Automatic ticket gates

Abstract

The present invention provides an automatic ticket gate that can effectively prevent cards thicker and harder than the ticket medium from entering the ticket slot without damaging the ticket medium. [Solution] The automatic ticket gate comprises a housing, a transport mechanism, and a card stopper. The housing forms a passage through which users pass. The transport mechanism transports the ticket medium inserted from an input slot provided in the housing through a transport path inside the housing. The card stopper prevents cards thicker and harder than the ticket medium inserted from the input slot from entering the transport path. The transport mechanism has a transport guide that guides the ticket medium being transported along the transport path. The transport guide has a through hole facing the transport path. The card stopper has a stopper portion that moves forward and backward relative to the through hole so as to protrude into the transport path when moving toward the through hole, and does not protrude into the transport path when moving toward the through hole.

Description

Technical Field

[0005] , , ,

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to an automatic ticket gate.

Background Art

[0002] In an automatic ticket gate used at a railway station ticket gate or the like, it is common for the opening of the ticket insertion slot into which a ticket medium such as a magnetic ticket is inserted to be wide from the viewpoint of ease of inserting the ticket medium. Therefore, even a card thicker than a ticket medium such as an IC (Integrated Circuit) card that is not an insertion target can be inserted into the ticket insertion slot. Since the card is harder than a ticket medium such as a magnetic ticket, when it is inserted from the ticket insertion slot, it may get stuck in the conveyance path that conveys the ticket medium inside the automatic ticket gate, and there is a risk of damaging the conveyance path.

[0003] ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The problem that this embodiment aims to solve is to provide an automatic ticket gate that can properly prevent cards that are thicker and harder than the ticket medium from entering beyond the ticket slot without damaging the ticket medium. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The automatic ticket gate of this embodiment comprises a housing, a transport mechanism, and a card stopper. The housing forms a passage through which users pass. The transport mechanism transports the ticket medium inserted through an input slot provided in the housing along a transport path inside the housing. The card stopper prevents cards thicker and harder than the ticket medium inserted through the input slot from entering the transport path. The transport mechanism has a transport guide that guides the ticket medium being transported along the transport path. The transport guide has a through hole facing the transport path. The card stopper has a stopper portion that moves forward and backward relative to the through hole so as to protrude into the transport path when moving toward the through hole, and does not protrude into the transport path when moving toward the through hole. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A diagram showing a schematic configuration of an automatic ticket gate according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] A schematic perspective view showing the transport mechanism in the aligning section of an automatic ticket gate according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] A schematic perspective view showing a card stopper for an automatic ticket gate according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] A schematic perspective view showing the state in which a card inserted into the slot of an automatic ticket gate according to an embodiment begins to come into contact with the transport guide. [Figure 5] A schematic perspective view showing the state in which a card inserted into the slot of an automatic ticket gate according to this embodiment applies an external force (pressing force) to the transport guide. [Figure 6] A perspective view schematically showing the same state as shown in Figure 5, but from a different viewpoint, in an automatic ticket gate according to the embodiment. [Figure 7]A schematic perspective view showing a comparative example of an automatic ticket gate according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] A perspective view showing an example of a modified ticket medium that can be inserted into the slot of an automatic ticket gate according to this embodiment. [Figure 9] A perspective view schematically showing the relationship between a deformed ticket medium and a protrusion when the ticket medium is inserted into the slot of an automatic ticket gate according to a comparative example. [Figure 10] A schematic perspective view showing the relationship between a deformed ticket medium and the stopper portion of the card stopper when the ticket medium is inserted into the slot of an automatic ticket gate according to an embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the disclosure is merely an example, and the invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Modifications that are easily conceivable by those skilled in the art are naturally included within the scope of the disclosure. For clarity, the size, shape, etc., of each part may be schematically represented in the drawings, modified from those of the actual embodiments. In some cases, the same reference numerals are used for corresponding elements in multiple drawings, and detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an automatic ticket gate 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 1 shows an example of an automatic ticket gate, a device installed at the ticket gates of a railway station, etc., that performs ticket gate operations to permit or prohibit the passage (entry and exit) of users. Users include railway passengers (boarding and alighting passengers), people entering and exiting the station premises, station staff, maintenance workers, etc.

[0010] In the following explanation, the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z are defined as shown in Figure 1. These directions X, Y, and Z are orthogonal to each other. In this embodiment, as an example, the plane defined by the first direction X and the second direction Y is considered to be the horizontal plane. The third direction Z is a direction along the vertical direction, with the arrow pointing upwards (upwards) and the opposite direction pointing downwards (downwards).

