Card reader

Abstract

The present invention provides a card reader that enables imaging of a wider area of ​​the card transport path and its surroundings using an imaging mechanism. [Solution] The card reader 2 has a card transport path 6 formed inside it through which a card inserted from the card slot 5 is transported. If one side of the card transported in the card transport path 6 is designated as the Z1 direction side, and the other side of the card transport path opposite the Z1 direction side is designated as the Z2 direction side, the card reader 2 comprises a first transport path forming member 11 that constitutes the Z1 direction side portion of the card transport path 6, a second transport path forming member 12 that constitutes the Z2 direction side portion of the card transport path 6, and an imaging mechanism 13 for imaging the card transport path 6 from the Z1 direction side. The imaging mechanism 13 is located in the space S on the Z1 direction side of the first transport path forming member 11. The first transport path forming member 11 is made of a transparent or translucent material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a card reader.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a card reader for reading magnetic data recorded on a card and recording magnetic data on a card has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Inside the card reader described in Patent Document 1, a card conveyance path through which a card inserted from a card insertion slot is conveyed is formed. Inside this card reader, there is a space where a magnetic data skimming member (skimming device) for stealing the magnetic data recorded on the card can be attached.

[0003] The card reader described in Patent Document 1 includes a photographing device disposed above the card conveyance path. The photographing device is disposed at a position where it can photograph the interior space of the card reader. Therefore, with the card reader described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to determine whether a skimming device has been attached to the interior space of the card reader based on the image photographed by the photographing device. Thus, with this card reader, it is possible to prevent unauthorized reading of magnetic data by the skimming device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Criminals attempt to install skimming devices in a position facing the card transport path in order to illegally read magnetic data using skimming devices. In the card reader described in Patent Document 1, in order to effectively prevent illegal reading of magnetic data by skimming devices and effectively prevent crimes committed by criminals, it is preferable that the imaging device is capable of imaging a wider area of ​​the card transport path and the surrounding area of ​​the card transport path.

[0006] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a card reader equipped with an imaging mechanism for imaging a card transport path, which is capable of imaging a wider area of ​​the card transport path and the surrounding portion of the card transport path by the imaging mechanism. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, a card reader according to one aspect of the present invention is a card reader in which a card transport path is formed inside through a card slot for transporting a card inserted into the card slot, wherein one side in the thickness direction of the card transported by the card transport path is designated as the first direction side, and the other side in the thickness direction of the card opposite to the first direction side is designated as the second direction side, and the card reader comprises a first transport path forming member that constitutes the portion of the card transport path on the first direction side, a second transport path forming member that constitutes the portion of the card transport path on the second direction side, and an imaging mechanism for imaging the card transport path from the first direction side, wherein the imaging mechanism is arranged on the first direction side of the first transport path forming member, and the first transport path forming member is made of a transparent or translucent material.

[0008] In this embodiment of the card reader, the first transport path forming member, which constitutes the portion of the card transport path on the first direction side, is made of a transparent or translucent material. Therefore, in this embodiment, the imaging mechanism, which is positioned on the first direction side of the first transport path forming member, can image the card transport path and the surrounding portion of the card transport path, including the portion covered by the first transport path forming member. Consequently, in this embodiment, the imaging mechanism can image a wider area of ​​the card transport path and the surrounding portion of the card transport path. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] As described above, in a card reader according to one aspect of the present invention, a card reader equipped with an imaging mechanism for imaging the card transport path becomes capable of imaging a wider area of ​​the card transport path and the surrounding portion of the card transport path by the imaging mechanism. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a plan view of the card shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a plan view of the main part of the card reader shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a side view illustrating the configuration of the card reader shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a side view illustrating the configuration of the card reader shown in Figure 1. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a side view illustrating the configuration of the card reader shown in Figure 1. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a bottom view illustrating the configuration of the imaging mechanism and its surrounding parts shown in Figure 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] (Card reader configuration) Figure 1 is a perspective view of a card reader 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a plan view of the card 3 shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a plan view of the main part of the card reader 2 shown in Figure 1. Figures 4 to 6 are side views illustrating the configuration of the card reader 2 shown in Figure 1. Figure 7 is a bottom view illustrating the configuration of the imaging mechanism 13 and its surrounding parts shown in Figure 3.

