Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-16
2001-08-07
Abrams, Neil (Department: 2839)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C439S945000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06272017
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an adaptor for connecting chip cards to a computer slot, preferably according to PCMCIA standard, comprised of a card-shaped housing with an upper and lower cover plate having an insertion slot at one end face that opens into a receiving channel for receiving a chip card and also having at the opposite side a contact plug. A printed circuit board is enclosed in the housing and electrically connected to the contact plug. It extends parallel to the receiving channel and is provided with contact elements for contacting a chip card.
A chip card in the aforementioned context is defined as a card-shaped support element having electronic components, especially micro processors, in which different readable information data are saved. Such chip cards, also called smart cards, are especially employed in computer technology and have found more and more applications in connection with authentication of subjects. In addition to its use as an identity card, for example, for operating access control systems, chip cards are also increasingly used in connection with electronic banking where they are, for example, used by credit card companies in connection with POS systems in order to eliminate magnetic strip cards.
For reading a chip card, contacting units with reading device, in the form of an adaptor system, are provided that allow the connection of the chip card to a computer slot according to PCMCIA standard. The known adaptors of the prior art have a PCMCIA plug which can be used for mechanically and electrically contacting the respective PCMCIA slot of the computer system. The reading of the chip card is performed by contacting elements provided within the receiving channel for the chip card which contact the chip card physically or, for example, in a contact-free manner by optical or magnetic means.
From German Gebrauchsmuster 295 05 678 a contacting unit (adaptor) for card-shaped support elements with electronic components is known which is provided with a base plate having a size that is suitable for a plane-parallel receiving of a card-shaped support element. At least one printed circuit board with contacting elements at its surface is provided for contacting the electronic components of the support element, whereby the printed circuit board is especially parallel to the base plate. The support element also comprises a contact plug arranged at one of the end faces of the base plate. A plate shaped cover element, which is substantially congruent to the base plate, forms together with the printed circuit board a slot-shaped insertion channel. It is connected to the base plate in the area of the contact field and the opposed corners. The attachment in the area of the contact field is realized by two stays positioned laterally to the contact field which are unitary (monolithic) parts of the base plate and the cover element. A disadvantage is that such a construction can be produced only with great economical expenditure and is thus not suitable for inexpensive mass production. This is so because of the unitary construction of the base plate and the cover element which requires a time-consuming and thus unfavorable assembly. Furthermore, the selection of suitable materials is limited because the cover element for the stays must be bent about the contact field onto the underside of the contacting unit so that a certain bending flexibility of the material to be used is imperative.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an adaptor for contacting chip cards with a standardized PCMCIA slot of a computer etc. such that a simple, inexpensive manufacture can be realized which allows economical mass production in view of the increasing use of the afore disclosed card systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This object is inventively solved for an adaptor of the aforementioned kind such that the top and bottom covers are two separate congruent components and that between the top and bottom covers at least one intermediate element is provided which connects the top and bottom covers to one anther.
An adaptor designed such can be produced simply and inexpensively and allows mass production in the aforementioned sense. This is possible because due to the two-part design with top and bottom covers a simple assembly results. By connecting the covers by intermediate elements, use of different materials, depending on the application, can be realized with minimal manufacturing-technological expenditure. Possible applications for the latter are, for example, to be seen in the use of non-conducting or conducting materials for the covers with respect to specifications concerning shielding, static compensation (dissipation) etc.
In a preferred embodiment, therefor the top cover is provided with a first intermediate element and the bottom cover is provided with second intermediate elements which have contacting surfaces for connecting the intermediate elements to one another. This has the advantage that the respective covers and corresponding intermediate elements can be premanufactured so that, after completion of assembly of the printed circuit board and the contact plug, a simple connection of the similar first and second intermediate elements at the top and bottom covers is possible. For this purpose, it is suggested that at the first and second intermediate elements matching pins and openings are arranged in order to achieve a simple and fast centering of the intermediate elements positioned atop one another which are then connected by ultrasound welding, adhesives or other material connections.
According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the first and second intermediate elements are provided with corresponding pins and openings forming a detachable plug-in connection. In this manner a simple separation of the top and bottom covers via the intermediate elements is provided which ensures simple disassembly of an adaptor, for example, in connection with recycling.
According to a further advantageous feature, the first and second intermediate elements are injection-molded plastic parts which are connectable by injection molding to the respective top and bottom covers so that a simple and inexpensive manufacture of the intermediate elements as well as a reliable connection of the latter to the covers is possible. Expediently, the top and bottom covers are provided with tabs formed thereat which are then embedded by injection molding into the first and second intermediate elements in order to provide for a reliable material connection.
According to a further feature of the invention, the first intermediate element is a substantially U-shaped frame having an outer contour matching the contour of the top cover and having an inner contour with clamping and guiding portions for receiving the printed circuit board between the two legs of the frame. This has the advantage of increasing the torsional stiffness of the adaptor, for example, when the legs of the frame form parts of the lateral walls of the housing. By embodying the inner contour of the legs with clamping and guiding portions for receiving the printed circuit board, a higher functional integrity is also achieved. In order to ensure precise guiding and safe contacting of a chip card within the adaptor, which requires a substantially identical height of the chip card and the receiving channel, but also to ensure a simple and fast introduction of a chip card into the adaptor, according to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention the face of the base of the frame facing the receiving channel in the area of the insertion slot is provided at one side with a recessed portion. This ensures a slightly slanted and simple insertion of the chip card into the insertion slot of the adaptor.
It is especially advantageous that the second intermediate elements are in the form of spacer segments having substantially the same height as a chip card. The spacer elements, on the one hand, form the walls of the insertion slot at the front portion of the housing and, on the ot
Backer Arnd
Klatt Dieter
Klenner Thomas
Pelke Bernhard
Ungermann Heinz
Abrams Neil
Robert W. Becker & Associates
Stocko Metallwarenfabriken Henkels und Sohn GmbH & Co.
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