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the automatic ticket gate 1 includes a housing 12 that forms a passage through which users pass. This passage is formed, for example, on the left side of the housing 12 in the direction in which users pass through the passage. In the illustrated example, the direction of passage defined by the housing 12 of the automatic ticket gate 1 is indicated by the arrow of the first direction X. The housing 12 is provided with an opening / closing door (not shown) that opens or closes depending on the ticket gate result to allow or deny passage to users.

[0012] The automatic ticket gate 1 comprises an alignment unit 2, a magnetic processing unit 4, a printing unit 6, and a discharge unit 8. These alignment unit 2, magnetic processing unit 4, printing unit 6, and discharge unit 8 are each housed within the housing 12.

[0013] The alignment unit 2 aligns the transport direction and position of the ticket media inserted through the insertion slot 12a provided in the housing 12, and transports the aligned ticket media to the magnetic processing unit 4. The insertion slot 12a is configured so that the ticket media is inserted at a predetermined angle downward with respect to the horizontal plane, and opens into the housing 12. That is, the insertion slot 12a opens into the housing 12 at an angle such that the direction in which the ticket media is inserted is tilted downward at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane. The ticket media are, for example, magnetic tickets, express tickets, and commuter passes that have a magnetic recording area on the back of the paper medium on which necessary information can be read and written. Various information used for the ticket gate operations of the automatic ticket gate 1 (hereinafter referred to as boarding information), such as entry records (entry station and entry time, etc.), exit records (exit station and exit time, etc.), valid section, and valid period, is recorded in the magnetic recording area. The ticket media aligned by the alignment unit 2 are transported to the magnetic processing unit 4.

[0014] The magnetic processing unit 4 performs magnetic processing on the ticket media conveyed from the alignment unit 2. Such magnetic processing is, for example, a process of recording (writing) entry records, exit records, etc. as boarding information in the magnetic recording parts of magnetic tickets such as magnetic train tickets and commuter passes, and a process of reading the recorded entry records, etc. The ticket media magnetically processed by the magnetic processing unit 4 is conveyed to the printing unit 6. Based on the boarding information recorded by the magnetic processing unit 4, the ticket validity is determined by a control device (not shown) built into the automatic ticket gate 1 or a host server (not shown) capable of communicating with the automatic ticket gate 1, and the opening and closing door (not shown) of the automatic ticket gate 1 is opened and closed according to the result.

[0015] The printing unit 6 performs printing processing of predetermined information on the ticket media conveyed from the magnetic processing unit 4 as necessary. The predetermined information here is, for example, information indicating that proper ticket checking has been performed on the ticket media, or more simply, information indicating that the user has properly passed through the automatic ticket gate 1. When proper ticket checking is performed, the entry time, exit time, etc. are printed as predetermined information on train tickets, express tickets, etc. The ticket media printed by the printing unit 6 is conveyed to the discharging unit 8.

[0016] Instead of or in addition to the printing unit 6 that performs such printing processing, the automatic ticket gate 1 may be provided with a punching unit that performs punching processing to punch holes indicating, for example, that the user has properly passed through the automatic ticket gate 1, or in other words, that proper ticket checking has been performed on the ticket media.

[0017] The discharging unit 8 discharges the ticket media conveyed from the printing unit from the discharge port 12b of the housing 12. The discharged ticket media is removed from the discharge port 12b by the user who inserted the ticket media into the insertion port 12a. The user can pass through the passage by removing the ticket media from the discharge port 12b.

[0018] The automatic ticket gate 1 includes a transport mechanism 14 that transports a ticket medium inserted through an insertion slot 12a provided in a housing 12 inside the housing 12. The transport mechanism 14 transports the ticket medium inserted through the insertion slot 12a along a transport path 40 leading to a discharge port 12b via an alignment unit 2, a magnetic processing unit 4, a printing unit 6, and a discharge unit 8 in this order. The transport path 40 is continuous in a first direction X along the passage of the automatic ticket gate 1.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the transport mechanism 14 in the alignment unit 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the transport mechanism 14 mainly includes a transport belt 42, a transport roller 44, and a transport guide 46.

