EP0296590A2 — Optical card processing apparatus

Claim 1

Independent Claim 124 words

An optical card processing apparatus comprising: a card holder (2) supported by a guiding mechanism (12) so as to be reciprocated and having a card holding portion (21); a slide member (28) provided for said card holder and sliding in the direction perpendicular to a reciprocating direction of said card holder; a transfer mechanism (5) which is arranged below the card holder and in which an endless belt (54) is wound between a pair of pulleys (52, 53) and one of said pair of pulleys is rotated by a drive motor (58) which rotates in a single direction; and a coupling pin (55) whose lower portion is fixedly attached to said endless belt and whose upper portion is rotatably attached to said slide member.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 124 words

An optical card processing apparatus comprising: a card holder (2) supported by a guiding mechanism (12) so as to be reciprocated and having a card holding portion (21); a slide member (28) provided for said card holder and sliding in the direction perpendicular to a reciprocating direction of said card holder; a transfer mechanism (5) which is arranged below the card holder and in which an endless belt (54) is wound between a pair of pulleys (52, 53) and one of said pair of pulleys is rotated by a drive motor (58) which rotates in a single direction; and a coupling pin (55) whose lower portion is fixedly attached to said endless belt and whose upper portion is rotatably attached to said slide member.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 48 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, when said card holder moves in one direction, a center of gravity (G) of the card holder and a drive center (P) of said transfer mechanism are aligned on a line which is parallel with the reciprocating direction of the card holder.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 75 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said card holding portion is arranged below the card holder, an optical head (16) for performing at least one of the writing and reading of information into and from an information recording portion of an optical card (1) held in the card holding portion is arranged below the card holder, and said optical head is moved in the direction perpendicular to a reciprocating direction of the card holder.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 139 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a card loading/ejecting mechanism (3) for automatically carrying or ejecting an optical card (1) inserted from a card inserting port (11) into or from the card holding portion of the card holder, and wherein said card loading/ejecting mechanism has: a detector (31) to detect the optical card inserted into the card inserting port; and a loading roller (33) having a shape such that when the optical card is carried into or ejected from the card holder, the loading roller comes into contact with the optical card and carries or ejects this card into or from the card holder by being rotated and that when the optical card has been carried to a prederermined position in the card holding portion, the loading roller does not come into contact with the optical card.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 81 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said card holder comprises: a flange (22) to support both side portions of a card (1); card pressing plate (23) which is arranged so as to face said flange and whose front edge portion (23a) is bent in the direction so as to be away from the flange; and pressurizing means (24) which presses said card pressing plate in the direction of the flange and whose intensity of the pressing force can be adjusted.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 39 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said card holder has a guiding mechanism (4) to guide the sides of an optical card (1) which is carried into the card holder at three positions in a point contact manner.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 156 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a guiding mechanism (4) for guiding the sides of an optical card (1) which is carried into said card holder and for giving a proper angle of inclination to the optical card with respect to a moving direction of the card holder; a pressurizing mechanism (24) for pressing the optical card carried into the card holder to fix it; a detecting device (100) to detect said inclination angle of the optical card; and a card inclination correcting mechanism (47, 63) for moving the optical card in the direction opposite to the inclining direction of the card on the basis of an inclination angle detection value by said detecting device in a state in which a pressure which is applied by said pressurizing mechanism is reduced, and for making the direction of an information recording track of the optical card coincide with the moving direction of the card holder.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 66 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said guiding mechanism of the card holder comprises: a pair of guide rods (71A, 71B) whose whole lengths are come into contact with a frame (14) and supported; and guide members (72, 73, 74), provided on both sides of the card holder, for guiding the holder in contact relation with the inside surfaces of said pair of guide rods.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 60 words

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said guiding mechanism of the card holder comprises: a pair of guide rods (71A, 71B) arranged in parallel; bearing members (72, 73, 74), arranged on both sides of the card holder, for sliding said guide rods; and means (75, 77) for pressing at least one of said bearing members to the guide rods.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 234 words

An optical card processing apparatus comprising: a card holder (2) which is supported to a guiding mechanism (12) so as to be reciprocated and is formed with an optical card holding portion (21) on a lower surface; a card loading/ejecting mechanism (3), arranged at a card inserting port (11), for detecting an optical card (1) and for attaching and detaching said optical card to and from said optical card holding portion of said card holder; a card inclination correcting mechanism (4, 47, 63), arranged for said holder, for making a track line direction of the optical card coincide with a moving direction of the card holder; a card transfer mechanism (5) in which a pair of pulleys (52, 53) are arranged along a moving path of the card holder, an endless belt (54) is wound between said pair of pulleys, a proper portion of said belt is coupled with the card holder, and one of said pulleys is coupled with a drive motor (58) which can rotates in a single direction, respectively; an optical head (6), arranged on the same side as said card transfer mechanism with respect to said card holder so as to face the optical card, for writing and reading information onto and from the optical card; and a transfer mechanism (60, 61, 62) to move the optical head in the direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the optical card.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 234 words

