104 is detected by A8
As shown in step 1, the recording head 116 prints the pass 10.
4, the usage fee, the date and time of use, information regarding the exit gate, the payment method, and furthermore, in the case of payment by card, the data recorded in this cart, etc. are recorded. and,
In step A9, this recorded data is transferred to the playback head 115.
It is determined whether the information recorded in the AIO step is correct.

If it is determined that there is no abnormality in the data recorded in this AIO step, the necessary recorded data is printed at a predetermined location on the pass ticket 104 by the print head 113 in the All step, and then the necessary recorded data is printed in a predetermined place on the pass ticket 104 in the All step. The switching flapper 142 is swung toward the hopper stacker 102, and the pass ticket 104 is collected into the hopper stacker 02 at step A13. At this time, the pass ticket 104 by the optical sensor]47
After confirming the passage of the pulse motor, stop the operation of the pulse motor.

If it is determined in step A4 or AIO that there is an abnormality in the record of the ticket 104, the ticket is not collected into the hopper stacker 102, and the switching flapper 142 is swung toward the entrance/exit 101 in step A14. The pass ticket 104 is returned to the entrance/exit 101. At this time, after the passage of the pass 104 is confirmed by the optical sensor 148, the operation of the pulse motor is stopped.

In addition, if the pass ticket 104 is inserted incorrectly, the entry/exit 101
The ticket 104 that has been returned to the user can be re-inserted correctly through the entrance/exit 101.

However, in the case of the above-mentioned recording abnormality, processing such as issuing a new pass 104 is performed using the processing button displayed on the display panel 6.

Such operations are similar when the pass 104 is damaged or lost. Furthermore, the above-mentioned special processing is also performed when various cards are invalidated or the like.

As described above, in the present invention, by setting the standby unit 117 in the ticket processing unit 100 to temporarily wait for the ticket 104, no consideration is given to what happens next in the process of processing the ticket 104 and other cards. It is not necessary and the workability is very good.

In addition, in this embodiment, the ticket processing unit 10 is used as the ticket confirmation machine.
0 has been explained, the ticket processing unit 10 is used as a ticket issuing machine.
As shown in Figure 4, which shows the processing flow when applying 0, the power is turned on at step B1 as an initial operation, and the information displayed on the display panel 6 of the operation display section 1 at step B2. Press the operation button to start work. This results in
As shown in step B3, the pulse motor rotates forward, and the feed roller 106 and pass ticket supply device 130 operate to remove one pass ticket 104 from the hopper stacker 102.
is extracted and sent to the playback head 115 side. When the passage of the pass 104 is detected by the optical sensors 149 and 144, the reproducing head 11
5 reads the magnetic information of the ticket 105, and based on this, it is determined in step B5 whether the ticket 104 is a new ticket or whether the front and back sides are correct.

If it is determined that the pass ticket]04 is normal in step B5, the conveyance continues as it is, and the optical sensor 1
After detecting the passing of the ticket 104 according to the ticket number 45, the operation of the pulse motor is stopped, and the ticket 104 temporarily waits in the waiting section 117 as shown in step B6. This standby state continues until a push button (not shown) for vehicle type selection is operated.

Then, when the collector operates the push button for vehicle type selection in step B7, the pulse motor is reversed in step B8, the pass ticket 104 begins to move from the standby section 117 to the recording head 116 side, and the optical sensor When passage of the ticket 104 is detected at step 146, information such as the vehicle type, date and time, entrance gate, etc. is written on the ticket 104 by the recording head 116 at step B9. Next, this recorded information is read by the reproduction head 115 in the BIO step, and it is determined in the Bll step whether or not recording is being performed correctly.

If it is determined that the recording on the ticket 104 is normal in step B11, the necessary information is printed on the ticket 104 by the print head 113 in step B12, and as shown in step B13. It is sent out to the entrance/exit 101 as it is. At this time, the optical sensor 148
After detecting passage of the pass 104, the pulse motor stops operating.