[0020] The transport belt 42 is an endless belt. In the transport mechanism 14 in the alignment unit 2 shown in FIG. 2, a pair of transport belts 42a and 42b are arranged such that a part of their outer peripheral surfaces 421 (hereinafter referred to as a transport surface 422) face each other. In the illustrated example, the upper transport belt 42a is arranged with its transport surface 422 facing downward, and the lower transport belt 42b is arranged with its transport surface 422 facing upward below the transport belt 42a.

[0021] These transport belts 42a and 42b transport the ticket medium along the transport path while sandwiching the ticket medium between the opposing transport surfaces 422. The ticket medium inserted through the insertion slot 12a enters the transport path 40 while being inclined downward at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane. The ticket medium that has entered the transport path 40 is transported, for example, with a part of the ticket medium sandwiched between the opposing transport surfaces 422. The region sandwiched between the opposing transport surfaces 422 constitutes a part of the transport path 40.

[0022] The conveyor roller 44 is mounted on a predetermined support shaft 48 via a bearing (not shown) and rotates around the support shaft 48, feeding the conveyor belt 42 stretched across the conveyor roller 44 along the conveyor path 40. The conveyor belt 42 is stretched across the conveyor roller 44 and also across a roller that rotates due to a driving force from a drive mechanism (not shown), such as a motor, and rotates in sync with the rotation of the roller, feeding it along the conveyor path 40.

[0023] In the alignment section 2 shown in Figure 2, at least three conveyor rollers 44a, 44b, and 44c are provided, and a pair of conveyor belts 42a and 42b are fed into the conveyor path 40 by these conveyor rollers 44a, 44b, and 44c. The conveyor rollers 44a and 44c are positioned on the inner circumference side of the conveyor belt 42a, and the conveyor belt 42a is stretched across them. Conversely, the conveyor roller 44b is positioned on the inner circumference side of the conveyor belt 42b, and the conveyor belt 42b is stretched across it. The conveyor rollers 44a and 44b are positioned so that at least a portion of them overlap when viewed from above.

[0024] When the conveyor belt 42a is fed into the conveyor path 40, for example, the conveyor roller 44a rotates, and the conveyor belt 42a is fed into the conveyor path 40 by the conveyor roller 44a, and the conveyor roller 44c rotates in sync with the conveyor roller 44a as the conveyor belt 42a is fed into the conveyor path 40. On the other hand, when the conveyor belt 42b is fed into the conveyor path 40, for example, the conveyor roller 44b rotates in sync with the conveyor rollers 44a and 44c. As a result, the conveyor belts 42a and 42b are fed into the conveyor path 40 in sync.

[0025] The transport guide 46 guides the ticket media being transported along the transport path 40 in the alignment section 2 along the transport path 40. As shown in Figure 2, the transport guide 46 is a plate-shaped member that extends substantially along the transport path 40, and is positioned below the lower of the pair of transport belts 42a and 42b, in close proximity to the transport belt 42b. As shown in Figure 2, the transport guide 46 has a guide body piece 46a and a guide fixing piece 46b. The guide body piece 46a is the part that supports and guides the orientation of the ticket media being transported along the transport path 40. The guide fixing piece 46b is the part that is fixed to the housing 12. The guide body piece 46a and the guide fixing piece 46b are continuously and integrally constructed from each other.

[0026] The transport guide 46 is formed, for example, by processing a metal plate, and is configured to allow both elastic deformation and elastic recovery from said deformation. In this embodiment, when an external force is applied to the guide body piece 46a of the transport guide 46, the guide body piece 46a is elastically deformed by bending with the guide fixing piece 46b as the pivot point, and when the applied external force is released, the elastically deformed guide body piece 46a elastically returns to its original shape before deformation. The elastically recovered state corresponds to the initial state of the transport guide 46 when no external force is applied to the guide body piece 46a.

[0027] The guide body piece 46a has a flat portion 46c that extends planarly along the transport path 40 and bent portions 46d and 46e that bend relative to the flat portion 46c. The bent portions 46d and 46e are located at both ends of the entire length of the flat portion 46c in a first direction X. The bent portion 46d is located on the front side of the transport path 40 where the ticket medium is transported, and the bent portion 46e is located on the back side of the transport path 40. Both of these bent portions 46d and 46e are bent downward relative to the flat portion 46c. Of these, the bent portion 46d is inclined in the same direction as the card in the horizontal plane, in a direction that intersects with the direction in which the card, described later, is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane. In other words, the bent portion 46d is inclined downward in the same direction as the input opening 12a, in a direction that intersects with the direction in which the input opening 12a is inclined.

