Description
Card reader
5 The present invention relates to a card reader according to
claim 1.
Card readers for reading from and writing to electronics
cards such as smart cards, chip cards or integrated circuit
10 cards are known in the state of the art. Such card readers
comprise an entrance slit for inserting a card into the card
reader. A contact assembly is in general arranged inside of
the card reader for reading data from the card and for writing
data to the card.
15
Known card readers comprise ejector mechanisms for automatically
ejecting the card upon completion of a process. It is
in many cases undesirable that a user removes the card from
the card reader before a defined point in time, such as a
20 completion of data transfer or other processing. It has
turned out to be challenging to reliably prevent a card from
being removed ahead of time and to reliably eject a card
automatically over a large number of repeated cycles.
25 It is an object of the present invention to provide a card
reader. This objective is achieved by a card reader according
to claim 1. Preferred embodiment are disclosed in the dependent
claims.
3 0 A card reader comprises a card receiving space. A card can be
inserted into the card receiving space in an insertion direction
through an entrance slit. The card reader comprises a
rotatable stopper which can assume a locked position as well
as an unlocked position. The entrance slit is clear when the
stopper is in the unlocked position. A locking surface of the
stopper partially blocks the entrance slit when the stopper
is in the locked position. Advantageously, the locking sur-
5 face of the stopper of this card reader prevents a manual removal
of a card from the card receiving space of the card
reader when the rotatable stopper is in the locked position.
The prevention of a manual removal of a card helps to ensure
that the card is not removed from the card reader before a
10 data transfer or another process has been completed.
In an embodiment of the card reader, the card reader comprises
a plunger which is moveable along the insertion direction
between an outer position and an inner position. Insert-
15 ing a card into the card receiving space pushes the plunger
from the outer position to the inner position. The plunger is
rigidly connected to a lock pin. The lock pin locks the stopper
in the locked position when the plunger is in the inner
position. The plunger and the lock pin of the card reader
2 0 thus ensure that the rotatable stopper assumes the locked position
upon inserting a card into the card receiving space of
the card reader.
In an embodiment of the card reader, the stopper can assume
25 the unlocked position when the plunger is in the outer position.
Consequently, the locking surface of the stopper does
not block the entrance slit when the plunger is in the outer
position, allowing for inserting a card into the card receiving
space of the card reader.
30
In an embodiment of the card reader, the stopper is rotatable
around a rotary axis perpendicular to a card plane of the
card receiving space. Advantageously, this allows for a simpie
and reliable construction of the card reader. A further
advantage is that the stopper may be rotated from the locked
position to the unlocked position by the card itself on
ejecting the card from the card receiving space of the card
5 reader.
In an embodiment of the card reader, the card reader comprises
a shaft that extends perpendicular to the card plane
of the card receiving space. The stopper is rotatable around
10 the shaft. Advantageously, the shaft provides a guiding for
the rotary movement of the stopper.
In an embodiment of the card reader, the shaft comprises a
convex side and a flat side. The stopper is arranged adjacent
15 to the convex side. The flat side faces the card receiving
space. Advantageously, the convex side of the shaft provides
a guiding for the rotary movement of the stopper. The stopper
can rest firmly on the convex side of the shaft at different
angular positions.
20
In an embodiment of the card reader, the shaft comprises a
clamp for retaining a card in the card receiving space in a
direction perpendicular to the card plane of the card receiving
space. Advantageously, the clamp of the shaft prevents a
2 5 manual removal of a card from the card receiving space of the
card reader in a direction perpendicular to the card plane of
the card receiving space. The prevention of a manual removal
of a card helps to ensure that the card is not removed from
the card reader before a data transfer or another process has
3 0 been completed.
In an embodiment of the card reader, the stopper comprises an
elongate beam with a first end and a second end. The beam is
V
i
bent around an axis perpendicular to a card plane of the card
receiving space. Advantageously, this construction of the
stopper allows for a space-saving arrangement of the stopper
inside of the card reader.
