IC card adapter with card receptors in the sides of the housing

Claim 2

An IC card adapter connectable to an electronic device, said adapter holding a plurality of individual IC cards and comprising a housing having a card receptor portion for simultaneously receiving the plurality of individual IC cards, the individual IC cards being readily detachable from the card receptor portion, and the adapter further comprising a connector portion provided in the front portion of the housing, said connector portion electrically and mechanically connecting the adapter to an electronic device, the adapter further comprising a plurality of slots defined in sides of the housing, the card receptor portion being provided in the slots and the individual IC cards being inserted in individual slots, some of the sides of the housing having the slots being opposed to one another.

Claim 3

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 1, further comprising means for selecting one or more of the IC cards, said means including the connector portion which is responsive to a control signal from an electronic device.

Claim 4

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 2, wherein the means for selecting further comprises a switch circuit provided in said housing for manual IC card selection.

Claim 5

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 3, wherein the switch circuit includes a switch provided on the housing, the switch being at an end of the housing generally opposite to the front portion at which the connector portion connects the adapter to an electronic device.

Claim 6

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 1, wherein the connector portion extends from the front portion of the housing through the housing to each of the individual IC cards.

Claim 7

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 5, wherein an end of the connector portion is exposed at the front portion of the housing and wherein the housing forms a recess at the front portion thereof which surrounds an exposed part of the connector portion.

Claim 8

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 1, wherein the card receptor portion receives at least some of the IC cards in a direction generally perpendicular to a direction in which an electronic device receives the connector portion.

Claim 9

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 1, wherein the front portion of the housing in which the connector portion is provided comprises a side of the housing which is generally perpendicular to said some of the sides having the slots defined therein.

Claim 10

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 1, wherein the housing has a generally rectangular shape.

Claim 11

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 1, wherein some of the individual IC cards are insertable into and removable from the card receptor portion in generally opposed directions, at least front ends of each IC card being operatively connected in the card receptor portion to the adapter while rear ends of each IC card are free of electrical connections.

Claim 12

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 1, wherein the connector portion has a generally flat portion exposed outside the housing at the front portion thereof, the flat portion lying in a first plane and each of the individual IC cards being generally flat, each IC card when received in the card receptor portion lying in a plane which is substantially parallel to the first plane.

Claim 13

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 11, wherein each IC card received in the card receptor portion generally lies in the same plane such that the IC cards received in the card receptor portion are generally parallel.

Claim 14

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 1, wherein the connector portion only extends from the front portion of the housing such that the adapter is mechanically connectable to an electronic device only at a front side thereof.

Claim 15

An IC card adapter connectable to an electronic device, said adapter holding a plurality of individual IC cards and comprising a housing having a card receptor portion for simultaneously receiving the plurality of individual IC cards, the individual IC cards being readily detachable from the card receptor portion, and the adapter further comprising a connector portion provided in the front portion of the housing, said connector portion electrically and mechanically connecting the adapter to an electronic device, some of the individual IC cards being insertable into and removable from the card receptor portion in generally opposed directions, at least front ends of each IC card being operatively connected in the card receptor portion to the adapter while rear ends of each IC card are free of electrical connections.

Claim 16

An IC card adapter connectable to an electronic device, said adapter holding a plurality of individual IC cards and comprising a housing having a card receptor portion for simultaneously receiving the plurality of individual IC cards, the individual IC cards being readily detachable from the card receptor portion, and the adapter further comprising a connector portion provided in the front portion of the housing, said connector portion electrically and mechanically connecting the adapter to an electronic device, some of the individual IC cards being insertable into and removable from the card receptor portion in generally opposed directions, at least front ends of each IC card being operatively connected in the card receptor portion to the adapter while rear ends of each IC card are free of electrical connections.

Claim 17

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 14, further comprising means for selecting one or more of the IC cards, said means including the connector portion which is responsive to a control signal from an electronic device.

Claim 18

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 15, wherein the means for selecting further comprises a switch circuit provided in said housing for manual IC card selection.

Claim 19

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 16, wherein the switch circuit includes a switch provided on the housing, the switch being at an end of the housing generally opposite to the front portion at which the connector portion connects the adapter to an electronic device.

Claim 20

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 14, wherein the connector portion extends form the front portion of the housing through the housing to each of the individual IC cards.

Claim 21

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 18, wherein an end of the connector portion is exposed at the front portion of the housing and wherein the housing forms a recess at the front portion thereof which surrounds an exposed part of the connector portion.

Claim 22

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 14, wherein the card receptor portion receives at least some of the IC cards in a direction generally perpendicular to a direction in which an electronic device receives the connector portion.

Claim 23

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 14, wherein the connector portion has a generally flat portion exposed outside the housing at the front portion thereof, the flat portion lying in a first plane and each of the individual IC cards being generally flat, each IC card when received in the card receptor portion lying in a plane which is substantially parallel to the first plane.

Claim 24

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 21, wherein each IC card received in the card receptor portion generally lies in the same plane such that the IC cards received in the card receptor portion are generally parallel.