[0028] As a result, the bent portion 46d located on the front side of the transport path 40 can come into contact with the card, which will be described later, inserted into the input port 12a, that is, a card that is inclined downward at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane, near the entrance 401 of the transport path 40. In other words, the bent portion 46d is the part of the guide body piece 46a that comes into contact with the card inserted into the input port 12a and is subjected to external force from the card.

[0029] The guide fixing piece 46b of the guide body piece 46a is continuous with the flat portion 46c of the guide body piece 46a. The transport guide 46 is fixed to the housing 12 with the guide fixing piece 46b, with the bent portion 46d of the guide body piece 46a positioned near the input opening 12a so that the bent portion 46d of the guide body piece 46a contacts the card that is inserted into the input opening 12a (described later).

[0030] As described above, of the bent portions 46d and 46e, the bent portion 46d located on the front side of the transport path 40 corresponds to the point where an external force is applied from the card, as will be described later. The external force from the card is generated, for example, when a card inserted into the input slot 12a comes into contact with the bent portion 46d, and the contacting card presses against the bent portion 46d. The generated external force (pressing force) is released, for example, when the card is removed from the input slot 12a and the card moves away from the bent portion 46d.

[0031] As will be described in detail later, when an external force is applied from the card to the bent portion 46d of the guide body piece 46a in the initial state, the guide body piece 46a elastically deforms with the guide fixing piece 46b as the pivot point, and is pushed down so that the area near the flat portion 46c and the bent portion 46d bends downward. When the external force applied from the card to the bent portion 46d is released, the elastically deformed and bent guide body piece 46a elastically returns to its original state, and the area near the flat portion 46c and the bent portion 46d springs upward, returning to the initial state. In other words, the guide body piece 46a is displaced relative to the housing 12 by the external force applied from the card.

[0032] In the transport guide 46, in order to facilitate the elastic deformation and elastic return of the guide body piece 46a with respect to the guide fixing piece 46b, the guide fixing piece 46b is positioned away from the input port 12a and the inlet 401, rather than near the input port 12a, or more specifically, near the inlet 401 of the transport path 40. That is, the guide fixing piece 46b is fixed to the housing 12 at a position away from the input port 12a and the inlet 401. For example, the guide fixing piece 46b is fixed to the housing 12 closer to the bent portion 46e than the midpoint of the total length of the flat portion 46c of the guide body piece 46a in the first direction X, that is, further back in the transport path 40 than the midpoint. The total length of the flat portion 46c in the first direction X is the length of the flat portion 46c along the transport path 40.

[0033] In the transport guide 46, the guide body piece 46a has a through hole 46f facing the transport path 40. In the illustrated example, the through hole 46f is provided at the boundary between the flat portion 46c and the bent portion 46d of the guide body piece 46a. Therefore, the through hole 46f is positioned in the guide body piece 46a closer to the flat portion 46c than the portion of the bent portion 46d where an external force (pressing force) is applied from the card, which will be described later. The through hole 46f penetrates the guide body piece 46a in the thickness direction (normal direction) of the guide body piece 46a. The through hole 46f is the opening space through which the stopper portion 16d of the card stopper 16, which will be described later, moves forward and backward. Therefore, the through hole 46f is larger than the cross section perpendicular to the direction of movement of the stopper portion 16d, so as to surround the outer circumferential surface of the stopper portion 16d, which will be described later.

[0034] In this embodiment, the automatic ticket gate 1 is equipped with a card stopper 16 that prevents the card inserted into the input slot 12a from entering the transport path 40. The card is a card-shaped medium that is thicker and harder than ticket media such as magnetic tickets, express tickets, and commuter passes, and includes plastic cards such as SF (Stored Fare) cards with embedded IC (Integrated Circuit) chips or credit cards equipped with IC chips (hereinafter referred to as IC cards).

[0035] In the automatic ticket gate 1, it is assumed that a ticket medium will be inserted into the slot 12a. The slot 12a is wider than the minimum size necessary for the ticket medium to be inserted, in order to facilitate the insertion of the ticket medium. Therefore, whether by mistake or intentionally, cards that are not intended to be inserted, such as IC cards that are thicker and harder than the ticket medium, can also be inserted into the slot 12a. For this reason, the automatic ticket gate 1 is equipped with a card stopper 16 to prevent cards inserted into the slot 12a from entering the transport path 40.