The ticket 104 sent out to the entrance/exit 101 is handed to the road user by the collector at step B14. When the optical sensor 143 detects that the pass ticket 104 has been pulled out from the entrance/exit 101, the pulse motor rotates normally again in step B15, and the feed roller 106 and pass ticket supply device 130 are activated to remove the hopper stacker 102.
One pass ticket 104 is extracted from the machine and sent to the playback head 115 side. And optical sensors 149, 144
! : The passing of the ticket 104 is detected, the reproducing head 115 reads the magnetic information of the ticket 104 in step B16, and based on this, it is determined in step B17 whether or not the ticket 104 is a new ticket. Determine whether the front and back sides are correct.

If it is determined that the ticket 104 is normal in step Bl7, the conveyance continues as it is, and after the passage of the ticket 104 is detected by the optical sensor 145, the operation of the pulse motor is stopped and 818 As shown in step B7, the ticket 104 is temporarily put on standby in the waiting section 1]7, and then the process returns to step B7.

Said B5. Bl 1. If an abnormality is found in the pass ticket 104 at any step of B17, the process moves to step B19 where it is determined that there is a recording abnormality, and the switching flapper 142 is switched to the hopper stacker 10 at step B20.
The abnormal ticket 104 is collected into the hopper stacker 102 in step B11, but after the optical sensor 147 detects the passage of the abnormal ticket 104, the process returns to step B3.

In this way, in the present invention, the normal pass ticket 104 is stored in the waiting section 1.
17 is temporarily on standby in advance, the ticket 10 can be issued in a very short time after operating the push button for vehicle type selection.
4 can be issued.

Note that the processing mode of the pass processing section 100 is one for entrance gates, exit gates, check barriers, and transfer ticket issuing gates, and these processing modes can be switched by processing from the operation display section 1. This is achieved by commands to the control unit 3.

As shown in FIG. 6, which schematically shows the structure of the card processing unit 200, the card processing unit 200 can process various types of cards other than the above-mentioned pass 104, such as a highway card that is a prepaid card, a separate payment plate that is a credit card, or an IC card. It processes carts all at once.

This card processing unit 200 has the entrance/exit 201.
A conveyance line is formed in a straight line from the rear end of the housing 202 to the rear end of the housing 202 . Inside the housing 202, there is a card type sensor 203 that detects the type of card sequentially from the entrance/exit 201 along this conveyance line, and a thermal printing sensor for recording necessary information on printable cards such as highway cards. A head 204, a reproducing head 205 that reads magnetic information from a magnetic recording section (not shown) formed on a card such as a credit card, a recording head 206 that writes new magnetic information to this magnetic recording section, and a recording head 206 that writes new magnetic information to the magnetic recording section formed on a card such as an IC card. A reading electrode 207 for reading recorded information is provided.

A plurality of driving rollers 208 to 215 that reciprocate the cards along the conveyance line are rotatably attached to the housing 202 at intervals shorter than the length of the cart. Note that the thermal printing head 207 includes a presser roller 2.
16 comes into contact with the reproducing head 205 and the recording head 206.
, the drive rollers 21 are placed between the conveyor lines.
3 and 214 are opposed to each other, while a holding member 217 is disposed on the reading electrode 207 to sandwich the conveyance line therebetween and face it. In addition, the entrance/exit 201 and the thermal print head 2
Drive rollers 208, 209 and the sixth
In the figure, pinch rollers 218, which are rotatably attached to the housing 202 across the conveyance line, are in contact with drive rollers 212 and 215 located on both sides of drive rollers 213 and 214, respectively.

Each of the drive rollers 208 to 215 is connected to the reproducing head 205.
and a pulse motor 219 that is installed below the recording head 206 and is capable of forward and reverse rotation, and are driven to rotate synchronously via timing belts 220 to 222, and these pulse motors 219 and the thermal print head 20
4, or the operations of the reproducing head 205, the recording head 206, the reading electrode 207, etc. are controlled by the processing control section 3 based on the detection signal from the card type sensor 203, etc.

Note that the reference numeral 224 in the figure is a tension roller.