[0013] The card reader 2 in this embodiment is a device for reading data recorded on a card 3 and recording data onto the card 3, or at least one of the above. The card reader 2 is a card transport type card reader equipped with a card transport mechanism 4 that automatically transports the card 3. The card reader 2 is used, for example, mounted on a predetermined host device such as an ATM (Automated Teller Machine).

[0014] Card 3 is, for example, a rectangular card made of polyvinyl chloride with a thickness of approximately 0.7 to 0.8 mm. Card 3 has an IC chip embedded in it, and an external connection terminal 3b for the IC chip is formed on one side of Card 3. On the other side of Card 3, a magnetic stripe 3c is formed on which magnetic data is recorded. Card reader 2 has a card slot 5 through which Card 3 is inserted and ejected. Inside card reader 2, there is a card transport path 6 through which Card 3 inserted from card slot 5 is transported.

[0015] In the card transport path 6, the card 3 is transported linearly in the X direction as shown in Figure 1. That is, the X direction is the transport direction of the card 3 transported in the card transport path 6. The card 3 is inserted on the X2 direction side as shown in Figure 1, which is one side of the X direction, and discharged on the X1 direction side as shown in Figure 1, which is the other side of the X direction. The Z direction as shown in Figure 1, which is perpendicular to the X direction, is the thickness direction of the card 3 transported in the card transport path 6, and the Y direction as shown in Figure 1, which is perpendicular to both the X and Z directions, is the width direction (short width direction) of the card 3 transported in the card transport path 6.

[0016] In the following description, the X direction is the front-rear direction, the Y direction is the left-right direction, and the Z direction is the up-down direction. Also, in the following description, the X1 direction side, which is the discharge direction side of the card 3 from the card reader 2, is defined as the "front" side, and the opposite side (the insertion direction side of the card 3 into the card reader 2), which is the X2 direction side, is defined as the "rear" side. Further, the Z1 direction side in FIG. 1 etc., which is one side in the up-down direction, is defined as the "upper" side, and the opposite side, which is the Z2 direction side in FIG. 1 etc., is defined as the "lower" side. The upper side (Z1 direction side) of this embodiment is the first direction side which is one side in the thickness direction of the card 3, and the lower side (Z2 direction side) is the second direction side which is the opposite side of the first direction side (the other side in the thickness direction of the card 3).

[0017] In addition to the card transport mechanism 4, the card reader 2 includes a magnetic head 7 (see FIG. 4) for performing at least one of reading magnetic data recorded on the card 3 and writing magnetic data to the card 3, and an IC contact unit 8 for communicating data with the card 3. The IC contact unit 8 includes an IC contact block 10 having a plurality of IC contact springs 9 that contact the external connection terminals 3b of the card 3 (see FIG. 4). That is, the IC contact unit 8 includes a plurality of IC contact springs 9.

[0018] The card reader 2 also includes a first transport path forming member 11 that constitutes the upper portion of the card transport path 6, a second transport path forming member 12 that constitutes the lower portion of the card transport path 6, a photographing mechanism 13 for photographing the card transport path 6 from above, a light source 14 that irradiates light toward the card transport path 6, a circuit board 15 on which the photographing mechanism 13 and the light source 14 are mounted, and a lid member 16 to which the circuit board 15 is attached (see FIGS. 6 and 7). In this embodiment, one photographing mechanism 13 and two light sources 14 are mounted on the circuit board 15.

