Communications: radio wave antennas – Antennas – With radio cabinet
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-04
2001-02-27
Wong, Don (Department: 2821)
Communications: radio wave antennas
Antennas
With radio cabinet
C361S737000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06195054
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an IC card with an antenna.
2. Description of Related Art
Data exchange between portable information equipment represented by a notebook personal computer or an electronic notebook, for example, and equipment such as a desktop personal computer is generally carried out using a dedicated cable or infrared rays.
When the dedicated cable is used, however, time and labor required to connect the cable to both equipments are complicated. Since the distance at which communication is possible is limited in data communication using infrared rays, infrared transmitter-receivers must be brought near to each other. Even if the data communication using infrared rays is not more complicated than the cable connection, therefore, it is not necessarily data exchange means which is easy to utilize.
Therefore, a system for connecting information equipments by radio has been proposed.
An IC card having a radio function has been proposed in order to establish data communication by radio. That is, the IC card is mounted on an IC card slot in the information equipment, thereby realizing radio data transmission which is not so complicated as the cable connection and in which a restriction on the communication distance is significantly relaxed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Such an IC card comprises an antenna for radio communication. In this case, it is preferable that the antenna is provided on one end surface of an IC card exposed from a card slot. Therefore, it is preferable that the shape of the antenna is small in size and is in a longitudinal thin plate shape.
On the other hand, in order to establish good communication, strict dimensional precision is required for the small-sized and longitudinal thin plate-shaped antenna. Consequently, it is preferable that an antenna mounting structure is devised such that the antenna is not deformed at the time of and after mounting.
The antenna mounted on the end surface of the IC card must be directly electrically connected to a circuit board contained in an internal space of the IC card. In order to achieve such connection in a limited space inside the IC card, however, it is preferable that a connecting structure between the antenna and the circuit board is as simple as possible.
An object of the present invention is to provide an IC card with an antenna which can realize good communication by preventing the antenna from being deformed.
An IC card with an antenna in the present invention comprises a frame for defining an internal space containing a circuit board and having an antenna mounting end surface; an antenna mounting portion provided in the vicinity of the antenna mounting end surface and having a plurality of antenna mounting grooves formed from the antenna mounting end surface toward the internal space; an antenna having an antenna main body arranged on the antenna mounting end surface, slip-off preventing members projecting from the antenna main body and respectively engaged with the plurality of antenna mounting grooves, and a connecting member projecting from the antenna main body and electrically connected to the circuit board; and an antenna fixing member covering the antenna mounting grooves with which the slip-off preventing members are respectively engaged and joined to the antenna mounting portion.
The IC card generally has a circuit board on which an IC is mounted, a frame for defining an internal space containing the circuit board, a pair of panels respectively covering upper and lower surfaces of the circuit board, and a connecting mechanism for connection to the information equipment. In this case, the connecting mechanism may be a connector for exchanging an electrical signal with the information equipment by contact-connection or a non-contact type connecting mechanism for transmitting and receiving a signal to and from the information equipment by magnetic coupling.
The antenna main body may be in a longitudinal shape extending along the antenna mounting end surface. In this case, it is preferable that the plurality of antenna mounting grooves are spaced apart from each other along the length of the antenna mounting end surface.
The antenna main body may be one extending from one end to the other end of the antenna mounting end surface, or may be one having a length which is approximately one-third to one-second the entire length of the antenna mounting end surface. In addition thereto, the shape and the size of the antenna main body can be changed depending on necessary communication conditions. For example, it may be a pair of parallel line-shaped members extending along the length of the antenna mounting end surface.
Since the antenna slip-off preventing member and the antenna mounting groove are engaged with each other, they respectively have shapes aligned or matched with each other. It is preferable that the slip-off preventing members are respectively provided in at least the vicinities of both ends of the antenna main body when the antenna main body is longitudinal, and it is more preferable that the slip-off preventing members are respectively provided at both ends and the center of the antenna main body.
According to the present invention, the antenna slip-off preventing member is engaged with the antenna mounting groove, and such engagement is performed in a plurality of portions on the antenna mounting end surface, so that the mounting of the antenna on the frame is achieved. Even if the antenna main body is in a thin plate shape or a longitudinal shape, therefore, the antenna main body is not deformed.
Moreover, the antenna mounting groove is covered with the antenna fixing member provided separately from the frame. Consequently, at the time of mounting the antenna, the antenna slip-off preventing members are respectively fitted in the antenna mounting grooves in an opened state, and the antenna fixing member is then joined to the frame. Consequently, the mounting of the antenna can be achieved without giving large stress to the antenna main body. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the antenna (particularly, the antenna main body) from being deformed at the time of the mounting.
For example, if the antenna mounting groove is formed so as to be accessible from a direction approximately perpendicular to a main surface of the IC card (a direction along the antenna mounting end surface), the slip-off preventing member can be formed in an arbitrary shape. Consequently, it is possible to effectively exhibit the respective functions of preventing the antenna from slipping off and being deformed.
The antenna can be thus prevented from being deformed at the time of and after the mounting. Accordingly, a good communication state can be achieved.
On the other hand, a connecting member electrically connected to the circuit board projects from the antenna main body. The mounting of the antenna is achieved by fixing to the frame the antenna fixing member provided separately from the frame, so that the connecting member can have an arbitrary shape. Consequently, it is possible to cause the connecting member itself to have a pressing function against a conductor on the circuit board. Accordingly, it is possible to simplify a connecting structure between the antenna and the circuit board.
For example, it is preferable that the connecting member is a pressing member which is pressed against the circuit board. Particularly, the connecting member is preferable if it is given a pressing force by elastic deformation. Consequently, a reliable electrical connection between the circuit board and the antenna can be achieved in significantly simple construction.
Furthermore, in the construction of the present invention, an assembly of the frame, the antenna, and the antenna fixing member can be handled as one component after the antenna is mounted. Accordingly, the substantial number of components is small, thereby making it possible to simplify the assembling process in assembling the IC card.
It is preferable that the frame and the antenna fixing member are
Tochi Akihiro
Washino Kiyoshi
Clinger James
J.S.T. Mfg. Co. Ltd.
Rader Fishman & Grauer
Wong Don
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