Ic card reader

Claim 1

An IC card reader comprising an insertion slot followed by a guide channel at the end of which a standard connector is situated, wherein: the reader includes a cradle pivoting about a stationary axis perpendicular to the direction of the guide channel and situated on one side of the insertion slot, and a roller whose axis extends parallel to said stationary axis being mounted in the cradle and being free to move in translation along a direction .increment. perpendicular to its axis, said direction .increment. being at an acute angle α relative to the direction of the guide channel; said cradle includes resilient return means tending to close said angle α, and drive means acting on control and more powerful than said return means tending to open said angle α; said roller includes resilient means pulling the roller along said direction .increment. towards the line of intersection between the plane of the guide channel and the plane containing the axis of the roller and said direction .increment.; in the rest position of the reader prior to a card being inserted therein, said roller obstructs said channel; and when a card is fully inserted in the reader, at least a portion of the card remains outside the reader, the cradle being in abutment in a position where said angle α is less than the angle β whose tangent is equal to the coefficient of friction μ between said roller and said card, said drive means being powered after the card has been processed so as to open said angle α and enable the card to be withdrawn.