[0019] The card insertion slot 5 is formed at the front end of the card reader 2, and the front end of the card conveyance path 6 is the card insertion slot 5. One surface of the card 3 (the surface on which the external connection terminal 3b is formed) inserted into the card insertion slot 5 faces upward. The magnetic head 7 is arranged such that the magnetic gap faces the card conveyance path 6 from below. That is, the magnetic head 7 faces the card conveyance path 6 from below. Above the magnetic head 7, a pad roller 17 is arranged (see FIG. 3). The pad roller 17 is arranged to face the card conveyance path 6 from above. The pad roller 17 is biased toward the magnetic head 7. In FIG. 4, the illustration of the pad roller 17 is omitted.

[0020] The IC contact unit 8 is arranged such that the IC contact spring 9 of the IC contact block 10 faces the card conveyance path 6 from above. That is, the IC contact unit 8 faces the card conveyance path 6 from above. The IC contact unit 8 includes a solenoid 18 as a drive source. The solenoid 18 moves the IC contact block 10 between a contact position where the IC contact spring 9 can contact the external connection terminal 3b of the card 3 and a retracted position where the IC contact spring 9 does not contact the external connection terminal 3b.

[0021] The solenoid 18 is arranged above the first conveyance path forming member 11. Also, the solenoid 18 is arranged behind the IC contact block 10. The magnetic head 7 is arranged behind the solenoid 18. Therefore, when viewed from the vertical direction, the magnetic head 7, the IC contact block 10, and the solenoid 18 are arranged at positions shifted from each other. Also, when viewed from the vertical direction, the magnetic head 7 and the IC contact unit 8 are arranged at positions shifted from each other.

[0022] The card transport mechanism 4 transports the card 3 along the card transport path 6. The card transport mechanism 4 includes a transport roller 20 that contacts the card 3 to transport it, and a pad roller 21 that faces the transport roller 20 and is biased toward the transport roller 20 (see Figure 4). This embodiment of the card transport mechanism 4 includes three transport rollers 20 and three pad rollers 21. The card transport mechanism 4 also includes a motor 22, which is a drive source, and a power transmission mechanism 23 that transmits the power of the motor 22 to the transport roller 20.

[0023] The transport rollers 20 are positioned to face the card transport path 6 from above. The transport rollers 20 contact the upper surface of the card 3. The three transport rollers 20 are arranged at a constant pitch in the front-rear direction. The pad rollers 21 are positioned to face the card transport path 6 from below and are located below the transport rollers 20. The pad rollers 21 contact the lower surface of the card 3. The card 3 is transported while sandwiched between the transport rollers 20 and the pad rollers 21. The motor 22 is positioned below the second transport path forming member 12 and is located below the second transport path forming member 12. The motor 22 is positioned so that the axial direction of the output shaft of the motor 22 coincides with the left-right direction.

[0024] The power transmission mechanism 23 is located on one side of the card reader 2 in the left-right direction. The power transmission mechanism 23 includes, for example, a pulley 25 fixed to the output shaft of the motor 22, pulleys 26 and 27 fixed to the rotation axis of one of the three transport rollers 20, pulleys 28 fixed to the rotation axes of the remaining two transport rollers 20, a belt 29 stretched between pulleys 25 and 26, a belt 30 stretched between pulley 27 and the two pulleys 28, and a tension pulley 31 for adjusting the tension of the belt 30. The pitch circle diameter of pulley 26 is larger than that of pulley 25. The pitch circle diameters of pulleys 27 and 28 are smaller than that of pulley 26. The pitch circle diameter of pulley 27 and the pitch circle diameter of pulley 28 are equal.

[0025] The first transport path forming member 11 is made of resin. Specifically, the first transport path forming member 11 is made of transparent resin. That is, the first transport path forming member 11 is made of a transparent material and has light transmittance. In this embodiment, the first transport path forming member 11 is made of colorless transparent resin. The first transport path forming member 11 constitutes the upper part of the card transport path 6 over its entire length in the left-right direction. The lower surface of the first transport path forming member 11 is the upper surface of the card transport path 6. The first transport path forming member 11 has an opening for the IC contact block 10 to be placed, an opening for the lower end of the pad roller 17 to be placed, and an opening for the lower end of the transport roller 20 to be placed. A space S is formed in the upper part of the first transport path forming member 11, excluding the area where the IC contact unit 8 is placed.