An optical card processing apparatus comprising: a card holder (2) which is supported to a guiding mechanism (12) so as to be reciprocated and is formed with an optical card holding portion (21) on a lower surface; a card loading/ejecting mechanism (3), arranged at a card inserting port (11), for detecting an optical card (1) and for attaching and detaching said optical card to and from said optical card holding portion of said card holder; a card inclination correcting mechanism (4, 47, 63), arranged for said holder, for making a track line direction of the optical card coincide with a moving direction of the card holder; a card transfer mechanism (5) in which a pair of pulleys (52, 53) are arranged along a moving path of the card holder, an endless belt (54) is wound between said pair of pulleys, a proper portion of said belt is coupled with the card holder, and one of said pulleys is coupled with a drive motor (58) which can rotates in a single direction, respectively; an optical head (6), arranged on the same side as said card transfer mechanism with respect to said card holder so as to face the optical card, for writing and reading information onto and from the optical card; and a transfer mechanism (60, 61, 62) to move the optical head in the direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the optical card.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 52 words

A card transfer mechanism comprising: parallel guide rods (71A, 71B); bearings (72, 73, 74), provided on both sides of a card holder (2), for slidably supporting the card holder for said guide rods; and elastic pressurizing means (75, 77) arranged between at least one of the guide rods and the slide bearings.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 52 words

A card transfer mechanism comprising: parallel guide rods (71A, 71B); bearings (72, 73, 74), provided on both sides of a card holder (2), for slidably supporting the card holder for said guide rods; and elastic pressurizing means (75, 77) arranged between at least one of the guide rods and the slide bearings.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 40 words

A card transfer mechanism according to claim 11, wherein said elastic pressurizing means comprises a leaf spring (75) in which one end is fixed to the side of the card holder and the bearing is attached to the other end.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 69 words

A card transfer mechanism according to claim 11, wherein said elastic pressurizing means comprises: an oscillating arm (76) which is attached to the side of the card holder at the center thereof so as to be freely oscillated and the bearing is attached to one end of said arm; and a spring (77), coupled with the other end of the arm, for pressing the bearing to the guide rods.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 74 words

A card transfer mechanism in which both sides of a card holder (2) are slidably supported to parallel guide rods (71A, 71B), wherein whole lengths of outside surfaces of both of said guide rods are supported to a frame (14), inside surfaces of the guide rods which face each other serve as guide surfaces, and guide members (72, 73, 74) which slide or roll on the guide surfaces are provided for the card holder.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 74 words

A card transfer mechanism in which both sides of a card holder (2) are slidably supported to parallel guide rods (71A, 71B), wherein whole lengths of outside surfaces of both of said guide rods are supported to a frame (14), inside surfaces of the guide rods which face each other serve as guide surfaces, and guide members (72, 73, 74) which slide or roll on the guide surfaces are provided for the card holder.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 26 words

A card transfer mechanism according to claim 14, wherein each of said guide members comprises a rotary wheel which is axially fixed to the card holder.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 90 words

An optical card processing apparatus comprising: a guiding mechanism (12) to support a card holder (2) so as to be reciprocated; the card holder (2) which is supported by said guiding mechanism and has a card holding portion (21) on a lower surface; a transfer mechanism (5), arranged below the card holder, for reciprocating the card holder; and an optical head (6), arranged below the card holder, for performing at least one of the writing and reading of information to and from an information recording portion of the optical card.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 90 words

An optical card processing apparatus comprising: a guiding mechanism (12) to support a card holder (2) so as to be reciprocated; the card holder (2) which is supported by said guiding mechanism and has a card holding portion (21) on a lower surface; a transfer mechanism (5), arranged below the card holder, for reciprocating the card holder; and an optical head (6), arranged below the card holder, for performing at least one of the writing and reading of information to and from an information recording portion of the optical card.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 97 words

An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said transfer mechanism comprises: a slider (28) which is provided for said card holder and can move in the direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the card; a belt (54) which is reeved around a pair of pulleys (52, 53) and is coupled with said slider by a coupling member (55) attached to a proper portion of said belt; and a drive motor (58) for generating a rotational force which continuously rotates in a single direction and for transmitting said rotational force to one of said pair of pulleys.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 145 words

