Registers – Records – Conductive
Patent
1989-03-22
1991-05-21
Levy, Stuart S.
Registers
Records
Conductive
235487, 361399, G06K 1906, H05K 114
Patent
active
050177672
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to an IC card having an integrated circuit sealed within.
BACKGROUND ART
Cards in which a magnetic stripe serves as a memory medium are widely utilized as magnetic cards for cash cards and credit cards in on-line systems at banks and the like.
Though such magnetic cards are low in cost, they have a small memory capacity and there is the danger that stored data may be erased by an external magnetism. Accordingly, in recent years IC cards of large memory capacity have been developed in which data will not be affected by external magnetism.
An IC card of this type has an internal processor and memory composed of a CMOS-type integrated circuit. As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 3, the external shape of this IC card is defined by a card-shaped plastic case a formed of a plastic material, and the upper and lower surfaces thereof are each covered by a reinforcing metal plate b. One end face of the card-shaped case is provided with a connector portion c connected to associated equipment when data is written or read from the IC card.
The metal plates which protect the IC card are for preventing deformation and bending of the IC card body by reinforcing it. Since the plastic connector portion c at the end face is not covered by the metal plates b, there is the danger that the plastic case a forming the connector portion c will deform or bend if the IC card is inadvertently dropped on the floor or its end face struck against some object. Moreover, the CMOS-type integrated circuit accommodated within the IC card is susceptible to accumulations of static electricity, and the internal integrated circuit can be damaged by a discharge of static electricity to the connector portion particularly when the air is dry.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been devised in order to solve the foregoing problems and its object is to provide an IC card in which a connector portion provided at an end face of the IC card is protected physically and against a discharge of static electricity by a metal plate.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an IC card having an integrated circuit sealed within, the IC card comprising a case constructed of a card-shaped synthetic resin material and internally incorporating an integrated circuit board, a connector portion provided on an end face of the case for connecting the integrated circuit board to an external circuit, and a reinforcing metal plate a surface of covering the case, an end portion of the metal plate being bent into an L-shaped configuration to cover both a portion of the end face having the connector portion and a surface of the case, and having a ground-connection point of the semiconductor integrated circuit connected to the metal plate.
Accordingly, the IC card of the present invention is such that the end portions of the metal plates on the upper and lower surfaces of the case are bent into an L-shaped configuration to cover the IC card from the corners of the end faces to the vicinity of the connector portion. This has the effect of protecting the IC card against external impact. In addition, since the ground-connection point of the internal integrated circuit is connected to the metal plates, this has the effect of protecting the integrated circuit since static electricity in the vicinity of the connector portion is discharged into the metal plates.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a conventional IC card.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
In the Figures, numeral 1 denotes a card-shaped case comprised of synthetic resin material. Imbedded in the case is a CMOS-type integrated circuit (IC) 2 which includes a processor and a memory.
Numeral 11 denotes a connector portion of
REFERENCES:
patent: 3372310 (1968-03-01), Kantor
patent: 4386388 (1983-05-01), Beun
patent: 4758689 (1988-07-01), Nakao et al.
patent: 4780791 (1988-10-01), Morita et al.
duBois Steven M.
Fanuc Ltd.
Levy Stuart S.
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