[0036] Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of the card stopper 16. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the card stopper 16 is formed by processing, for example, a metal plate, but unlike the transport guide 46, it does not undergo elastic deformation. The card stopper 16 is positioned and fixed to the housing 12 by means of a stopper fixing piece 16b, for example, by screw fastening, and does not displace relative to the housing 12. In other words, the position of the card stopper 16 is fixed relative to the housing 12.

[0037] The card stopper 16 is a plate-shaped member that is substantially aligned with the flat portion 46c of the guide body piece 46a of the transport guide 46, and is positioned below the flat portion 46c (below the flat portion 46c). The card stopper 16 has a stopper body piece 16a facing the flat portion 46c and a stopper fixing piece 16b that is fixed to the housing 12. The stopper body piece 16a and the stopper fixing piece 16b are continuously and integrally constructed from each other.

[0038] The stopper body piece 16a has a flat portion 16c that is substantially parallel to the guide body piece 46a of the transport guide 46, and a stopper portion 16d that bends and stands upright from the flat portion 16c. The stopper fixing piece 16b is bent upward from one end of the entire length of the flat portion 16c of the stopper body piece 16a in the second direction Y. The second direction Y in which the stopper body piece 16a extends corresponds to the direction in which the ticket medium is transported in the transport path 40 (transport direction).

[0039] In the example shown in Figure 3, the stopper body piece 16a has two stopper portions 16d. The number of stopper portions 16d is not particularly limited, as long as the stopper portions 16d can reliably contact the card in the transport path 40 when they extend into the transport path 40. For example, there may be one stopper portion 16d or there may be three or more. The guide body piece 46a of the transport guide 46 only needs to have through holes 46f corresponding to the number and arrangement of the stopper portions 16d. In the illustrated example, the guide body piece 46a has two through holes 46f, each corresponding to one of the two stopper portions 16d.

[0040] These two stopper portions 16d are arranged in the second direction Y of the stopper body piece 16a, that is, in a direction that crosses the transport direction of the ticket medium. The two corresponding through holes 46f are also arranged in the second direction Y of the guide body piece 46a of the transport guide 46, that is, in a direction that crosses the transport direction of the ticket medium along the transport path 40.

[0041] As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, as an example, a sensor 60 is attached to the flat portion 16c of the stopper body piece 16a, for example, to detect the thickness and number of ticket media being transported in the transport path 40 in the alignment section 2. That is, the card stopper 16 is configured to also serve as a bracket for attaching such a sensor 60 to the housing 12. However, the card stopper 16 may also be a component that has only one function, preventing cards inserted into the input slot 12a from entering the transport path 40, without also serving as a bracket for attaching such a sensor.

[0042] The stopper portion 16d moves forward and backward relative to the through hole 46f of the transport guide 46. As described above, the card stopper 16 does not displace relative to the housing 12, so the stopper portion 16d of the stopper body piece 16a also does not displace relative to the housing 12. Therefore, the stopper portion 16d moves forward and backward relative to the through hole 46f of the guide body piece 46a of the transport guide 46 as the guide body piece 46a of the transport guide 46 elastically deforms and displaces relative to the housing 12.

[0043] When the stopper portion 16d moves toward the through hole 46f, it protrudes from the guide body piece 46a of the transport guide 46 and is positioned above the opening edge of the through hole 46f. In this state, the stopper portion 16d jumps out into the transport path 40, and the stopper portion 16d that has jumped out into the transport path 40 comes into contact with the card inserted into the input slot 12a on the transport path 40. Conversely, when the stopper portion 16d retracts toward the through hole 46f, it does not protrude from the guide body piece 46a of the transport guide 46 and is positioned below the opening edge of the through hole 46f. In this state, the stopper portion 16d does not jump out into the transport path 40 and does not come into contact with the card inserted into the input slot 12a.

[0044] In this embodiment, the transport guide 46 transforms between a first form and a second form in order to move the stopper portion 16d relative to the through hole 46f of the transport guide 46 as described above. The first form and the second form are alternative forms to which the transport guide 46 transitions depending on the presence or absence of an external force acting on it. That is, the transport guide 46 has a first form and a second form to which it transforms depending on the presence or absence of an external force acting on it.

[0045] The first form is one in which the stopper portion 16d retracts relative to the through hole 46f, preventing the stopper portion 16d from protruding into the transport path 40, and corresponds to the initial state described above in which no external force is acting on the guide body piece 46a. The second form is one in which an external force is acting on the guide body piece 46a, and the guide body piece 46a of the transport guide 46 is elastically deformed from the first form by bending with the guide fixing piece 46b as the pivot point. In other words, the second form is one in which the stopper portion 16d advances relative to the through hole 46f, causing the stopper portion 16d to protrude into the transport path 40 and come into contact with the card in the transport path 40.