5
In an embodiment of the card reader, a concave side of the
stopper is oriented towards the card receiving space. Advantageously,
this arrangement of the stopper requires very little
free space on the outer convex side of the stopper, alio
lowing for a compact construction of the card reader.
In an embodiment of the card reader, the locking surface is
arranged at the first end of the stopper wherein the first
end is arranged closer to the entrance slit than the second
15 end. Advantageously, the stopper has to be rotated by only a
small angle to move the stopper from the unlocked position to
the locked position and vice versa.
In an embodiment of the card reader, the lock pin faces the
20 first end when the plunger assumes the outer position. Advantageously,
the lock pin can prevent the stopper from rotating
from the unlocked position to the locked position when the
plunger assumes the outer position.
25 In an embodiment of the card reader, the lock pin faces the
second end when the plunger assumes the inner position. Advantageously,
the lock pin thus prevents the rotatable stopper
from rotating from the locked position to the unlocked
position when the plunger assumes the inner position.
30
In an embodiment of the card reader, a lug is arranged on the
second end of the stopper. The lock pin abuts on the lug when
the plunger assumes the inner position. Advantageously, the
10
30
lock pin may exert a force on the lug of the rotatable stopper
to rotate the stopper from the unlocked position to the
locked position.
In an embodiment of the card reader, the lug is arranged below
a card plane of the card receiving space in a direction
perpendicular to the card plane of the card receiving space.
Advantageously, this allows for a compact construction of the
card reader.
In an embodiment of the card reader, the plunger is connected
to the lock pin by means of a connection rod. The lock pin
protrudes from the connection rod in a direction perpendicular
to the insertion direction. This allows for arranging the
15 rotatable stopper next to the connection rod in such a way
that the lock pin acts on the rotatable stopper when the connection
rod is moved in parallel to the insertion direction.
In an embodiment of the card reader, the card reader com-
2 0 prises a solenoid lock for locking the plunger at the inner
position. The solenoid lock may for example comprise a solenoid
and a latch. Advantageously, the solenoid lock allows
for locking the plunger at the inner position which also
locks the rotatable stopper in the locked position. In the
25 locked position of the rotatable stopper, the locking surface
of the stopper blocks the entrance slit and prevents a card
from being removed from the card receiving space of the card
reader. The solenoid lock thus allows for locking the card
inside of the card receiving space of the card reader.
In an embodiment of the card reader, the card reader comprises
a spring that exerts a force on the plunger in a direction
opposing the insertion direction. Inserting a card
into the card receiving space of the card reader has to be
carried out against the force exerted by the spring, which
advantageously provides a tactile feedback to a user of the
card reader. A further advantage is that the spring allows
5 for automatically ejecting the card from the card receiving
space of the card reader.
The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference
to the Figures, in which:
10
Figure 1 shows a top view of a card reader with a cover removed;
Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a frame of the card
15 reader;
Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a connection rod of the
card reader;
2 0 Figure 4 shows a further perspective view of the connection
rod of the card reader;
Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a stopper of the card
reader;
25
Figure 6 shows a further perspective view of the stopper of
the card reader;
Figure 7 shows a perspective view of a detail of the frame
3 0 of the card reader;
Figure 8 shows a further top view of the card reader with
the cover removed;
The card receiving space 200 comprises an outer end 201 and
an inner end 2 02. The outer end of the card receiving space
200 is located near the entrance slit 220. While inserting
the card 600 into the card receiving space 200 of the card
5 reader 10 0, the card 6 00 moves from the outer end 201 to the
inner end 202 of the card receiving space 200.
The card reader 100 comprises a contact assembly 140 arranged
near the inner end 202 of the card receiving space 200. The
10 contact assembly 140 is provided for contacting a data memory
of the card 600. The data memory is arranged on the lower
side 620 of the card 600. The data memory of the card 600 may
for example be provided by a microchip integrated into the
card 600.
15
The card reader 100 is designed to retain the card 600 inside
of the card receiving space 2 00 until all operations that require
the presence of the card 600 are completed. Afterwards,
the card reader 100 automatically ejects the card 60 0 from
20 the card receiving space 200. To this end, the card reader
100 comprises a plunger 300 and a stopper 500. The plunger
300 is rigidly connected to a connection rod 400 that acts on
the stopper 500.
