Electrical connectors – Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient... – Spring actuated or resilient securing part
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-08
2001-06-12
Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient...
Spring actuated or resilient securing part
C439S630000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244911
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a contact element and to a SIM card contacting apparatus using such a contact element. More generally, the invention also relates to a contact element for a chip or smart card reader as well as to a chip or smart card reader using such a contact element.
As is well-known, chip or smart cards are used for various purposes, for instance as prepaid telephone cards. Such a telephone card allow the purchase to insert the card into a public telephone ant then make telephone calls equivalent to the amount of money paid for said telephone card. Chip cards are also used to identify members of, for instance, a health organization and so on. SIM cards derive their name form the words “
s
ubscriber
i
dentity
m
odule”. SIM cards are frequently used in so-called cell phones, for instance to identify a subscriber of the respective telephone company. SIM cards are much smaller than smart cards, Thus, certain SIM card specific problems can occurs when they need to be “read” or contacted. Accordingly, the present invention relates in particular and preferably to contact elements and contacting apparatus for SIM cards and, more generally, to contacts and contacting apparatus for chip or smart cards.
In particular, the need to miniaturize cell phone to an extent as large as possible, sets high demands for the contact elements and the SIM card contacting apparatus using said contact elements to contact the contact areas or pads on the SIM card.
Due to the continuing strive for miniaturization, problems need to be addressed which can occur when contacting SIM cards. To provide for a reliable contact engagement with the contact pads or contact areas of a SIM card, a certain minimum pressure or a certain minimum force is required by means of which contact elements of a smart card contacting apparatus presses against the contact pads of the SIM card. So as to reach said minimum pressure when using contact springs, a certain spring path or spring deflection is required. With the presently used materials for the contact elements, the contact elements need to have a certain free length so as to provide for the necessary spring or deflection path without leaving the elastic range of the contact element. If the elastic range of the contact element is exceeded, then the contact element will remain deformed so that a reliable contact engagement is no longer warranted.
For better tolerance and for a safe and secure contact pressure, a relatively long spring or contact deflection path is desirable.
So far, contact elements were in substance linear leaf springs extending in one direction only. Thus, the required length of the contact elements determines for a certain spring or contact deflection path also the size of a contact block within which the contact elements are supported.
When designing reading and switching contact elements a beam element was used as a contact element. Said beam element was fixedly mounted at its; one end and was deflected by means of the chip or SIM card, thus creating the required contact element force applied to the contact area of a SIM card. Reading contact elements are contact elements which are typically used to “read” out information stored in the SIM card. Switching contact elements are used for instance to provide information whether a chip card, in particular a SIM card, is inserted into a respective contacting apparatus. Continuing with the description of the prior art, it should be noted that the contact element just described is subject to bending during its use. Frequently, the support of the contact element acts said a spring and is designed in trapezoidal form.
So as to reduce even more the requirement for space for a chip card or smart card in particular a SIM contacting apparatus, for instance to make a smaller cell phone possible, or to provide for the use of more components for the same size cell phone, the invention intends to optimize a SIM or chip card contacting apparatus with respect to the required space such that a reliable contacting engagement of the contacting areas of a SIM or chip card is not jeopardized.
It is, in particular, an object of the invention to maintain a small height or thickness of a contact block carrying the contact elements of, for instance, 1.2 mm and to reduce the distance of terminal portions, e.g. soldering terminal portions of the contact elements down to a small value. For instance, it is desired to reduce the distance between the terminal portions on opposite sides of the contact block from about 26 mm down to about 15 mm, due to the curvilinear structure of the contact element as opposed to linear or straight contact elements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a contact(ing) element preferably for use in a SIM card contacting apparatus, said contact element comprising an essentially straight first or contact leg having a contact end, and at least one substantially straight second or mounting leg, wherein the mounting leg is located adjacent to said contacting leg and extends preferably parallel thereto.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the mounting leg of the contact element is longer than the contact leg of the contact element such that the contact element is, in plan view, substantially J-shaped. Expressed somewhat differently, the contact element is, in general, about U-shaped, wherein one leg of the U is shorter than the other.
The contact element of the invention acts as a bending/torsion-spring.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the mounting leg of the contact element is connected with a termination portion, in particular a soldering termination portion. Preferably, the mounting leg is integrally formed together with said termination portion.
In accordance with the invention, the contact element comprises a transition portion which connects the first and second legs. The transition portion preferably defines an outer edge which comprises in substance two quarter circles with a second radius and a straight portion between said quarter circles.
For the J-shaped embodiment, the contact element comprises a transition portion with an inner edge having in substance the shape of a semi circle with a first radius. Preferably, the mounting leg has a width which is smaller than the width of the contacting leg. The width of the transition portion in the apex point, i.e. at the transition between said two legs, is in substance equal to the width of the contact leg.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention a contact element, in particular for a SIM card contacting apparatus, is provided, said contact element comprising two substantially straight support legs and one substantially straight contacting leg, said contacting leg being located between said two mounting legs and comprising a contacting end. This embodiment can be called a W-shaped embodiment Preferably, the legs extend parallel to each other.
In accordance with a preferred W-shaped embodiment, the contacting leg of the contact element is shorter than the mounting legs and the mounting legs of the contacting element are approximately of equal length.
Preferably, the W-shaped contact element comprises a transition portion which connects the legs with each other. The transition portion comprises preferably an outer edge which consists essentially of two quarter circles having a second radius with a straight portion in between. The inner edge of the transition portion in the area between the straight portion of the contact leg and the apex point of the respective transition between the contact leg and the respective mounting leg comprises preferably an approximately parabolic contour. Approximately, in the apex point said parabolic contour merges in what is in substance a quarter circle with a first radius, wherein one end of the quarter circle merges into the straight edge of the respective mounting leg. The width of the contact leg is preferably equal to each of said widths of the two mounting leg
Amphenol-Tuchel Electronics GmbH
Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley LLP
Ta Tho D.
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