[0046] Figures 4 to 6 schematically show the relative positional relationship between the transport guide 46 and the card stopper 16 when a card is inserted into the input slot 12a. Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the state in which the card inserted into the input slot 12a begins to make contact with the transport guide 46. Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view showing the state in which the card inserted into the input slot 12a is applying an external force (pressing force) to the transport guide 46. Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view showing the same state as shown in Figure 5, but from a different viewpoint than in Figure 5.

[0047] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, card C is inserted into the input port 12a at a predetermined angle downward with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0048] As shown in Figure 4, the card C inserted into the input opening 12a comes into contact with the bent portion 46d of the guide body piece 46a of the transport guide 46 via the lower transport belt 42b near the entrance 401 of the transport path 40. In this state, no external force is acting from the card C on the bent portion 46d of the guide body piece 46a, and the transport guide 46 is in its initial state. That is, at this time, the transport guide 46 is in the first configuration.

[0049] Therefore, the transport guide 46 does not bend or elastically deform with respect to the guide fixing piece 46b, as the guide body piece 46a is positioned below the opening edge of the through hole 46f, and does not protrude into the transport path 40.

[0050] Then, as shown in Figure 4, the card C, which is in contact with the bent portion 46d of the guide body piece 46a, applies an external force (pressing force) to the bent portion 46d. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, when an external force is applied from the card C to the bent portion 46d of the guide body piece 46a, the transport guide 46 undergoes elastic deformation from its initial state, with the guide body piece 46a bending with the guide fixing piece 46b as the pivot point. In other words, at this time, the transport guide 46 transforms from the first form to the second form.

[0051] At that time, the vicinity of the flat portion 46c and the bent portion 46d is pushed downward, and the stopper portion 16d advances relative to the through hole 46f of the guide body piece 46a. As a result, the stopper portion 16d is positioned above the opening edge of the through hole 46f and protrudes into the transport path 40. At this time, since the stopper portion 16d protrudes into the transport path 40 in front of the card C that has been inserted into the input opening 12a and made contact with the bent portion 46d, it comes into contact with the card C in the transport path 40.

[0052] In this way, the stopper portion 16d comes into contact with the card C, preventing the card C from entering the transport path 40 beyond the entrance 401. In other words, the entry of the card C inserted into the input slot 12a into the transport path 40 is prevented. In this embodiment, when a card is inserted into the input slot 12a, the card is brought into contact with the two stopper portions 16d of the card stopper 16, thereby preventing it from entering the transport path 40 beyond the entrance 401.

[0053] From this state, for example, if card C is removed from the input opening 12a and the card C separates from the bent portion 46d, the external force (pressing force) that was acting on the bent portion 46d from card C is released. As a result, the transport guide 46 returns to its initial state as the guide body piece 46a, which was bent with the guide fixing piece 46b as the pivot point, elastically returns to its original position. In other words, at this time, the transport guide 46 transforms from the second form to the first form.

[0054] At that time, the vicinity of the flat portion 46c and the bent portion 46d springs upward, and the stopper portion 16d retracts relative to the through hole 46f of the guide body piece 46a. As a result, the stopper portion 16d is positioned below the opening edge of the through hole 46f, preventing it from protruding into the transport path 40.

[0055] As described above, in this embodiment, by transforming the transport guide 46 between the first and second forms, the stopper portion 16d of the card stopper 16 is moved relatively forward and backward with respect to the through hole 46f of the transport guide 46, thereby bringing it into contact with the card inserted into the input slot 12a.

[0056] Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view showing a comparative example of this embodiment. Even in a configuration such as the automatic ticket gate 90 in the comparative example shown in Figure 7, where, for example, the projection 92 provided on the transport guide 91 is always extended out into the transport path 93, it is possible to prevent the card C inserted into the input slot 94 from entering the transport path 93 by bringing it into contact with the projection 92.

[0057] Here, as in this embodiment, it is assumed that in the automatic ticket gate 90, a ticket medium, not a card C, is inserted into the slot 94. Ticket mediums such as magnetic tickets are normally flat and free from deformation such as bending. However, for example, after repeated use, the ticket medium may be used in a deformed state with one or more bends.

