US 4,420,794 AGranted

Integrated circuit switch

AssigneeResearch Corporation

InventorJames R. Anderson

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Abstract

A key device carries an integrated circuit chip or dual in-line package (DIP) and permits connecting the chip into a circuit board such as a logic circuit board of a computer terminal, from an exterior opening of the housing or cabinet carrying such circuit board. The key device connects any desired chip electrically to spring contacts of a socket located in alignment with the exterior opening. The socket in turn is connected through a ribbon cable for example to a connector on the circuit board at some desired location within the housing. The chip carrying key device is rotated 90.degree. after insertion to insure good electrical contact. When the key is to be removed, the key device is rotated 90.degree. to a position where it is electrically disconnected from the socket leads and can be removed from the housing. The chip can be reprogrammed if desired. Various applications can be utilized where the user for example can insert a discrete memory chip into a computer terminal logic circuit to identify the user before allowing the user to transact business through the computer, or for rapid change of off the shelf chips or reprogrammed memories into circuit or logic boards used in a wide variety of devices.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An integrated circuit switch comprising a housing having an opening therein, means in said housing for providing a plurality of individual first electrical contacts arranged in a pair of spaced rows of first contacts, a key assembly including a key base having a platform portion with an external surface forming a support and external side edge portions having grooves defined therein and spaced to correspond to the spacing of the first contacts in the respective rows, a dual in-line package supported on the external surface and having an electrical circuit coupled to elongated second circuit contacts which form the standard elongated leads of such dual in-line package extending externally from the opposite edges of the dual in-line package and which correspond in spacing to the first contacts in the housing, the key base having means on the platform for positioning the dual in-line package at a desired location with the second circuit contacts along the opposite edge portions of the platform, the second circuit contacts being bent over the edge portions and each fitting into one groove, and being exposed along the edge portions, said key assembly fitting through said opening and being positioned between the rows of first contacts and being rotatable when inserted into the interior of said housing to bring the portions of the second circuit contacts of the dual in-line package carried by the key assembly and exposed at said edge portions into electrical connection withe corresponding first contacts in the housing, the rows of first contacts yielding resiliently as the key assembly is rotated and the exposed portions of the second circuit contacts are brought into electrical connection with the first contacts.

An integrated circuit switch comprising a housing having an opening therein, a standard integrated circuit wire wrap socket mounted in said housing and having a pair of rows of generally parallel, spaced rows of coextensive elongated strip contacts extending outwardly from one side of the wire wrap socket, each row comprising a plurality of contacts spaced in direction along the row, a key assembly including a key body having a substantially planar exterior support surface and generally parallel side edges, a standard dual in-line package having an electrical circuit coupled to leads extending from the sides of the standard dual in-line package and corresponding in spacing to the strip contacts in the rows on the integrated circuit wire wrap socket, the key assembly having the dual in-line package supported on the exterior support surface with the leads thereof positioned along the side edges and bent around the side edges to hold the dual in-line package on the exterior support surface, the dual in-line package being held on the exterior of the key body only by the leads thereof being bent around the side edges, said key assembly fitting through said opening in the housing and being rotatable when inserted into the interior of said housing to bring the leads of the dual in-line package carried by the key assembly which are adjacent the side edges into electrical connection with corresponding elongated strip contacts in the housing, the strip contacts in the respective rows of strip contacts yielding and bearing against the dual in-line package leads as the key assembly is rotated.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.