2 5 The plunger 3 00 is arranged near the inner end 2 02 of the
card receiving space 200 of the card reader 100. The plunger
300 is moveable in the insertion direction 101 and can move
between an outer position 301 and an inner position 302. In
the outer position 301, the plunger 3 00 is located more
3 0 closely to the entrance 220 than at the inner position 302.
The card reader 100 comprises a pair of springs 16 0 which exert
a force onto the plunger 3 00 which pushes the plunger 3 00
10
in a direction opposed to the insertion direction 101. Consequently,
the springs 160 push the plunger 300 from its inner
position 302 to its outer position 301.
5 The card reader 100 comprises a solenoid lock 150 which is
provided to lock the plunger 300 in its inner position 302.
The solenoid lock 150 comprises a solenoid 151 and a latch
152 . The solenoid 151 is designed to move the latch 152 in
the transverse direction 102 to lock or unlock the plunger
10 300 at the inner position 302.
The card reader 100 comprises a frame 110. Figure 2 shows a
perspective view of the frame 110. The frame 110 serves to
hold the other components of the card reader 100. The card
15 reader 100 furthermore comprises a cover 115 that is visible
in the depiction of Figure 14. The cover 115 is not shown in
Figure 1. The card receiving space 200 is located between the
frame 110 and the cover 115 of the card reader 100.
2 0 Figures 3 and 4 show perspective views of the connection rod
400 from two different angles. The connection rod 400 comprises
an elongate shape with an outer end 401 and an inner
end 402. In the card reader 100, the inner end 402 of the
connection rod 400 is rigidly connected to the plunger 300.
25 The outer end 401 of the connection rod 400 is arranged near
the outer end 201 of the card receiving space 200 and the entrance
slit 220 of the card reader 100. Moving the plunger
300 in the insertion direction 101 also moves the connection
rod 400 in parallel to the insertion direction 101.
30
At its outer end 401, the connection rod 400 comprises a displaced
section 410 which is displaced in a sideward manner
with respect to the remaining parts of the elongate connec-
11
tion rod 400. At the outer end 401 of the connection rod 400,
a lock pin 420 is arranged in the displaced section 410. The
lock pin 420 points in a direction opposed to the transverse
direction 102 and thus in a direction perpendicular to the
5 longitudinal direction of the elongate connection rod 400.
Figures 5 and 6 show perspective views of the stopper 500
from two different angles. The stopper 500 generally comprises
a half-ring shape. The stopper 500 comprises an elon-
10 gate beam 510 with a first end 511 and a second end 512. The
elongate beam 510 of the stopper 500 is bent around the bending
axis 561 by approximately 180°. The stopper 500 thus comprises
a concave side 52 0 which is oriented towards the bending
axis 561, and a convex side 521 which points outwards in
15 a direction opposed to the concave side 520.
The stopper 500 comprises an upper part 53 0 and a lower part
535. The upper part 530 is arranged above the lower part 535
in a direction parallel to the bending axis 561. The upper
20 part 530 and the lower part 535 are integrally connected.
At the first end 511 of the elongate beam 510 which forms the
stopper 500, the stopper 500 comprises a recess 540. The recess
540 is formed at the concave side 520 at the upper part
25 530 at the first end 511 of the stopper 500. At the outer
convex side 521 of the upper part 530, a wall of the recess
540 forms a locking surface 545.
The stopper 500 comprises a lug 550 which is arranged at the
30 second end 512 of the stopper 500 in the lower part 535 of
the stopper 500.
12
10
15
At the first end 511 of the elongate beam 510, the elongate
beam 510 comprises a first face. At the second end 512, the
elongate beam 510 comprises a second face. The first face and
the, second face are approximately arranged in parallel to
each other and in a shared plane due to the bending of the
elongate beam 510 around the bending axis 561. The first face
is partially missing in the upper part 530 in the area of the
recess 540. The lug 550 protrudes from the second face in the
lower part 535 of the stopper 500.
