EP0476892A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Card reader
Assignee: Whitaker LLC
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Filing: 1991-09-06
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-09-06
Abstract
Abstract A card reader (2) especially for use in connecting gold plated pads on a subscribers identity module card (4) to respective tin plated pads on a printed circuit board (6) in a car telephone handset, comprises an insulating frame (8) having spigots (26) for fixing it to the circuit board (6), and a metal cover (12). A bar (22) spanning the frame (8) supports contact elements (10) molded thereinto. Each contact element (10) has a contact spring (40) provided with a bowed, gold plated contact surface (50)near its free end for engaging a respective gold plated pad on the card (4), and intermediate its ends, an oppositely bowed, tin plated, contact surface (44) for engaging a respective tin plated pad on the circuit board (6). With the card (4) resting on a ledge in the frame (8), the metal cover (12) is latched to the frame (8) to force the contact surfaces (44 and 50) against their respective pads. The contact springs (40) are so configured that the contact forces (F1 and F2) applied by and the length of wipe of the contact surfaces (44 and 50) is appropriate to the plating thereon and the plating on the pads engaged thereby.
Inventors
- 👤 Helena Maria Alberta Reynier
- 👤 Johannes Anthonius Jacobus Van Oosterhout
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 13:51
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K7/00; G06K7/0013; G06K7/0021; G06K7/003; G07; G07F; G07F7/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
265 words
A card reader comprising a card support (8) a set of elongate contact springs (40) and means (12) for pressing contact surfaces of said contact springs (40) into electrical contact with contact surfaces of respective electrically conductive first pads (C1 to C8) on a card (4) on said card support (8) and with contact surfaces of respective electrically conductive second pads (C9 to C16) on a circuit board (6); characterized in that where the contact surfaces of the first pads (C1 to C8) are of a first material (Au) and the contact surfaces of said second pads are of a second material (Sn); each contact spring (40) has a first contact surface (50) of said first material (Au) for engaging the contact surface of a respective first pad (C1 to C8) and a second contact surface (44) of said second material (Sn) for engaging the contact surface of the respective second pad (C9 to C16), said first and second contact surfaces (50 and 44) being provided on oppositely directed first and second bights (42 and 46) spaced from each other longitudinally of the contact spring (40) so as to provide, in effect, two independent contact springs (52 and 56), one for exerting a first contact force (F1) appropriate to said first material (Au), for pressing said first contact surface (50) against the contact surface of said first pad (C1 to C8), and the other for exerting a second contact force (F2) appropriate to said second material (Sn), for pressing said second contact surface (44) against the contact surface of said second pad (C9 to C16).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
61 words
A card reader as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that one end (38) of each contact spring (40) is connected to said card support (8), said first bight (46) being provided proximate to a free end (48) of the contact spring (40) remote from said one end, and said second bight (42) being provided between said ends (38 and 48).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
86 words
A card reader as claimed in Claim 2, characterized in that said bights (42 and 46) are connected by a first rectilinear planar arm (52) of the contact spring (40), said second bight (42) being connected to a further bight (58) which is substantially shallower than the second bight (42), by a second rectilinear planar arm (56) of the contact spring (40) said further bight (58) merging with a third planar arm (43) coplanar with a rectilinear planar support portion (38) of the contact spring (40).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
106 words
A card reader as claimed in Claim 4, characterized in that said first bight (46) is of constant width, said first arm (52) having a part (54) of equal constant width connected to said first bight (46), but increasing in width up to the crest of said second bight (42), said second arm (56) decreasing in width from said crest to said further bight (58), the contact spring (40) thereafter increasing in width up to a position just beyond said further bight (58) to a width substantially exceeding that of said second bight (42) and thereafter being of constant width up to said support portion (38).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
96 words
A card reader as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first material (Au) is gold, said second material (Sn) being tin, said second contact force (F2) being substantially greater than said first contact force (F1) and said contact spring (40) being configured so that said first surface (50) wipes along the contact surface of said first pad (C1 to C8) to a greater extend than said second contact surface (44) wipes along the contact surface of said second pad (C9 to C16), upon the application of said pressing means (12).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
111 words
A card reader as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said card support is the form of an insulating frame (8) spanned by a support bar (22), each contact spring (40) having a tail portion (62,66) molded into the support bar (22), the frame (8) having a peripheral card supporting ledge (18), said pressing means being in the form of a cover (12) assembable to the frame (8) to press the card (4) against the first contact surface (50) of each contact spring (40), and thereby to press each second contact surface (44) thereof against a respective pad (C9 to C16) on the circuit board (6).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
246 words
A card reader comprising a card support (8), a set of contact springs (40) and means (12) for pressing contact surfaces of said contact springs (40) into electrical contact with contact surfaces of electrically conductive first pads (C1 to C8) on a card (4) on said card support (8) and with contact surfaces of respective electrically conductive second pads (C9 to C16) on a circuit board (6); characterized in that said card support is in the form of an elongate insulating frame (8) spanned transversely thereof by a support bar (22) and having a peripheral card supporting upper ledge (18), at least one row of contact springs (40) each having a support portion (62,66) molded into said bar (22), the contact springs (40) projecting from the bar (22) in parallel relationship lengthwise of the frame (8), the frame having means (26) for securing it to the circuit board (6) with a lower face of the frame (8) thereagainst, each contact spring (40) having an upwardly bowed contact surface (50) for engaging a respective one of said first pads (C1 to C8) and a downwardly bowed contact surface (44) for engaging a respective one of said second pads (C9 to C16), said pressing means comprising a cover (12) which can be secured to said frame (8) to press a card (4) on said ledge (18) down against said first contact surfaces (50) thereby to press said second contact surfaces (44) against said second pads (C9 to C16).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
108 words
A card reader as claimed in Claim 7, characterized in that , the contact springs (40) are arranged in two rows, the contact springs (40) of one row projecting from one side of the bar (22) and those of the other row projecting from the opposite side thereof, each contact spring (40) of one row being aligned with a contact spring (40) of the other row, the support portions comprising cranked parts (62,66), the cranked parts (62,66) of the support portions of the contact springs (40) of one row being interdigitated with the cranked parts of the support portions of the contact springs (40) of the other row.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
53 words
A card reader as claimed in Claim 8 characterized in that the cover (12) is formed with downwardly directed beads (32), each of which is aligned with the first contact surfaces (50) of the contact springs (40) of a respective row thereof when the cover (13) has been assembled to the frame (8).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
72 words
A card reader as claimed in Claim 7, 8 or 9, characterized in that the cover (12) has latch arms (34) which are resiliently deflectable by cam surfaces (25) on side walls (14) of the frame (8) to latch the cover (12) to the frame (8), the frame (8) and the cover (12) having openings (24 and 37) for receiving a tool blade for releasing the cover (12) from the frame (8).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
90 words
A card reader as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that one of more further frames identical with said elongate insulating frame (8) are stacked thereon in contiguous, longitudinally aligned relationship, the cover (12) having means for retaining said frames in their stacked relationship, with a card on the card supporting ledge (18) of each frame (8), the, or each, card other than the upper most card being provided with said first contact pads on both sides thereof for engagement by the contact surfaces (44 and 50) thereabove and therebelow.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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