[0026] The second transport path forming member 12 is made of resin. For example, the second transport path forming member 12 is made of black resin. The second transport path forming member 12 constitutes the lower part of the card transport path 6 over its entire length in the left-right direction. The upper surface of the second transport path forming member 12 is the lower surface of the card transport path 6. The second transport path forming member 12 has an opening where the upper end of the magnetic head 7 is positioned and an opening where the upper end of the pad roller 21 is positioned.

[0027] The lid member 16 is formed in a flat plate shape with its thickness in the vertical direction. The lid member 16 is fixed to the upper end of the main frame of the card reader 2. The circuit board 15 is a rigid substrate such as a glass epoxy substrate, and is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape, for example. The circuit board 15 is attached to the lower surface of the lid member 16. The thickness direction of the circuit board 15 coincides with the vertical direction. The imaging mechanism 13 and the light source 14 are mounted on the lower surface of the circuit board 15.

[0028] The imaging mechanism 13 is a camera having an image sensor such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor. The imaging mechanism 13 is positioned above the first transport path forming member 11. Furthermore, the imaging mechanism 13 is positioned in the middle of the card transport path 6 in the front-to-back direction. In addition, the imaging mechanism 13 is positioned so as to be adjacent to the solenoid 18 in the left-to-right direction when viewed from the top-to-bottom direction (see Figure 3).

[0029] The optical axis of the imaging mechanism 13 is pointed downwards. The imaging mechanism 13 is positioned to photograph from above the portion of the card transport path 6 that does not overlap with the IC contact unit 8 in the vertical direction (the area P enclosed by the dashed line in Figure 3). In other words, in this embodiment, the imaging mechanism 13 cannot photograph from above the portion of the card transport path 6 that overlaps with the IC contact unit 8 in the vertical direction, but it can photograph the other portions of the card transport path 6 from above.

[0030] The light source 14 is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode). The light source 14 is positioned above the first transport path forming member 11. The two light sources 14 are mounted on the circuit board 15 so as to sandwich the imaging mechanism 13 in the front-to-back direction. The optical axis of the light source 14 is pointed downwards, and the light source 14 emits light downwards. In other words, the light source 14 emits light towards the card transport path 6.

[0031] (Main effects of this form) As explained above, in this embodiment, the first transport path forming member 11, which constitutes the upper part of the card transport path 6, is made of a transparent material. Therefore, in this embodiment, the imaging mechanism 13, which is positioned above the first transport path forming member 11, can also image the card transport path 6 and the surrounding area of ​​the card transport path 6 that is covered by the first transport path forming member 11. Consequently, in this embodiment, the imaging mechanism 13 can image a wider area of ​​the card transport path 6 and the surrounding area of ​​the card transport path 6.

[0032] In this embodiment, the motor 22 is positioned below the second transport path forming member 12. Therefore, in this embodiment, even though the motor 22 is installed inside the card reader 2, the motor 22 does not interfere with the imaging mechanism 13, which is positioned above the first transport path forming member 11, when imaging the card transport path 6 and the surrounding area of ​​the card transport path 6. Consequently, in this embodiment, even though the motor 22 is installed inside the card reader 2, the imaging mechanism 13 can image a wider area of ​​the card transport path 6 and the surrounding area of ​​the card transport path 6.