Figure 7 shows a perspective view of a detail of the frame
110 of the card reader 100. The frame 110 comprises a guiding
channel 120 which runs in an approximately half-circular
shape around a shaft 130 of the frame 110.
The shaft 13 0 comprises a pillar 131 which extends in the
vertical direction 103. The pillar 131 comprises a convex
side 132 and a flat side 133. The convex side 132 of the pillar
131 is arranged adjacent to the guiding channel 12 0. The
2 0 guiding channel 12 0 extends around the convex side 13 2 of the
pillar 131 of the shaft 130. The flat side 132 of the pillar
131 faces the card receiving space 200.
The shaft 13 0 furthermore comprises a clamp 132 which is ar-
25 ranged on an upper end of the pillar 131 of the shaft 130.
The clamp 134 extends over the flat side 133 of the pillar
131 of the shaft 130 in the transverse direction 102. The
projecting part of the clamp 134 of the shaft 13 0 is arranged
above the card receiving space 200 in the vertical direction
30 103.
The stopper 50 0 can be arranged in the guiding channel 12 0 in
such a way that the concave side 520 of the stopper 500 is
13
oriented towards the card receiving space 200 of the card
reader 100 and that the first end 511 of the elongate beam
510 of the stopper 500 is arranged closer to the entrance
slit 220 than the second end 512 of the elongate beam 510 of
5 the stopper 500.
In the guiding channel 120, the stopper 500 is rotatable
around a rotary axis 560 that is formed by the shaft 130 of
the frame 110. The rotary axis 560 preferably coincides with
10 the bending axis 561 of the stopper 500.
The stopper '500 is provided to lock the card 600 in the card
receiving space 200 of the card reader 100 once the card 600
has been inserted into the card receiving space 200. To this
15 end, the stopper 500 can be rotated between an unlocked position
and a locked position in the guiding channel 12 0 of the
frame 110 of the card reader 100. When the stopper 500 is in
the unlocked position, the card 600 can be inserted into the
card receiving space 2 00 and be removed from the card receiv-
20 ing space 200. When the stopper 500 is in the locked position,
the card 600 is locked in the card receiving space 200
and cannot be removed from the card receiving space 2 00.
Figure 8 shows a top view of the card reader 10 0 with the
25 card 600 partially inserted into the card receiving space 200
through the entrance slit 220. The card 600 is inserted further
into the card receiving space 200 than in the depiction
of Figure .1, but has not reached its final position in the
card receiving space 200 yet.
30
The stopper 500 of the card reader 100 assumes an unlocked
position 501 in the guiding channel 120 of the frame 110 of
the card reader 100 and consequently does not block the en-
14
10
trance slit 220 of the card reader 100. The entrance slit 220
is clear. The plunger 300 assumes the outer position 301. The
card 600 has been pushed into the card receiving space 200
through the entrance slit 220 in the insertion direction 101.
The front face 630 of the card 600 touches a contact face 310
of the plunger 300. The clamp 134 of the shaft 130 is located
above the card 600 in the vertical direction 103. The card
600 is thus maintained between the frame 110 and the clamp
134 in the vertical direction 103.
When the card 600 is pushed further into the card receiving
space 200 in the insertion direction 101, the front face 630
of the card 600 exerts a force onto the contact face 310 of
the plunger 3 00 and moves the plunger 3 00 from the outer po-
15 sition 301 to the inner position 302. The springs 160 of the
card reader 100 are compressed while the plunger 300 is moved
from the outer position 301 to the inner position 302.
Once the plunger 300 has reached the inner position 302, the
20 plunger 300 is locked at the inner position 302 by the solenoid
lock 150. This is shown in the sliced partial top view
of Figure 9. The solenoid 151 of the solenoid lock 150 moves
the latch 152 of the solenoid lock 150 in the direction opposed
to the transverse direction 102 in such a way that the
25 latch 152 latches on the plunger 300 and locks the plunger
300 at the inner position 302. This prevents the plunger 300
from returning to the outer position 301 despite a force exerted
on the plunger 300 by the springs 160.
