IC card

Claim 2

An IC card comprising: - a frame (2) having an opening (8) which is formed in at least one side of a top and a bottom surface thereof, and a plurality of recesses (27, 28) located at the periphery of the opening (8); electronic parts (6) contained in the frame (2); and - a panel (4, 5) having a plurality of resilient projections (25, 26) located at the periphery of the panel (4, 5) corresponding to the recesses (27, 28); - the panel (4, 5) being mounted in the frame (2) by engaging the respective resilient projections (25, 26) with the respective recesses (27, 28) and covering the opening (8).

Claim 3

The IC card of claim 1, wherein - each of the resilient projections (25, 26) consists of a protruding piece (25a) extending from a back surface of the panel along a vertical direction and a hook (25b) formed by folding a top end of the protruding piece (25a) back toward the respective surface of the panel (4, 5), while each of the recesses (27, 28) consists of an entrance space (27a, 28a) having a fixed narrow width (W) and a bottom space (27b, 28b) whose inner wall (27c, 28c) forms a slope so that the width of the bottom space (27b, 28b) becomes larger as it goes to the bottom of the bottom space (27b, 28b), and - each of the resilient projections (25, 26) passes through the respective entrance space (27a, 28a) while the hook (25b) is elastically deformed toward the protruding piece (25a), and engages the hook (25b) elastically returned with the inner wall (27c, 28c) of the bottom space (27a, 28b).

Claim 4

The IC card of claim 1 or 2, wherein the panel (4, 5) is shaped as a rectangle or a quadrate, and the resilient projections (25, 26) are provided at two opposite sides of the panel (4, 5), respectively.

Claim 5

The IC card of claim 1 or 2, wherein the panel (4, 5) is shaped as a rectangle or a quadrate, and the resilient projections (25, 26) are provided at all four sides of the panel (4, 5), respectively.

Claim 6

The IC card of claim 3, wherein the panel (4, 5) is a rectangle having two opposite long sides (21, 22) and two opposite short sides (23, 24), and the resilient projections (25, 26) are respectively provided in pairs at each of the two opposite long sides (21, 22).

Claim 7

The IC card of any of claims 1 to 5, wherein - the frame (2) has two openings (8) which are respectively formed in the top and the bottom surface thereof, - the card has two panels (4, 5), one of which covers the one opening (8) and the other of which covers the other opening (8), and - the two panels (4, 5) have the same construction but are mounted in the frame (2) in a posture reverse to each other, in each of which a distance (L1) between a short side (23, 24) and each of the one resilient projections (25, 26) disposed at one end side of individual long sides (21, 22) is different from that between the other short side and each of the other resilient projections (25, 26) disposed at the other end side of the individual long sides (21, 22), in order to prevent the resilient projections (25) of the one panel (4) and the resilient projections (26) of the other panel (5) from interfering with each other.

Claim 8

The IC card of any of claims 1 to 6, further comprising an adhesive material (15) disposed on the back surface of the panel (4, 5), the panel (4,5) being glued to the frame (2) through the adhesive material (15).

Claim 9

The IC card of any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the electronic parts (6) are installed in the frame (2) by means of a wiring board (3), and a plurality of electrodes are provided on an end surface of the frame (2), the electrodes being electrically connected with the electronic parts (6) through the wiring board (3).

Claim 10

An IC card of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the panel (4, 5) is made of metal while the frame (2) is made of resin.