[0033] In this configuration, the magnetic head 7 and the IC contact unit 8 are positioned offset from each other when viewed from above. Furthermore, in this configuration, the imaging mechanism 13 is positioned to be able to image the portion of the card transport path 6 from above, excluding the portion that overlaps with the IC contact unit 8 in the vertical direction. Therefore, in this configuration, even if the card reader 2 is equipped with the IC contact unit 8, it becomes possible to image a wider area of ​​the card transport path 6 surrounding the location where the magnetic head 7 is positioned, where a skimming device is likely to be attached.

[0034] In this embodiment, the first transport path forming member 11 constitutes the upper portion of the card transport path 6 over the entire left-right direction, and the second transport path forming member 12 constitutes the lower portion of the card transport path 6 over the entire left-right direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the number of locations around the card transport path 6 where a skimming device inserted from the card insertion slot 5 can be attached. Consequently, in this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the attachment of a skimming device inserted from the card insertion slot 5 to the area around the card transport path 6.

[0035] In this embodiment, the first transport path forming member 11 is made of a transparent material, and it is possible to photograph the card transport path 6 and the surrounding area of ​​the card transport path 6 that is covered by the first transport path forming member 11. Therefore, even if the first transport path forming member 11 constitutes the upper part of the card transport path 6 over its entire length in the left-right direction, the imaging mechanism 13 can photograph a wider area of ​​the card transport path 6 and the surrounding area of ​​the card transport path 6.

[0036] (Example of changing the card reader) In the above-described configuration, the card reader 2 may also be equipped with a card lock mechanism 35 to prevent the card 3 from being pulled out of the card slot 5 when the card 3 abnormally stops in the card transport path 6 and gets jammed in the card transport path 6 (see the dashed line in Figure 6). The card lock mechanism 35 includes, for example, a motor which is the drive source, a locking member for preventing the card 3 from being pulled out, and a power transmission mechanism for transmitting the power of the motor to the locking member.

[0037] The locking member has a retaining claw that contacts the card 3 to prevent it from being pulled out. The tip of the retaining claw is pointed. The locking member is movable between a contact position where the tip of the retaining claw contacts the card 3 and a retracted position where the retaining claw is retracted from the card transport path 6 by power transmitted from the motor. The card locking mechanism 35 is located below the second transport path forming member 12. The retaining claw can contact the lower surface of the card 3. The second transport path forming member 12 has an opening through which the retaining claw passes.

[0038] In this modified example, even though the card lock mechanism 35 is installed inside the card reader 2, the card lock mechanism 35 does not interfere with the imaging mechanism 13, which is positioned above the first transport path forming member 11, when imaging the card transport path 6 and the surrounding area of ​​the card transport path 6. Therefore, even though the card lock mechanism 35 is installed inside the card reader 2, the imaging mechanism 13 can image a wider area of ​​the card transport path 6 and the surrounding area of ​​the card transport path 6.

[0039] (Other embodiments) The above-described embodiment is merely one example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and is not limited thereto. Various modifications can be made without altering the essence of the present invention.

[0040] In the above-described configuration, the first transport path forming member 11 may be made of a colored transparent resin. Alternatively, in the above-described configuration, the first transport path forming member 11 may be made of a translucent resin. That is, the first transport path forming member 11 may be made of a translucent material. Even in this case, the imaging mechanism 13, which is positioned above the first transport path forming member 11, can also image the card transport path 6 and the surrounding area of ​​the card transport path 6 that is covered by the first transport path forming member 11. Therefore, the imaging mechanism 13 can image a wider area of ​​the card transport path 6 and the surrounding area of ​​the card transport path 6.

[0041] In the above-described configuration, the first transport path forming member 11 may constitute the upper portion of the card transport path 6 in a portion of the left-right region. For example, the first transport path forming member 11 may constitute the upper portion of the card transport path 6 in half of the left-right region. In this case, the upper side of the card transport path 6 is open in the remaining half of the left-right region. Also, in the above-described configuration, the second transport path forming member 12 may constitute the lower portion of the card transport path 6 in a portion of the left-right region. Furthermore, in the above-described configuration, the motor 22 may be located above the first transport path forming member 11. Also, in the above-described modification, the card lock mechanism 35 may be located above the first transport path forming member 11.