Claim 25

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 14, wherein the connector portion only extends from the front portion of the housing such that the adapter is mechanically connectable to an electronic device only at a front side thereof.

Claim 26

An IC card adapter connectable to an electronic device, said adapter holding a plurality of individual IC cards and comprising a housing having a card receptor portion for simultaneously receiving the plurality of individual IC cards, the individual IC cards being readily detachable from the card receptor portion, and the adapter further comprising a connector portion provided in the front portion of the housing, said connector portion electrically and mechanically connecting the adapter to an electronic device, the card receptor portion receiving at least some of the IC cards in a direction generally perpendicular to a direction in which an electronic device receives the connector portion, the connector portion having a generally flat portion exposed outside the housing at the front portion thereof, the flat portion lying in a first plane and each of the individual IC cards being generally flat, each IC card when received in the card receptor portion lying in a plane which is substantially parallel to the first plane.

Claim 27

An IC card adapter connectable to an electronic device, said adapter holding a plurality of individual IC cards and comprising a housing having a card receptor portion for simultaneously receiving the plurality of individual IC cards, the individual IC cards being readily detachable from the card receptor portion, and the adapter further comprising a connector portion provided in the front portion of the housing, said connector portion electrically and mechanically connecting the adapter to an electronic device, the card receptor portion receiving at least some of the IC cards in a direction generally perpendicular to a direction in which an electronic device receives the connector portion, the connector portion having a generally flat portion exposed outside the housing at the front portion thereof, the flat portion lying in a first plane and each of the individual IC cards being generally flat, each IC card when received in the card receptor portion lying in a plane which is substantially parallel to the first plane.

Claim 28

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 24, further comprising means for selecting one or more of the IC cards, said mans including the connector portion which is responsive to a control signal from an electronic device.

Claim 29

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 25, wherein the means for selecting further comprises a switch circuit provided in said housing for manual IC card selection.

Claim 30

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 26, wherein the switch circuit includes a switch provided on the housing, the switch being at an end of the housing generally opposite to the front portion at which the connector portion connects the adapter to an electronic device.

Claim 31

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 24, wherein each IC card received in the card receptor portion generally lies in the same plane such that the IC cards received in the card receptor portion are generally parallel.

Claim 32

An IC card adapter connectable to an electronic device, said adapter holding a plurality of individual IC cards and comprising a housing having a card receptor portion for simultaneously receiving the plurality of individual IC cards, the individual IC cards being readily detachable from the card receptor portion, and the adapter further comprising a connector portion provided in the front portion of the housing, said connector portion electrically and mechanically connecting the adapter to an electronic device, the adapter further comprises means for selecting one or more of the IC cards, said means including the connector portion which is responsive to a control signal from an electronic device.

Claim 33

An IC card adapter connectable to an electronic device, said adapter holding a plurality of individual IC cards and comprising a housing having a card receptor portion for simultaneously receiving the plurality of individual IC cards, the individual IC cards being readily detachable from the card receptor portion, and the adapter further comprising a connector portion provided in the front portion of the housing, said connector portion electrically and mechanically connecting the adapter to an electronic device, the adapter further comprises means for selecting one or more of the IC cards, said means including the connector portion which is responsive to a control signal from an electronic device.

Claim 34

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 29, wherein the means for selecting further comprises a switch circuit provided in said housing for manual IC card selection.

Claim 35

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 30, wherein the switch circuit includes a switch provided on the housing, the switch being at an end of the housing generally opposite to the front portion at which the connector portion connects the adapter to an electronic device.

Claim 36

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 29, wherein the connector portion extends from the front portion of the housing through the housing to each of the individual IC cards.

Claim 37

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 32, wherein an end of the connector portion is exposed at the front portion of the housing and wherein the housing forms a recess at the front portion thereof which surrounds an exposed part of the connector portion.

Claim 38

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 29, wherein the card receptor portion receives at least some of the IC cards in a direction generally perpendicular to a direction in which an electronic device receives the connector portion.

Claim 39

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 29, wherein the card receptor portion is provided on a top surface of the housing.

Claim 40

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 35, wherein the front portion of the housing in which the connector portion is provided comprises a side of the housing which is generally perpendicular to the top surface of the housing having the card receptor portion.

Claim 41

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 29, wherein some of the individual IC cards are insertable into and removable from the card receptor portion in generally opposed directions, at least front ends of each IC card being operatively connected in the card receptor portion to the adapter while rear ends of each IC card are free of electrical connections.

Claim 42

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 29, wherein the connector portion has a generally flat portion exposed outside the housing at the front portion thereof, the flat portion lying in a first plane and each of the individual IC cards being generally flat, each IC card when received in the card receptor portion lying in a plane which is substantially parallel to the first plane.

Claim 43

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 28, wherein each IC card received in the card receptor portion generally lies in the same plane such that the IC cards received in the card receptor portion are generally parallel.

Claim 44

The IC card adapter as recited in claim 29, wherein the connector portion only extends from the front portion of the housing such that the adapter is mechanically connectable to an electronic device only at a front side thereof.