Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-20
2001-08-14
Lee, Benjamin C. (Department: 2736)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
C340S572100, C340S005800, C340S005310, C340S005610, C340S010100, C361S737000, C361S748000, C361S777000, C029S829000, C029S846000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06275158
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a device which is provided with a data carrier which is arranged for contactless communication with a communication station, includes a casing which consists of an electrically insulating material and is formed by injection molding, includes holding means which are surrounded by the casing and are arranged to hold a chip and at least one passive component which is suitable for contactless communication, and is also provided with electrically conductive connection means which are surrounded by the casing, thus being fully enclosed by the casing, are connected to the holding means and by means of which a respective chip terminal of the chip is electrically conductively connected to a respective component terminal of the at least one component.
The invention also relates to a data carrier which is arranged for contactless communication with a communication station, includes a casing which consists of an electrically insulating material and is formed by injection molding, includes holding means which are surrounded by the casing and are arranged to hold a chip and at least one passive component which is suitable for contactless communication, and is also provided with electrically conductive connection means which are surrounded by the casing, thus being fully enclosed by the casing, are connected to the holding means and by which of a respective chip terminal of the chip is electrically conductively connected to a respective component terminal of the at least one component.
A device of the kind set forth in the first paragraph and a data carrier of the kind set forth in the second paragraph are commercially available in a variety of versions and hence are known. The known device and the known data carrier are used, for example in an immobilizer system; the data carrier is then accommodated in the grip of a vehicle key which thus forms the known device.
The holding means of the known data carrier are formed by a thin, foil-like late which consists of a fiberglass-reinforced epoxy material whereto gold-plated copper tracks are connected. Such construction is known from the field of printed circuits. The gold-plated copper tracks then constitute the electrically conductive connection means via which the terminals to be interconnected are connected by way of soldering. Because of the small dimensions and the vulnerability of the chip and the at least one passive component, and because of the. specific construction of the holding means and the connection means, the known data carrier requires a comparatively intricate soldering operation so as to make said soldered connections; because of the construction of the copper tracks, only a limited temperature distribution takes place during soldering, possibly giving rise to comparatively high thermomechanical loads which in turn could reduce the service life. Moreover, the described holding means and connection means are comparatively expensive which is, of course, another drawback.
It is an object of the invention to eliminate the described problems and realize an improved device and an improved data carrier.
In order to achieve this object the holding means in a device of the kind set forth in the first paragraph according to the invention include a holding foil of an electrically non-conductive synthetic material, the connection means being realized while utilizing a conductor frame consisting of metal, the connection means being formed by conductor segments of said conductor frame which are completely enclosed by the casing, at least parts of the conductor segments of said conductor frame being connected to the holding foil in order to hold said conductor segments.
In order to achieve this object the holding means in a data carrier of the kind set forth in the second paragraph according to the invention include a holding foil of an electrically non-conductive synthetic material, the connection means being realized while utilizing a conductor frame consisting of metal, the connection means being formed by conductor segments of said conductor frame which are completely enclosed by the casing, at least part of the conductor segments of said conductor frame being connected to the holding foil in order to hold said conductor segments.
Taking the steps according to the invention advantageously offers a device according to the invention and a data carrier according to the invention in which the novel combination of holding means and connection means is significantly cheaper than in the known data carrier. Furthermore, a major advantage is achieved in that the novel combination of holding means and connection means also offers an absolutely reliable protection of the chip against the hazardous effects of electrostatic discharges, because the conductor segments acting as the electrically conductive connection means cannot at all be reached from outside the casing. Moreover, the construction of the connection means according to the invention ensures that fast and uniform temperature distribution takes place during the soldering of the necessary soldered connections, so that only insignificant or even no thermomechanical loading occurs and hence an advantageously long service life is ensured.
The holding foil in a device according to the invention and in a data carrier according to the invention can be utilized to hold, during the formation of the casing by molding in an injection molding tool, the conductor segments of said conductor frame which constitute the connection means and the parts of the data carrier which are connected to said conductor segments. However, it has been found that it is particularly advantageous to take the steps disclosed in the claims
2
and
10
, because it is thus ensured that parts of the conductor frame which is present anyway, i.e. the holding segments of said conductor frame, are utilized to hold the conductor segments and the holding foil as well as the further components during the injection molding operation so as to form the casing.
In conjunction with the foregoing it has also been found that it is very advantageous to take the steps disclosed in the claims
3
and
11
, because it is thus ensured that the complete holding foil is absolutely reliably protected against adverse external effects.
Advantageous further embodiments of a device according to the invention and a data carrier according to the invention are realized by taking the steps disclosed in the claims
4
to
8
and
12
to
16
, respectively. Such further embodiments notably feature the use of a particularly advantageous and inexpensive material for the holding foil and a particularly inexpensive connection of the holding foils to the conductor segments.
The foregoing aspects and further aspects of the invention will become apparent from and will be elucidated with reference to the following embodiment.
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patent: 6072383 (2000-06-01), Gallagher, III et al.
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patent: WO9712263 (1997-04-01), None
Kwas Heinz
Schaffler Gerald
Scheucher Wolfgang
Toth Marcus
Lee Benjamin C.
U.S. Philips Corporation
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