An optical card processing apparatus comprising: (A) a card holder ( 2) which is supported to a guiding mechanism so as to be reciprocated and has an optical card holding portion (21); and (B) a card loading/ejecting mechanism (3) for automatically carrying or ejecting an optical card (1) inserted from a card inserting port (11) into or from said optical card holding portion, wherein said card loading/ejecting mechanism comprises; (i) a detector (31), arranged so as to face a passage of the optical card, for detecting the optical card, and (ii) a loading roller (33) which is come into contact with the optical card only in the case of attaching or removing the optical card onto or from a card holder and conveys the optical card and which does not come into contact with the optical card and the card holder upon writing or reading.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 145 words

An optical card processing apparatus comprising: (A) a card holder ( 2) which is supported to a guiding mechanism so as to be reciprocated and has an optical card holding portion (21); and (B) a card loading/ejecting mechanism (3) for automatically carrying or ejecting an optical card (1) inserted from a card inserting port (11) into or from said optical card holding portion, wherein said card loading/ejecting mechanism comprises; (i) a detector (31), arranged so as to face a passage of the optical card, for detecting the optical card, and (ii) a loading roller (33) which is come into contact with the optical card only in the case of attaching or removing the optical card onto or from a card holder and conveys the optical card and which does not come into contact with the optical card and the card holder upon writing or reading.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 56 words

A card holding mechanism comprising: a card holder (2) having flanges (22) to which both side portions of a card (1) are supported; a card pressing plate (23) whose both sides correspond to said flanges; and pressurizing means (24) which is coupled with said card pressing plate and can adjust an intensity of a pressing force.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 56 words

A card holding mechanism comprising: a card holder (2) having flanges (22) to which both side portions of a card (1) are supported; a card pressing plate (23) whose both sides correspond to said flanges; and pressurizing means (24) which is coupled with said card pressing plate and can adjust an intensity of a pressing force.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 85 words

A card holding mechanism according to claim 19, wherein said pressurizing means comprises two kinds of strong and weak springs (24a, 24b), one of said springs (24a) is directly coupled with the card pressing plate, the other spring (24b) is coupled with the card pressing plate through a lever (25) whose one end is pivotally fixed and which has pressing projections (26) for the card pressing plate at proper positions, and the other end of the lever is made operative by an operating mechanism (24c).

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 17 words

A card holding mechanism according to claim 20, wherein said operating mechanism comprises a cam or solenoid.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 36 words

A card holding apparatus comprising: a card holder (2); and a guiding mechanism (4), provided for said holder, for guiding at least three portions of the opposite sides of the card in a point contact manner.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 36 words

A card holding apparatus comprising: a card holder (2); and a guiding mechanism (4), provided for said holder, for guiding at least three portions of the opposite sides of the card in a point contact manner.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 30 words

A card holding apparatus according to claim 22, wherein supporting guides (41, 42, 43) at said three portions in said supporting mechanism comprises fixed or rotatable card guides like rollers.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 55 words

A card holding apparatus according to claim 23, wherein two of said card guides provided on the same side are arranged on both edge portions of a bar member (45) whose base edge is pivotally fixed to the card holder, and the top edge portion of said bar member is urged to the card side.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 184 words

An optical card processing apparatus in which an optical card (1) is moved for an optical head (6) and information is written onto or read from an information recording track of the optical card by the optical head, said processing apparatus comprising: a movable holder (2) to hold the optical card; a card transfer mechanism (5) to move the optical card together with said holder; card holding means (24) for acting a pressure on the optical card when the holder moves and thereby for fixing the optical card to the holder; optical card inclination detecting means (100) for detecting an angle of inclination of the information recording track with respect to the moving direction of the optical card; and a card inclination correcting mechanism (4, 47, 63) for moving the optical card, in a state in which the pressure by the card holding means is set to a weak force, on the basis of a detection value of said optical card inclination detecting means and thereby for making the moving direction of the optical card coincide with the direction of the information recording track.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 184 words

An optical card processing apparatus in which an optical card (1) is moved for an optical head (6) and information is written onto or read from an information recording track of the optical card by the optical head, said processing apparatus comprising: a movable holder (2) to hold the optical card; a card transfer mechanism (5) to move the optical card together with said holder; card holding means (24) for acting a pressure on the optical card when the holder moves and thereby for fixing the optical card to the holder; optical card inclination detecting means (100) for detecting an angle of inclination of the information recording track with respect to the moving direction of the optical card; and a card inclination correcting mechanism (4, 47, 63) for moving the optical card, in a state in which the pressure by the card holding means is set to a weak force, on the basis of a detection value of said optical card inclination detecting means and thereby for making the moving direction of the optical card coincide with the direction of the information recording track.

Optical card processing apparatus

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