[0058] Figure 8 is a perspective view showing an example of the form of a ticket medium that has been deformed from its normal state. The ticket medium 100 shown in Figure 8 has three bent portions 101, 102, and 103. Bent portion 101 is bent along the short side near one end of the ticket medium 100 in the longitudinal direction. Bent portion 102 is bent along the short side near one end of the ticket medium 100 in the longitudinal direction, outside of bent portion 101. Bent portion 103 is bent diagonally with respect to the short side at one of the two corners near one end of the ticket medium 100 in the longitudinal direction. Bent portions 101 and 102 are bent in one direction in the normal direction of the ticket medium 100, and bent portion 103 is bent in the other direction in the normal direction. The ticket medium 100 has a bent piece 104 that is bent at bent portion 103.

[0059] Figure 9 is a schematic perspective view showing the relationship between the ticket medium 100 and the projection 92 when such a ticket medium 100 is inserted into the slot 94 of an automatic ticket gate 90. Figure 9 shows the case when the ticket medium 100 is inserted into the slot 94 from the side of the bent piece 104, such that the bent piece 104 bends downward. In this case, the ticket medium 100 inserted into the slot 94 bends along the transport belts 97 and 98 stretched over the transport rollers 95 and 96 and enters the transport path 93. Once the ticket medium 100 enters the transport path 93, the projection 92 that protrudes into the transport path 93 is always in contact with the bent piece 104.

[0060] When the bent piece 104 comes into contact with the projection 92, the ticket medium 100 may become stuck to the projection 92 and may not be transported any further along the transport path 93. Furthermore, since the ticket medium 100, such as a magnetic ticket, does not have the same rigidity as the card C described above, the bent piece 104 may be damaged when it comes into contact with the projection 92. In other words, in the comparative example, there is a risk of transport failure or damage to the deformed ticket medium 100.

[0061] According to the automatic ticket gate 1 of this embodiment, even if a deformed ticket medium 100 is inserted, it is possible to avoid transport failures or damage to the ticket medium 100, as seen in the comparative example. Figure 10 is a schematic perspective view showing the relationship between the deformed ticket medium 100 and the stopper portion 16d of the card stopper 16 when the ticket medium 100 is inserted into the insertion slot 12a of the automatic ticket gate 1. Figure 10 shows the case where the ticket medium 100 is inserted into the insertion slot 12a from the side of the bent piece 104, so that the bent piece 104 bends downward, similar to the comparative example shown in Figure 9.

[0062] In this case, the ticket medium 100 inserted into the input opening 12a enters the transport path 40 along the transport belts 42a and 42b stretched over the transport rollers 44a and 44b. Since the ticket medium 100 does not have the same rigidity as the card C described above, it moves along the transport path 40 while being held between the transport surfaces 422 of the transport belts 42a and 42b. At this time, the ticket medium 100 does not come into contact with the bent portion 46d of the guide body piece 46a of the transport guide 46. Therefore, the ticket medium 100 does not exert any external force (pressing force) on the bent portion 46d, and the guide body piece 46a is not pushed downward. In other words, the transport guide 46 does not transform into the second form, but maintains the first form, that is, the initial state.

[0063] Therefore, the stopper portion 16d of the card stopper 16 does not advance relative to the through hole 46f of the guide body piece 46a, and the stopper portion 16d does not protrude into the transport path 40. As a result, the ticket medium 100 that is inserted from the input opening 12a and enters the transport path 40, and furthermore the bent piece 104 of the ticket medium 100, do not come into contact with the stopper portion 16d in the transport path 40.

[0064] Since the stopper portion 16d does not come into contact with the ticket medium 100 and its bent portion 104, the ticket medium 100 enters the transport path 40 beyond the entrance 401 of the transport path 40. In other words, the entry of the ticket medium 100 inserted into the input opening 12a into the transport path 40 is not prevented. Furthermore, since the ticket medium 100 and its bent portion 104 do not come into contact with the stopper portion 16d, damage to the ticket medium 100 due to contact with the stopper portion 16d can also be prevented. Therefore, even if a deformed ticket medium 100 is inserted, transport failures and damage to the ticket medium 100, as seen in the comparative example, can be avoided.

[0065] Although not shown in the diagram, even if, for example, a flat, undeformed ticket medium is inserted into the input opening 12a instead of a deformed ticket medium 100 having a bent piece 104, the ticket medium will not come into contact with the bent portion 46d of the transport guide 46, and will not transform the transport guide 46 into the second form. Therefore, since such a ticket medium does not come into contact with the stopper portion 16d, transport failures and damage to the ticket medium are avoided.