Therefore, when the collector inserts the cart he has collected from the road user into the entrance/exit 201 when paying the toll, the pulse motor 2
19 rotates forward and draws the card into the housing 202, and when the cart type sensor 203 detects that it is a highway cart, the playback head 205 reads the current balance and incorporates it into the main body 2. After outputting the information to the processing control unit 3, the current usage fee is settled and the balance is written to the highway card using the recording head 206. Thereafter, the pulse motor 219 is reversed to send the highway card to the entrance/exit 201, and along the way, the above-mentioned processing is confirmed by the reproducing head 205 and the above-mentioned balance is printed by the thermal printing head 204 as necessary.

When the card type sensor 203 detects that the card is a credit card such as a separate payment plate, the playback head 205 reads the information recorded on the credit card and outputs it to the processing control section 3. , the pulse motor 219 reverses and sends the highway card to the entrance/exit 201. In the case of an IC card, the IC card is conveyed to the reading electrode 207, the information recorded there is read, and after this is output to the processing control section 3, the pulse motor 219 is reversed to move the IC card to the entrance/exit. 2
Send it to 01.

<Effects of the Invention> According to the card processing device of the present invention, a linear conveyance line is set inside the casing, and while the cards are reciprocated by the conveyance means along this conveyance line, one end of the conveyance line A card slot, a hopper stacker, a switching flapper for switching the conveying direction of cards between the slot and the hopper stack, a card recording and reproducing device, and a card standby section are provided in order. Since other operations are performed while the device is in the waiting section, it is possible to process multiple operations without any context, and it is possible to simplify the operations and speed up the processing.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIGS. 1 to 3 and FIGS. 5 and 6 show an embodiment in which a card processing device according to the present invention is applied to a ticket confirmation machine that is a terminal of a toll collection system on a toll motorway. Figure 1 is a plan view showing the concept of the mechanism of the ticket processing unit, Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the ■-■ arrow, Figure 3 is a flowchart showing its processing procedure, and Figure 4 is an application as a ticket issuing machine. Flowchart representing the processing procedure in the case of
The figure is a perspective view showing the external appearance of this embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram of the mechanism showing the schematic structure of the card processing section in this embodiment. Furthermore, Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a conventional pass validating machine, Fig. 8 is a mechanical conceptual diagram showing the general structure of the pass ticket processing section, and Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line IX-IX. be. Further, in the figure, 100 is a pass ticket processing unit, 101 is an entrance/exit, 102 is a hopper stacker, 103 is a housing, and 104
106 is a pass ticket, 106 is a feeding roller, 107 is a retracting roller, 108°09 is a guide plate, 110.111 is a holding plate, 12 is a tension spring, 113 is a print head, 15
1 is a playback head, 116 is a recording head, 17 is a standby section, 1
18 to 126 are drive rollers, 27 is a timing belt,
129 is a pinch roller, 130 is a pass ticket supply device, 13
1゜132 is a biting roller, 133 and 134 are delivery rollers, 135 and 136 are supply belts, 139 is a feed roller, 140 is a separation roller, 14] is a one-way flapper, 142 is a switching flapper, and 143 to 149 are optical sensors. be. Patent applicant Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. agent Patent attorney Hidetoshi Mitsuishi (and 1 other person)

Claims (1)

[Claims] an entrance/exit formed at one end of the casing through which cards are taken in and taken out; a standby section formed at the other end of the casing for temporarily waiting the cards; and a waiting section formed at one end of the casing. a hopper stacker for storing the cards; a transport means provided in the housing for reciprocating the cards along a transport line connecting the standby section and the entrance; and a transport means disposed midway along the transport line. A reproducing/recording means for reading and writing information to and from the cards, and a reproducing/recording means provided in the middle of the conveyance line between the reproducing/recording means and the entrance/exit so as to transfer the cards conveyed from the waiting section to the entrance/exit side. Alternatively, it comprises a switching flapper that guides the hopper stacker toward the hopper stacker, and a sending means that feeds the cards stored in the hopper stacker one by one into the middle of the conveyance line between the doorway and the reproducing/recording means. Card processing equipment.