Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-16
2001-05-22
Luebke, Renee (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Within distinct housing spaced from panel circuit arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234810
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a smart-card connector and in particular to a SIM-card connector comprising a contact support on which a cover is supported for a pivotal movement about a pivoting axis, said cover receiving the smart card or, in particular, the SIM-card. The smart-card, in particular the SIM-card is occasionally referred to below as a “card”.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
From the DE 40 08 655 A1 a contacting apparatus or card connector, in particular for a SIM (subscriber identity module) card is already known, wherein the card, in particular the SIM-card is received in a cover and is supported at its rear edge by a supporting surface during the pivotal movement from an open position to a closed position. These SIM-card connectors are often used in devices such as mobile phones in which little or limited construction space is available. The desire for progressively smaller devices, as it is the case for example for mobile phones, makes it necessary to thrive for the further reduction of the size of the SIM-card connector which is to be inserted into such devices.
The card connector of DE 40 08 655 A1 is shown in cross section in FIG.
9
. For receiving and guiding a SIM-card
1
in a cover
164
, the cover
164
is provided with two guide projections
90
(only one of which is shown in FIG.
9
). The projections
90
define—as is shown in FIG.
9
—a tunnel, wherein oppositely located wall portions
92
provide for the guidance of the SIM-card at its side edges. A guiding means
140
comprises an abutment surface
88
at the contact support
63
which limits the depth of insertion of the SIM-card
1
. When closing the cover
164
the SIM-card is rotated along the abutment surface
88
into a recess
78
of the contact support
63
. The cover
164
also comprises a locking pin
89
for locking the closed cover. A pivot point
65
for pivotally supporting the cover
164
on the contact support
63
is provided on supporting blocks
124
and is located further to a rearward direction (towards the left in
FIG. 9
) of the contact support in comparison to the abutment surface
88
.
A modification of the connector of the prior art is shown in
FIGS. 4 and 6
, where the abutment surface
88
is formed by an abutment shoulder
138
having a semicircular shape. A pivoting axis
160
for the cover
170
is defined at the supporting blocks
124
for supporting the cover
170
on the contact support in a similar fashion as the cover
164
is supported by the pivot points
65
in FIG.
9
. When moving the cover
170
together with the inserted SIM-card
1
from its open position to its closed position, a rear edge of the SIM-card
1
is guided by the abutment surface
88
along a semicircular path or curve.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has realized that by displacing the pivoting axis of the cover, in particular in connection with an optimized guiding geometry which is formed in a recessed manner in the contact support, there can be obtained, in particular, a reduced longitudinal dimension.
In accordance with the invention a smart-card connector, in particular a SIM-card connector is provided in which a contact support supporting contacts comprises a recess or groove in its upper or top surface. Further, the pivoting axis is displaced in front of the stop surface for the card, wherein the card is safely guided when the cover is moved from its opening or open position to its closing or closed position.
With the new geometry of the guiding curve formed by the groove it is possible to prevent hindering forces occurring during the opening process in the prior art, said forces might result in a “forceful ejection” of the card out of the cover.
Further, in accordance with the invention the coding chamfer is reduced to minimize the dimension, i.e. the longitudinal dimension.
The invention further provides for the use of a metal cover to minimize the vertical dimension of the SIM-card connector, which is achieved in particular in connection with the attachment of a rivet as a point of rotation for locking. The construction of the components is devised so as an air gap between the SIM-card and the card slot is practically pressed out.
It is an object of the present invention to provide for a SIM-card connector in which good and basically uniform contact pressures are achieved together with a small longitudinal dimension, and, in particular, also together with a small vertical dimension.
To solve this problem, a SIM-card connector is formed in accordance with the invention as set forth in the independent claims. Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5269707 (1993-12-01), Reichardt et al.
patent: 5718609 (1998-02-01), Braun et al.
patent: 5813878 (1998-09-01), Kuwata et al.
patent: 6082213 (2000-07-01), Skogward
patent: 6095868 (2000-08-01), Hyland et al.
patent: 36 42 424 (1987-06-01), None
patent: 0 472 692 (1991-03-01), None
patent: 0 494 503 (1991-11-01), None
patent: 0 840 246 (1997-10-01), None
Braun Gerhard
Laage Andreas
Schnell Thomas
Amphenol-Tuchel Electronics GmbH
Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley LLP
Luebke Renee
Nguyen Phuong Chi
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