30 Once the plunger 300 has reached the inner position 302, the
card 600 has also reached its final position in the card receiving
space 200 and is completely inserted into the card
receiving space 200 of the card reader 100. In this situa-
15
tion, the stopper 500 will lock the card 600 in the card receiving
space 200.
Figures 10 and 12 show perspective views of a part of the
5 card reader 100. In the situation depicted in Figures 10 and
12, the card 600 is not completely inserted into the card receiving
space 200 of the card reader 100. The card 600 is not
shown in Figure 10 for sake of clarity.
10 In the situation depicted in Figures 10 and 12, the plunger
300 assumes the outer position 301. The stopper 500 assumes
the unlocked position 501. In the unlocked position 501 of
the stopper 500, the first face at the first end 511 of the
elongate beam 510 of the stopper 500 and the second face at
15 the second end 512 of the elongate beam 510 of the stopper
500 are approximately oriented in parallel to the insertion
direction 101.
The connection rod 400 which is rigidly connected to the
20 plunger 300 assumes a position in which the lock pin 420 of
the connection rod 400 faces the first end 511 of the stopper
500. This prevents the stopper 500 from rotating around the
rotary axis 560 in a counter-clockwise manner and thus maintains
the stopper 500 in the unlocked position 501. The lug
25 550 of the stopper 500 extends from the second face at the
second end 512 of the stopper 500 into a free space provided
by the displaced section 410 of the connection rod 400.
Figures 11 and 13 show further perspective views of a part of
30 the card reader 100. In the depiction of Figures 11 and 13,
the card 600 has reached its final position in the card receiving
space 200. The card 600 is not shown in Figure 11 to
permit a view of the stopper 500.
16
Pushing the card 600 completely into the card receiving space
200 has moved the plunger 300 from the outer position 301 to
the inner position 302. The connection rod 400 which is rig-
5 idly connected to the plunger 300 has been moved simultaneously
in the insertion direction 101. Now that the plunger
300 has reached the inner position 302, the lock pin 420 of
the connection rod 400 faces the second end 512 of the stopper
500. The lock pin 420 abuts on the lug 550 at the second
10 end 512 of the stopper 500. During its movements in the insertion
direction 101, the lock pin 420 of the connection rod
400 has exerted a force on the lug 550 of the stopper 500
which has rotated the stopper 500 in a counter-clockwise manner
around the rotary axis 560 from the unlocked position 501
15 to a locked position 502.
In the situation depicted in Figures 11 and 13, the stopper
500 assumes the locked position 502. The first end 511 of the
stopper 500 extends into the card receiving space 200. The
20 locking surface 545 at the first end 511 of the stopper 500
partially blocks the entrance slit 220 of the card reader
100. This can also be understood from the perspective view of
Figure 14.
25 The contact between the lock pin 420 of the connection rod
400 and the lug 550 at the second end 512 of the stopper 500
prevents the stopper 500 from rotating in a clock-wise manner
around the rotary axis 560 from the locked position 502 to
the unlocked position 501 as long as the plunger 300 remains
30 at the inner position 302. Since the plunger 300 is locked at
the inner position 3 02 by the solenoid lock 150 of the card
reader 100, the stopper 500 remains in the locked position
17
502 as long as the plunger 300 remains locked in the inner
position 302 by the solenoid lock 150.
As long as the stopper 500 is in the locked position 502, the
5 card 600 cannot be removed manually from the card receiving
space 200 through the entrance slit 220. Figure 15 shows a
perspective view of a part of the card reader 100. In the depiction
of Figure 15, the card 600 is arranged in the card
receiving space 200 of the card reader 100. The plunger 3 00
10 is locked at the end position 302 of the solenoid lock 150.
The stopper 500 assumes the locked position 502 and blocks
the entrance slit 220 of the card receiving space 200 of the
card reader 100. Manually pulling the card 600 in a direction
opposed to the insertion direction 101 out of the card re-
15 ceiving space 200 through the entrance slit 220 is not possible.
The rear face 640 of the card 600 abuts on the locking
surface 545 of the stopper 500 which blocks the entrance slit
220.
