Card Reader Magnetic Head Longitudinal Movement Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional card readers experience reduced reading and writing accuracy when processing cards with magnetic stripes conforming to international and JIS standards, as the magnetic head and stripe positions can become displaced during data transfer due to perpendicular conveyance.

Innovation Solution

The card reader design includes a mechanism where the magnetic head moves in the longitudinal direction of the card, with the card held such that one end of the short-side direction is pressed against an abutting part, ensuring precise alignment and preventing positional displacement during data reading and writing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the card is conveyed in its short-side direction with the magnetic stripe perpendicular to the conveying direction, then the card can be processed according to international and JIS standards, but the magnetic head and magnetic stripe positions become displaced during data transfer, reducing reading and writing accuracy

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompatibility with international and JIS standard cardsVSAvoidreading and writing accuracy of magnetic data

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of moving the card perpendicular to the magnetic stripe (conventional method), the patent inverts the approach by moving the magnetic head parallel to the magnetic stripe while the card is conveyed in its short-side direction. This inversion of the relative motion between the magnetic head and magnetic stripe maintains accurate alignment throughout the data reading/writing process, eliminating positional displacement while still accommodating standard cards

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an abutting part as an intermediary element that physically contacts and positions one end of the card in the short-side direction. This abutting part serves as a reference point that ensures the magnetic stripe remains properly aligned with the magnetic head's movement path, thereby maintaining reading and writing accuracy despite the card being conveyed in its short-side direction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2813974B1Card reader

Publication Date: 2019.05.01 SANKYO SEIKI MFG CO LTD

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AI summary

Provided is a card reader which is capable of suppressing deterioration of reading accuracy and recording accuracy of magnetic data, even in the cases where cards provided with magnetic stripes conforming to the International Standards and the JIS Standards are transferred in the shorter direction of the card and processing is performed. This card reader which transfers a card (2) in the shorter direction of the card (2) and performs processing, said card being formed in rectangular shape, is provided with: a card transfer mechanism (6), which transfers the card (2); a magnetic head (7), which reads magnetic data recorded on the card (2) and records magnetic data on the card (2); a head moving mechanism, which moves the magnetic head (7) in the longer direction of the card (2); and a contact section (50a), with which one end (2d) of the card (2) in the shorter direction of the card comes into contact. In the card reader, while the card transfer mechanism (6) holds the card (2) in a State wherein the one end (2d) of the card (2) in the shorter direction of the card is pressed to the contact section (50a), the magnetic head (7) moves in the longer direction of the card (2), and reads and records the magnetic data.