[0042] In the above-described configuration, the card reader 2 may be equipped with two or more imaging mechanisms 13. Also, in the above-described configuration, the card reader 2 may be equipped with a movement mechanism for moving the imaging mechanisms 13. Also, in the above-described configuration, the card reader 2 does not need to be equipped with an IC contact unit 8. Furthermore, in the above-described configuration, a communication antenna may be built into the card 3. Also, in the above-described configuration, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) cards with a thickness of about 0.18 to 0.36 mm, paper cards of a predetermined thickness, metal cards, etc., may be processed by the card reader 2.

[0043] (Configuration of this technology) Furthermore, this technology can be configured as follows: (1) A card reader having a card transport path formed inside through which a card inserted from the card slot is transported, If one side of the card in the thickness direction that is transported in the card transport path is designated as the first direction, and the other side of the card in the thickness direction that is opposite to the first direction is designated as the second direction, The system comprises a first transport path forming member that constitutes the portion of the card transport path on the first direction side, a second transport path forming member that constitutes the portion of the card transport path on the second direction side, and a shooting mechanism for photographing the card transport path from the first direction side. The imaging mechanism is positioned on the first direction side of the first transport path forming member, The card reader is characterized in that the first transport path forming member is made of a transparent or translucent material. (2) If the direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the card being transported in the card transport path and the thickness direction of the card is defined as the width direction of the card, The first transport path forming member constitutes the portion of the card transport path on the first direction side over the entire width of the card, The card reader according to (1), characterized in that the second transport path forming member constitutes the portion of the card transport path on the second direction side over the entire width of the card. (3) A card transport mechanism that transports the card along the card transport path, The card transport mechanism includes a motor which is the drive source, The card reader according to (1) or (2), characterized in that the motor is positioned on the second direction side of the second transport path forming member. (4) The card is provided with a card locking mechanism to prevent the card from being pulled out of the card slot when the card stops abnormally in the card transport path and the card gets jammed in the card transport path. The card reader according to any one of (1) to (3), characterized in that the card lock mechanism is located on the second direction side of the second transport path forming member. (5) A magnetic head for reading magnetic data recorded on the card and recording magnetic data on the card, and an IC contact unit having a plurality of IC contact springs that contact the external connection terminals of an IC chip formed on the card, The magnetic head faces the card transport path from the second direction side, The IC contact unit faces the card transport path from the first direction side, When viewed from the thickness direction of the card, the magnetic head and the IC contact unit are positioned offset from each other. The card reader according to any one of (1) to (4), characterized in that the imaging mechanism is positioned so as to be able to photograph the portion of the card transport path that does not overlap with the IC contact unit in the card thickness direction from the first direction side.

[0044] In this technology, if the card width direction is defined as the direction perpendicular to the card transport direction and the card thickness direction, it is preferable that the first transport path forming member constitutes the portion of the card transport path on the first direction side over the entire width direction of the card, and the second transport path forming member constitutes the portion of the card transport path on the second direction side over the entire width direction of the card. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the number of locations in the peripheral portion of the card transport path where a skimming device inserted from the card insertion slot can be attached. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the attachment of a skimming device inserted from the card insertion slot to the peripheral portion of the card transport path.

[0045] In this technology, for example, the card reader includes a card transport mechanism that transports cards along a card transport path, and the card transport mechanism includes a motor that is a drive source, and the motor is positioned on the second direction side of the second transport path forming member. In this case, even if the motor is installed inside the card reader, the motor is less likely to interfere with the imaging when the imaging mechanism, which is positioned on the first direction side of the first transport path forming member, is imaging the card transport path and the surrounding area of ​​the card transport path. Therefore, even if the motor is installed inside the card reader, it becomes possible to image a wider area of ​​the card transport path and the surrounding area of ​​the card transport path using the imaging mechanism.

