Registers – Coded record sensors – Particular sensor structure
Patent
1989-02-21
1991-07-02
Levy, Stuart S.
Registers
Coded record sensors
Particular sensor structure
235475, 235482, G06K 704
Patent
active
050287672
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
1. Technical Field
This invention relates to an IC card sealed holder for accommodating and retaining an IC card incorporating an integrated circuit.
2. Background Art
Magnetic cards in which a magnetic stripe serves as a memory medium are widely utilized as cash cards and credit cards in on-line systems at banks and the like.
Though such magnetic cards can be manufactured at low cost, they have a small memory capacity and there is the danger that stored data may be erased by an external magnetic force. Consequently, in recent years IC cards of larger 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 in the form of a CMOS integrated circuit. When data is written or read from the IC card, a plurality of contact portions of an IC card connector serving as input/output terminals of the integrated circuit are connected to a card socket having a plurality of corresponding contacts, and an exchange of data is performed between the card and a card reader or card writer via the socket.
With a conventional IC card of this kind, the card is connected to or withdrawn from the card socket by pushing the card in or pulling the card out with the fingers on one's hand. Accordingly, the connector portion on the IC card side is provided with a shutter, which is closed when solely the card is handled, thereby preventing one's hand from touching the contact portion.
However, in the case where an IC card reader or writer is used in a poor air quality environment such as in a factory, it is required not only to protect the IC card but also to provide a dust-proof structure for the card reader or card writer per se. The reason is the risk of the IC card connector portion becoming contaminated when the card is inserted into the card socket. Accordingly, it is necessary to assure the seal of the IC card holder and also to facilitate the insertion and withdrawal of the card as by providing the insertion port of the IC card holder with a door or the like, by way of example.
Furthermore, when the IC card is extracted from the IC card holder by the mechanical force of an elastic member or the like, labor is required to adjust the mechanical force. If the force is maladjusted, there is the danger that the IC card may spring out of the insertion port of the IC card holder and fall, with the IC card being damaged by the impact.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been devised in order to solve the foregoing problems and it is an object of the present invention to provide an IC card sealed holder so adapted that an IC card connector may be reliably connected to a card socket, the card can be inserted into and withdrawn from a card reader or card writer through a simple operation, and the application of inadvertent impact to the card is prevented.
According to the present invention, there is provided a sealed holder in which an IC card formed into a card shape and having an imbedded IC chip is accommodated in withdrawable and insertable fashion in order to perform a transfer of data via a connector portion provided on a front end face of the card, comprising a holder housing formed to have an insertion/ejection port for the IC card, a card socket provided within the holder housing at a position at which a distance between the card socket and the insertion/withdrawal port is equal to a distance between front and rear end faces of the IC card inserted therein, a pivoting door pivotally supported on the holder housing and adapted to be turned while the rear end face of the IC card inserted therein is pushed, thereby closing the insertion/ejection port so as to hold the interior of the holder housing in a sealed state, and means operatively associated with a turning operation for opening the pivoting door for extracting the IC card from the card socket.
Thus, the sealed holder for an IC card according to the invention is such that the operation of closing the pivoting door of the holder housing pushes the rea
REFERENCES:
patent: 3866827 (1975-02-01), Obata et al.
patent: 4724310 (1988-02-01), Shimamura et al.
patent: 4743746 (1988-05-01), Murschall et al.
patent: 4931622 (1990-06-01), Ohtsuki et al.
duBois Steven M.
Fanuc Ltd.
Levy Stuart S.
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