Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-10
2001-05-15
Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
C439S060000, C439S489000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231395
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a microcircuit (or microchip) card connector for a card reader, in particular for reading an electronic purse type pocket card.
A pocket card reader of this kind must be of low cost so that it can be marketed on a large scale and must enable the user to verify easily the amount available on their “purse” card.
The problem arises in such readers of connecting the contact areas of the microcircuit carried by the card to the electronic circuit of the reader.
Patents FR 87 15 739 and FR 95 06 854 describe the use for this purpose of connectors comprising brush contacts fastened to an electrically insulative material frame.
DE-A-43 30 017 discloses a microcircuit card reader connector comprising:
a) contacts connected to an electronic circuit and adapted to be connected to contact areas of the microcircuit of the card when the card is inserted in the reader and,
b) an electrically insulative material plate comprising cells each freely receiving a brush contact one end of which projects out of the cell and is adapted to come into contact with a contact area of the microcircuit of the card and whose other end bears and slides on a conductive area of the electronic circuit formed on a printed circuit card pressed against the electrically insulative material plate.
WO-A-96 02 892 concerns a microcircuit card reader connector comprising:
a) contacts connected to an electronic circuit and adapted to be connected to contact areas of the microcircuit of the card when the card is inserted in the reader, and
b) an electrically insulative material plate incorporating cells each receiving a brush contact one end of which projects out of the cell and is adapted to come into contact with a contact area of the microcircuit of the card and whose other end is in contact with a conductive area of the electronic circuit on a printed circuit card pressed against the electrically insulative material plate.
The end of the brush contact is adapted to be brazed onto a printed circuit card.
WO-A-95 33 243 shows a microcircuit card reader connector comprising:
a) contacts connected to an electronic circuit and adapted to be connected to contact areas of the microcircuit of the card when the card is inserted in the reader, and
b) an electrically insulative material plate incorporating cells each freely receiving a brush contact one end of which projects out of the cell and is adapted to come into contact with a contact area of the microcircuit of the card and whose other end is in contact with a conductive area of the electronic circuit on a printed circuit card pressed against the electrically insulative material plate.
The other end of the brush contact is adapted to be pressed elastically against conductive areas of the printed circuit.
The aim of the present invention is to reduce the cost of a connector of the above kind by eliminating all soldering operations for connecting the contact areas of the microcircuit of the card to the contact areas of the electronic circuit of the reader.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is therefore directed to a connector for a reader for a microcircuit card, comprising contacts connected to an electronic circuit and adapted, when the card is inserted in the reader, to be connected to contact areas of the microcircuit of the card, the connector comprising an electrically insulative material plate incorporating cells each freely receiving a brush contact one end of which projects out of the cell and is adapted to come into contact with a contact area of the microcircuit of the card and whose other end bears and slides on a conductive area of the electronic circuit on a printed circuit card pressed against the electrically insulative material plate.
In accordance with the invention, the connector is characterized in that the brush contacts are in the form of a metal leaf spring bent to a V-shape whose top constitutes said first end and at least one foot of which constitutes said second end.
In this way the brush contacts are simply housed in the cells of an insulative plate, in which they are retained by the printed circuit card that carries the electronic circuit. The brush contacts are freely engaged in these cells and no soldering is necessary.
When the card is inserted in the reader, the contact areas of the microcircuit on the card come into contact with the projecting ends of the brush contacts whose other ends come into contact with the contact areas of the printed circuit card.
The brush contacts are preferably engaged in cells whose section in the plane of the V-shape of the brush contacts has a flared shape substantially complementary to that of the V-shape of the brush contacts.
The brush contacts are preferably made of a metal having spring properties.
Accordingly, when the card is inserted into the reader, it bears on the projecting tops of the V-shaped contacts and presses them down into the cells, which causes elastic deformation of the V-shape of the contacts and sliding of their feet on the contact areas of the printed circuit.
This arrangement makes it possible to establish an excellent electrical connection between the contact areas of the microcircuit of the card and those of the electronic circuit carried by the printed circuit card
Other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent in the course of the following description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings, which are provided by way of non-limiting example:
FIG. 1
is a lateral view of the insulative contact-carrier plate of the connector in accordance with the invention,
FIG. 2
is a plan view of the plate from
FIG. 1
,
FIG. 3
is a plan view of the printed circuit of the connector in accordance with the invention,
FIG. 4
is an enlarged view of the detail A from
FIG. 3
,
FIG. 5
is a sectional view of the insulative contact-carrier plate and a microcircuit card, before the latter is inserted,
FIG. 6
is a view similar to
FIG. 5
with the card partially inserted,
FIG. 7
is a view similar to
FIG. 6
with the card fully inserted,
FIG. 8
is a view in longitudinal section of a first embodiment of a connector in accordance with the inventions and
FIG. 9
is a view in longitudinal section of a second embodiment of a connector in accordance with the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4975086 (1990-12-01), Reichardt et al.
patent: 5259777 (1993-11-01), Schuder et al.
patent: 5733147 (1998-03-01), Verstijnen
patent: 5906516 (1999-05-01), Sato et al.
patent: 5975959 (1999-11-01), Joly
patent: 43 30 017 A1 (1995-03-01), None
patent: 2 623 313 (1989-05-01), None
patent: WO 95/33243 (1995-12-01), None
patent: WO 96/02892A1 (1996-02-01), None
Framatome Connectors International
Paumen Gary F.
Perman & Green LLP
Ta Tho D.
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