[0046] In this technology, for example, the card reader is equipped with a card lock mechanism to prevent the card from being pulled out of the card slot when the card stops abnormally in the card transport path and becomes jammed in the card transport path, and the card lock mechanism is positioned on the second direction side of the second transport path forming member. In this case, even if the card lock mechanism is installed inside the card reader, the card lock mechanism is less likely to interfere with the imaging when the imaging mechanism, which is positioned on the first direction side of the first transport path forming member, is imaging the card transport path and the surrounding area of ​​the card transport path. Therefore, even if the card lock mechanism is installed inside the card reader, it becomes possible to image a wider area of ​​the card transport path and the surrounding area of ​​the card transport path using the imaging mechanism.

[0047] In this technology, for example, the card reader includes a magnetic head for reading magnetic data recorded on a card and recording magnetic data to a card, and an IC contact unit having a plurality of IC contact springs that contact the external connection terminals of an IC chip formed on the card. The magnetic head faces the card transport path from the second direction, and the IC contact unit faces the card transport path from the first direction. When viewed from the card thickness direction, the magnetic head and the IC contact unit are positioned offset from each other. The imaging mechanism is positioned to be able to image the card transport path from the first direction, excluding the portion that overlaps with the IC contact unit in the card thickness direction. In this case, even if the card reader is equipped with an IC contact unit, it becomes possible to image a wider area of ​​the card transport path surrounding the location where the magnetic head is positioned, where a skimming device is likely to be attached. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0048] 2 card readers 3 cards 3b External connection terminal 4. Card transport mechanism 5 Card slots 6 Card transport paths 7 Magnetic head IC contact unit 9 IC contact spring 11. First transport path forming member 12. Second transport path forming member 13. Imaging mechanism 22 motors 35 Card lock mechanism X Card transport direction Y card width direction Z card thickness direction Z1 1st direction side Z2 2nd direction side

Claims

1. A card reader having a card transport path formed inside through which a card inserted from the card slot is transported, If one side of the card in the thickness direction that is transported in the card transport path is designated as the first direction, and the other side of the card in the thickness direction that is opposite to the first direction is designated as the second direction, The system comprises a first transport path forming member that constitutes the portion of the card transport path on the first direction side, a second transport path forming member that constitutes the portion of the card transport path on the second direction side, and a shooting mechanism for photographing the card transport path from the first direction side. The imaging mechanism is positioned on the first direction side of the first transport path forming member, The card reader is characterized in that the first transport path forming member is made of a transparent or translucent material.

2. If the direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the card being transported on the card transport path and the thickness direction of the card is defined as the width direction of the card, The first transport path forming member constitutes the portion of the card transport path on the first direction side over the entire width of the card, The card reader according to claim 1, characterized in that the second transport path forming member constitutes the portion of the card transport path on the second direction side over the entire width of the card.

3. The system includes a card transport mechanism that transports the cards along the card transport path, The card transport mechanism includes a motor which is the drive source, The card reader according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the motor is positioned on the second direction side of the second transport path forming member.

4. The card is equipped with a card locking mechanism to prevent the card from being pulled out of the card slot when the card stops abnormally in the card transport path and the card becomes jammed in the card transport path. The card reader according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the card lock mechanism is located on the second direction side of the second transport path forming member.

5. The system comprises a magnetic head for reading magnetic data recorded on the card and recording magnetic data onto the card, and an IC contact unit having a plurality of IC contact springs that contact the external connection terminals of an IC chip formed on the card. The magnetic head faces the card transport path from the second direction side, The IC contact unit faces the card transport path from the first direction side, When viewed from the thickness direction of the card, the magnetic head and the IC contact unit are positioned offset from each other. The card reader according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the imaging mechanism is positioned to be able to photograph the portion of the card transport path that does not overlap with the IC contact unit in the card thickness direction from the first direction side.

Images