20 In the situation depicted in Figure 13, the card 600 can also
not be removed from the card receiving space 200 in the vertical
direction 103, because in the vertical direction 103
the card 600 is retained by the clamp 134 of the shaft 130.
25 In order to allow removing the card 600 from the card receiving
space 200 of the card reader 100, the plunger 300 first
has to be unlocked by the solenoid lock 150. To this end, the
solenoid 151 of the solenoid lock 150 pulls the latch 152 of
the solenoid lock 150 in the transverse direction 102 and
30 thus frees the plunger 300. This allows the plunger 300 to
move back from the inner position 302 to its outer position
301.
18
The springs 160 of the card reader 100 exert a force on the
plunger 3 00 that moves the plunger 300 from the inner position
302 to the outer position 301. Moving the plunger 300 in
the direction opposed to the insertion direction 101 simulta-
5 neously moves the connection rod 400 in the direction opposed
to the insertion direction 101. This movement of the connection
rod 400 releases the lock pin 420 of the connection rod
400 from the lug 550 at the second end 512 of the stopper
500, as is shown in the perspective view of Figure 16. This
10 allows the stopper 500 to rotate in a clockwise manner around
the rotary axis 560 from the locked position 502 to the
unlocked position 501.
Noving the plunger 3 00 in the direction opposed to the inser-
15 tion direction 101 simultaneously moves the card 600 in the
direction opposed to the insertion direction 101 because the
contact face 310 of the plunger 300 abuts on the front face
630 of the card 600. Moving the card 600 in the direction opposed
to the insertion direction 101 brings the rear face 640
20 of the card 600 into contact with the locking surface 545 of
the stopper 500. Since the stopper 500 is enabled to rotate
from the locked position 502 to the unlocked position 501, a
force exerted by the rear face 640 of the card 600 on the
locking surface 545 of the stopper 500 rotates the stopper
25 500 from the locked position 502 to the unlocked position 501
around the rotary axis 506 in a clock-wise manner. Rotation
of the stopper 500 from the locked position 502 to the
•unlocked position 501 moves the first end 511 of the stopper
500 out of the card receiving space 200 and clears the en-
30 trance slit 220 of the card reader 100. This allows the card
600 to leave the card receiving space 200 through the entrance
slit 220.
19
Once the plunger 300 has been pushed from the inner position
302 to the outer position 301 by the springs 160, the card
600 has moved partially out of the card receiving space 200
through the entrance slit 220. At this point, a user of the
5 card reader 10 0 can easily manually remove the card 600 completely
from the card receiving space 200.
Once the card 6 00 has been removed from the card receiving
space 200 of the card reader 100, the card reader 100 is
10 ready for insertion of another card 600. The plunger 300 of
the card reader 100 assumes the outer position 301. The stopper
500 assumes the unlocked position 501. The entrance slit
220 of the card receiving space 200 of the card reader 100 is
clear.
15
A card locking mechanism as described above on the basis of
the card reader 100 may also be used in a card reader that is
designed for reading data from and writing data to magneticstripe
cards or other cards capable of storing electronic
2 0 data.
20
Reference symbols
100 card reader
101 insertion direction
5 102 transverse direction
103 vertical direction
110 frame
115 cover
12 0 guiding channel
10 130 shaft
131 pillar
13 2 convex side
133 flat side
13 4 clamp
15 140 contact assembly
150 solenoid lock
151 solenoid
152 latch
16 0 spring
20
200 card receiving space
201 outer end
202 inner end
210 card plane
25 220 entrance slit
3 00 plunger
301 outer position
302 inner position
30 310 contact face
400 connection rod
401 outer end
21
402 inner end
410 displaced section
420 lock pin
5 500 stopper
501 unlocked position
502 locked position
510 elongate beam
511 first end
10 512 second end
520 concave side
521 convex side
53 0 upper part
535 lower part
15 540 recess
545 locking surface
550 lug
560 rotary axis
561 bending axis
20
600 card
610 upper side
62 0 lower side
630 front face
25 640 rear face
22

©RIGT?4A'
V
We claim:
10
15
A card reader (100)
comprising a card receiving space (200),
wherein a card (600) can be inserted into the card
receiving space (200) in an insertion direction (101)
through an entrance slit (220),
wherein the card reader (100) comprises a rotatable
stopper (500) that can assume a locked position (502)
and an unlocked position (501),
wherein the entrance slit (220) is clear when the
stopper (500) is in the unlocked position (501),
wherein a locking surface (545) of the stopper (500)
partially blocks the entrance slit (220) when the
stopper (500) is in the locked position (502) .
