Reading device for an integrated circuit card

Claim 1

A reading device for an integrated circuit card having electrical contacts, said device comprising: a frame with a holding space for the integrated circuit card, said frame having an inlet opening through which the integrated circuit card is insertable in an insertion direction past a read position of the circuit card into an over-position of the circuit card, said over position being spaced further from said inlet opening than said read position; a slide movable over said frame substantially parallel to said insertion direction between a rest position and an operating position; a slide spring biasing said slide in the direction opposite said insertion direction for moving said slide from said rest position to said operating position; a contact carrier having contacts for contacting the contacts on the circuit card, said contact carrier being movable into a contact position in which said carrier contacts engage the circuit card contacts in both said over- and read positions of the circuit card; coupling means coupling said contact carrier to said slide for moving said contact carrier into said contact position upon movement of said slide into said operating position; a locking device switchable between a blocking position, in which said slide is disposed in said rest position and locked against movement towards said operating position, and first and second release positions in which said slide is released to move towards said operating position, said locking device being in said first release position when the circuit card is in said over-position, and said locking device resting against a portion of said slide in said second release position; a lock spring biasing said locking device for moving said locking device from said release positions to said blocking position, said lock spring biasing said locking device with substantially less force than that which said slide spring biases said slide; said locking device including a control stop actuatable by the integrated circuit card for moving said locking device into said first release position upon insertion of the circuit card into said over-position, the card being insertable into said over-position with an insertion force sufficient to overcome said lock spring; in said first release position of said locking device, said slide being moved by said slide spring from said rest position to said operating position and said contact carrier being moved into said contact position, upon release of said insertion force on the circuit card said lock spring moving said locking device from said first release position to said second release position and said control stop on said locking device moving the circuit card from said over-position to said read position with said carrier contacts engaging the circuit card contacts, in said second release position said locking device resting against a portion of said slide in its operating position such that said control stop does not bias the circuit card towards the inlet opening; a manual control connected to said slide and actuatable for moving said slide from said operating position to said rest position against the biasing of said slide spring; upon actuation of said manual control and movement of said slide from said operating position to said rest position, said locking device being moved from said second release position into said blocking position by said lock spring and the integrated circuit card being moved from the reading position in a direction opposite said insertion direction to said inlet opening by said control stop.