Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-21
2001-06-05
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
C439S928100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241557
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to a connector and, more particularly to a connector for a smart card, in particular for a SIM-card. More specifically the present invention is related to a connector for two smart cards, in particular SIM-cards disposed one above the other. The smart card, in particular the SIM-card is occasionally referred to below as a “card”.
BACKGROUND ART
Connectors which allow to contact several SIM-cards are known.
Known connectors waste a lot of space both regarding the height as well the width and the length of the connector because several connectors each for a single card are placed adjacent to one another. The present invention provides a connector, in particular for the use with two SIM-cards wherein particularly the longitudinal and transversal dimension of the connector is minimized.
Attention is drawn to EP 0 845 750 A2, EP 0 845 837 A2, and DE 29 808 948 U1.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect of the present invention a connector is provided which has a top portion and disposed in a spaced relationship thereto a bottom portion for forming a card insertion pocket or slot in such a way that it is particularly adapted for receiving two cards. The top portion and the bottom portion may be formed as one piece. In particular the top portion and the bottom portion may each form a single connector for each one card and may be placed on top of each other. In this case, the two single connectors may be glued together or fixed to each other by a snap-in connection.
In a second aspect of the present invention a connector is provided which has a housing which forms a card slot. A first group of contact springs in a first portion of the housing has contact portions which project into the card slot. A second portion of the housing has a second group of contact springs which project with their contact portions into the card slot in a direction opposite to the direction in which the contact portions of the first group of contact springs project into the card slot. The contact portions of the first group of contact springs are displaced in relation to the contact portions of the contact springs of the second group such that smart cards, in particular SIM-cards which have the same arrangement or pattern of card contacts are adapted to mate or contact with the respective contact portions of the first and second group of contacts supported by the housing when the cards are inserted rotated with respect to each other by 180° about a transverse axis.
The above and further advantages, objects and details of the invention will become apparent from the description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5184282 (1993-02-01), Kaneda et al.
patent: 5559672 (1996-09-01), Buras, Jr. et al.
patent: 5679007 (1997-10-01), Potdevin et al.
patent: 5901049 (1999-05-01), Schmidt et al.
patent: 6075706 (2000-06-01), Learmonth et al.
patent: 298 08 948 (1998-09-01), None
patent: 0 845 837 (1998-06-01), None
Abstract of European Patent EPO845837, Jun. 1998.
Amphenol-Tuchel Electronics GmbH
Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley LLP
Patel Tulsidas
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