20
25
30
The card reader (100) according to claim 1,
wherein the card reader (100) comprises a plunger
(300) that is movable along the insertion direction
(101) between an outer position (301) and an inner
position (302),
wherein inserting a card (100) into the card receiving
space (200) pushes the plunger (300) from the
outer position (301) to the inner position (302),
wherein the plunger (300) is rigidly connected to a
lock pin (420),
wherein the lock pin (420) locks the stopper (500) in
the locked position (502) when the plunger (300) is
in the inner position (302) .
The card reader (100) according to claim 2,
wherein the stopper (500) can assume the unlocked po-
23
sition (501) when the plunger (300) is in the outer
position (301).
4. The card reader (100) according to one of the previ-
5 ous claims,
wherein the stopper (500) is rotatable around a rotary
axis (560) perpendicular to a card plane (210)
of the card receiving space (200) .
10 5. The card reader (100) according to claim 4,
wherein the card reader (100) comprises a shaft (13 0)
that extends perpendicular to the card plane (210) of
the card receiving space (200),
wherein the stopper (500) is rotatable around the
15 shaft (130) .
6. The card reader (100) according to claim 5,
wherein the shaft (130) comprises a convex side (132)
and a flat side (133),
2 0 wherein the stopper (500) is arranged adjacent to the
convex side (132),
wherein the flat side (133) faces the card receiving
space (200).
25 7. The card reader (100) according to one of claims 5
and 6,
wherein the shaft (13 0) comprises a clamp (134) for
retaining a card (600) in the card receiving space
(200) in a direction (103) perpendicular to the card
30 plane (210) of the card receiving space (200).
8. The card reader (100) according to one of the previous
claims.
24
r ^ "0
't- •
10
0#
\5^
wherein the stopper (500) comprises an elongate beam r t \ • '
(510) with a first end (511) and a second end (512) , T, '•
wherein the beam (510) is bent around an axis (561)
perpendicular to a card plane (210) of the card receiving
space (200) .
The card reader (100) according to claim 8,
wherein a concave side (520) of the stopper (500) is
oriented towards the card receiving space (200) .
10. The card reader (100) according to one of claims 8
and 9,
wherein the locking surface (545) is arranged at the
first end (511) of the stopper (500),
15 wherein the first end (511) is arranged closer to the
entrance slit (220) than the second end (512) .
11. The card reader (100) according to one of claims 2
and 3 and to one of claims 8 to 10,
20 wherein the lock pin (420) faces the first end (511)
when the plunger (300) assumes the outer position
(301).
12. The card reader (100) according to one of claims 2
2 5 and 3 and to one of claims 8 to 11,
wherein the lock pin (420) faces the second end (512)
when the plunger (3 00) assumes the inner position
(302) .
3 0 13. The card reader (100) according to claim 12,
wherein a lug (550) is arranged on the second end
(512) of the stopper (500) ,
wherein the lock pin (420) abuts on the lug (550)
25
, : • • . . . : ^ '
i^ ^ " 2: ocnoi3
when the plunger (300) assumes the inner position
(302) .
14. The card reader (100) according to claim 13,
5 wherein the lug (550) is arranged below a card plane
(210) of the card receiving space (200) in a direction
(103) perpendicular to the card plane (210) of
the card receiving space (200) .
15. The card reader (100) according to one of claims 2
and 3 and optionally to any one of claims 4 to 14,
wherein the plunger (300) is connected to the lock
pin (420) by a connection rod (400),
wherein the lock pin (420) protrudes from the connection rod (400) in a direction (102) perpendicular to
the insertion direction (101).