[0066] As described above, with the automatic ticket gate 1 according to this embodiment, when a card C is inserted into the slot 12a, the card C is brought into contact with the bent portion 46d of the guide body piece 46a of the transport guide 46, and the transport guide 46 is transformed from the first form to the second form. At that time, the guide body piece 46a is pushed downward, the stopper portion 16d is advanced relative to the through hole 46f of the guide body piece 46a, and the stopper portion 16d is made to pop out into the transport path 40.

[0067] This allows the stopper portion 16d that protrudes into the transport path 40 to come into contact with the card C inserted into the input opening 12a in the transport path 40. As a result, it is possible to prevent the card C from entering the transport path 40 beyond the entrance 401 of the transport path 40.

[0068] On the other hand, when a ticket medium is inserted into the input port 12a, regardless of whether the ticket medium is deformed or not, it can be guided into the transport path 40 and transported without coming into contact with the bent portion 46d of the guide body piece 46a of the transport guide 46. In other words, when a ticket medium is inserted into the input port 12a, the transport guide 46 can be maintained in its first form. Therefore, transport failures and damage to the ticket medium can be avoided not only when the ticket medium is not deformed, but also when the ticket medium is deformed.

[0069] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0070] 1...Automatic ticket gate, 2...Alignment section, 4...Magnetic processing section, 6...Printing section, 8...Discharge section, 12...Housing, 12a...Input slot, 12b...Discharge slot, 14...Conveyor mechanism, 16...Card stopper, 16a...Stopper body piece, 16b...Stopper fixing piece, 16c...Flat section, 16d...Stopper section, 40...Conveyor path, 401...Entrance to conveyor path, 42,42a,42b...Conveyor belt, 42 1...outer surface, 422...conveying surface, 44, 44a, 44b, 44c...conveying rollers, 46...conveying guide, 46a...guide body piece, 46b...guide fixing piece, 46c...flat part, 46d, 46e...bent part, 46f...through hole, 48...support shaft, 60...sensor, 100...ticket medium, 104...bent piece, C...card, X...first direction, Y...second direction, Z...third direction.

Claims

1. A housing that forms a passageway for users to pass through, A transport mechanism that transports the ticket medium inserted through the input slot provided in the housing through a transport path inside the housing, The system includes a card stopper that prevents cards thicker and harder than the ticket medium inserted through the input slot from entering the transport path, The transport mechanism has a transport guide that guides the ticket medium being transported along the transport path along the transport path, The transport guide is provided with a through hole facing the transport path, The card stopper includes a stopper portion that moves forward and backward relative to the through-hole so as to protrude into the transport path when moving toward the through-hole, and so as not to protrude into the transport path when moving toward the through-hole. Automatic ticket gate.

2. The transport guide has a first form and a second form that transform into one of two forms depending on the presence or absence of an external force acting on the transport guide. The first embodiment is such that the stopper portion retracts relative to the through hole and does not protrude into the transport path. The second embodiment is a configuration in which the stopper portion bends from the first embodiment and advances toward the through hole, causing the stopper portion to pop out into the transport path. The automatic ticket gate according to claim 1.

3. The transport guide comprises a guide body piece that supports and guides the orientation of the ticket medium being transported along the transport path, and a guide fixing piece that is fixed to the housing. The guide body piece is configured to be able to undergo both elastic deformation and elastic recovery from said deformation with respect to the guide fixing piece, and has a flat portion that extends planarly along the transport path and a bent portion that comes into contact with the card inserted into the input opening and is subjected to external force from the card, When the external force is applied from the card to the bent portion of the transport guide, the guide body piece elastically deforms from the guide fixing piece as a pivot point, transforming from the first form to the second form, and when the applied external force is released, the guide body piece elastically returns from the guide fixing piece as a pivot point, transforming from the second form to the first form. The automatic ticket gate according to claim 2.

4. The through-hole is positioned in the guide body piece closer to the flat portion than the portion in the bent portion where the external force is applied from the card. The automatic ticket gate according to claim 3.

5. The aforementioned input opening is inclined in the housing such that the direction in which the ticket medium is inserted is inclined downward with respect to the horizontal plane, The bent portion is inclined in the same direction as the inlet with respect to the horizontal plane, in a direction intersecting the direction in which the inlet is inclined. The automatic ticket gate according to claim 3.

6. The guide fixing piece is fixed to the housing at a position further back in the transport path than the midpoint of the entire length of the flat portion of the guide body piece along the transport path. The automatic ticket gate according to claim 3.

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